It all started with 5-7 cloves of garlic, one medium onion, and about 3 tablespoons of butter. The Spanish rice was well underway! It takes about 10 minutes for the onion to soften and the sweetness to develop. Then 2 cups of rice was added. I had Jasmine rice in the cupboard, but Basmati rice works nicely too. Stir the rice and onion mixture so it won't burn, but allow the rice to brown to deepen the flavor. This will take about 10 minutes on medium low heat.
One large carrot was chopped into small pieces and added to the browned rice-garlic-onion mixture, then a small can of fire roasted green chilies. Peas can be added to the rice mixture too. Usually we add about 1/2 cup of peas, I just simply forgot!
Last, but not least, a quart sized jar of garden fresh tomatoes was added along with the liquid from the jar. Add additional liquid depending on how much rice is being cooked. These tomatoes were called Amish Paste tomatoes. They are a delicious variety of Roma tomatoes and super sweet. Canning tomatoes is the easiest and fastest way to preserve them, and definitely worth the effort, especially at this time of year when tomatoes are very expensive at the market.
Now all of the yummy flavors will simmer, cook, and combine. The rice will soften and fluff up and there will be plenty for leftovers.
Then the time for tortillas had arrived.
Karyn shared this recipe with me and it is so easy to make your own flour tortillas.
2 Cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. shortening
1/2 C. to 3/4 C. water
Combine the first three ingredients, then cut in the shortening. Add water. Stir until well mixed. Let sit for up to 20 minutes to allow the gluten to activate, then divide into 12 or 13 balls. Roll each ball into a paper thin circle and cook in a medium hot skillet for 20 seconds on each side.
The tortillas cooked very quickly and evenly. Nothing was added to the pan, but the paper thin tortilla. Twenty seconds on each side, with light browning developing and then the hot tortilla was slipped into a glass covered dish to allow the steam to soften and moisten them.
The rice is finished and almost ready to serve. First, a jar of corn was added and a few fresh green onions to add a little more zip!
Here is the full meal deal! Grilled chicken thighs rubbed with a Southwest Seasoning, Spanish rice with corn in tortillas, salad, green onions, and plenty of salsa on the side.
But wait! There's more! Yes, there were plenty of left overs, so the next night the rice was reheated in the cast iron skillet with some water, then eggs were added to scramble and a bit of cheddar cheese. This concoction was then added to the tortillas for a breakfast burrito for dinner. Tim's was topped with a spicy sauce and I am saucy enough already!! Can you say Ole'?!!
The rhubarb is ripening. Don't worry, there were no spiders in the rhubarb, but a sneaky black widow in one of the out buildings decided to take a nibble on my wrist. All's well that end's well, but the venom effect masqueraded as back labor for a few days, which is altogether unpleasant as there is no baby to hold in the end! But, there is rhubarb and a little slow jelly making in the healing time.
Here the rhubarb has been rinsed and chopped and some of the long stringy strips peeled away. It smelled so good. There is about 5 cups of rhubarb here.
Four cups of sugar get stirred into the chopped rhubarb. Stir it so every piece of tangy tart rhubarb gets coated with some sugar. Cover it, and then the wait. The sugar will do its magic all by itself. If you happen to walk by, give it a stir. It needs to sit all day and through the night. See what I mean about slow jelly?!
The sugar has juiced up the rhubarb and mostly dissolved. There will be a layer of sugar at the bottom, but it all gets used in the jelly process. Oh, by the way, the recipe comes out of this cookbook. The Amish have so many wonderful ways of cooking. 
Here it is up close. If you breathe deeply, you will just nearly smell the sugary rhubarb goodness!
Now the sugar and rhubarb mixture is set to boil hard for 5 minutes on the stove top. Add 1-2 cups of water to help all sugar dissolve. Also add the secret ingredient of all jam and jellies: a nip of butter to keep the foaming down; it doesn't take much, maybe 1/8 of a teaspoon. Stir and make sure all sugar on the sides of the pot have gotten mixed in as well. Otherwise sugar crystals will form on the jelly later.
Now it is time for the mystery ingredient. It is hard to imagine, so it will be revealed slowly. See the little corner of the box peaking out from behind the pot? Well, before the jelly is poured into the hot jars, a 6 ounce package of (I can hardly say it. This is contraband around the farm!!) a package of strawberry jello!!! Yes, J-E-L-L-O! Add this to the boiled rhubarb and sugar mixture and stir well so all of it is dissolved. It will take about 2 minutes of stirring, stirring, stirring.
Now it is time to fill the hot jars, wipe the rims, and seal with hot lids and bands. Place the jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes or invert on the counter. The Ball Blue Book for canning requires the hot water bath.
Finally it is time for the taste test! Serve over hot biscuits with melted butter and coffee or tea, this is good therapy for spider bites or anything else that ails you. Don't worry too much about the Jello. Your secret is safe with me!
