Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole
Inspiration:  My nephew and I found a similar recipe to this and modified it to our liking.  It must have been good... because it got demolished before I could take a picture.
Ingredients: frozen bag of tater tots or shredded hash browns 2 cups milk 8 eggs 1 lb pork sausage 2 cups shredded cheese of your choice veggies of your choice (optional)	Instructions:  Brown pork sausage and put to the side.  Put taters in bottom of greased 9x13 pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk eggs and milk together and pour over the top of the taters. Add pork sausage and veggies of your choice. Bake 30 mins and add shredded cheese. Bake another 15 mins. Let cool 5-10 mins.
Variation: could add cooked bacon to the top with the cheese.  We also tried salsa with it:)

Preserving Tomatoes

Diva’s Memories of Recipes   Preserving & Canning Tomatoes
Inspiration: I have been canning since 1981 when I was carrying my first child.  It's totally rewarding.  I canned 118 jars of tomatoes that year.
Ingredients: Tomatoes Lemon Juice or Vinegar Canning salt (if you want to freeze your tomatoes, use the peeling process in the instructions and put in ziplock bags, remove air and freeze. Some people do not slip the skins off, but I do.) You can also add onions and bell peppers to make stewed tomatoes.	Instructions:  Prepare Tomatoes as follows: Bring a large kettle of water to boil.  Have a large basin close by with cold water.  Add tomatoes to boiling water (I usually count to 60 while I am doing other things) Remove tomatoes to cold water basin with a slotted spoon.  Once they are cool to handle, remove the stem and slip the skins off.  Boil jars for about 10 mins to sterilize or put them in the dishwasher. Remember to do the lids also to soften the sealant.  You can either slice the tomato in half or quarters or leave them whole. Stuff the tomatoes in the jars.  (*I get 8 halved/quart and 8 quarters/pint jar) Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar with a pinch of salt.  Leave 1/2 inch head space to top of jar. Wipe the edge of the jar top and put lids & bands on.  Lower the jars carefully into large canning kettle of boiling water and boil about 25 mins.  Remove jars carefully to a heat resistance surface and listen for the lids to pop and seal.  Store jars in cool dry place.
Variation:  My Grandma use to add a carrot to the jar to lower the acid:)

Diva's Tomato Pasta Sauce

Diva’s Memories of Recipes Tomato Pasta Sauce
Inspiration:  This is my basic pasta sauce I use for everything.  I will double or triple the recipe and freeze quart size bags for future use too.  I also use this sauce for my casseroles and chili.
Ingredients: 2 lbs ground beef 1/2 TB basil 1/2 TB oregano 1/2 TB thyme 1/2 TB parsley salt & pepper to taste 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes, undrained 1 28oz can tomato sauce 1 6oz can tomato paste 1 TB minced garlic 1/2 cup onion, chopped	Instructions:  Brown ground beef, onions and garlic in large stock pot. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 2 hours.
Variation:  1 recipe will serve 6 sometimes I add green peppers, black olives, sweet wine or mushrooms as well.  Depends on who I am cooking for.   One 28-ounce can of tomatoes equals about 10 to 12 whole tomatoes, peeled (or about 2 pounds) One 14-1/2-ounce can of tomatoes equals 5 to 6 whole tomatoes, peeled (or about 1 pound) If you want to substitute whole tomatoes for tomato sauce, puree 10 tomatoes, peeled will equal One 28-ounce can.  And for homemade Tomato paste, add an additional 3 tomatoes to the puree.