Only in Indiana can you go from frigid temps and snow, to breezy and sixty-degrees all in 24 hours. 
I took a pic of this lil’ guy hunkering down and later tomorrow, I’m sure he’ll be sunbathing and wearing sandals, ha!
Here’s another guy looking for food…
Who doesn’t love fresh salsa?
We make it all year long.
I became the “salsa queen” when my daughter (Morgie) began asking for fresh salsa just about every week, no lie.
Yep, we LOVE our salsa and Mexican food.
I grew up in California where I only preferred authentic Mexican cuisine but it became harder to find once moving to Indiana in the 70s…now, there’s a Mexican restaurant on every corner!
However, we are VERY particular about our SALSA!!
We like a chunkier, thicker version so it doesn’t drip everywhere and sits perfectly on a chip.
A game changer was when I finally broke down and bought a food processor. I started experimenting, at home making my own.
Which is SOOO much better because you know the ingredients that go into making it and it’s FRESH!
And who doesn’t like fresh?!!🌶🍅
My daughter gave me her 5-star approval on the final recipe, and we began making it often.
So here’s to the quickest, easiest recipe everrrr. (Remember, you can always adapt where needed. )
And the best part…
you can just throw all the ingredients into a food processor!
Buy HERE: Food Processor: https://amzn.to/2TVcnh9
SO EASY!
I can prepare it in 15 minutes flat! (I timed myself, so I could actually say that 🤗.)
Ingredients:
1/2 of a large onion (optional)
1 small, handful of cilantro (also optional-BUT we DO ❤️cilantro!)
1-8oz. can of tomato sauce
5 small sized tomatoes (We use whatever is in season, or you can used canned tomatoes.)
1/2T white sugar (takes down the bitterness of the tomatoes) Lately, I’ve been adding a Stevia packet to reduce sugar.
2 garlic cloves (cause we like garlic but you can adjust this. )
3T white vinegar (it’s a must)
1 jalapeno seeded/ or a small amount of chopped green chilis (optional) 🌶
2T lime juice
salt and pepper
*You can actually use any seasonings you’d like: salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and onion powder.
**Just remember, canned tomatoes have LOTS of salt in them, so use the salt sparingly.
TIP: Freeze your cilantro and jalapeños for further use.
Instructions:
Add everything together in a food processor or blender. (If your food processor won’t hold everything at once, just add to the processor in smaller batches.)
Or, you can hand chop the items and mix them all together.
In the end, if you want some more liquid in your salsa just add more tomato sauce and/or a little water.
I love putting salsa on my eggs.
Tell me in the comments below what ingredients you love to add to your salsa.
Facebook recently reminded me of our winter “adventure” back in 2014.
Around this date, we had lots of snow, extreme icing, and a deadly wind chill. The state was under an emergency winter alert where no one was allowed to go out as the wind chill had dropped so low you’d risk freezing your skin off. Sections of interstates were closed down, and travel was restricted to emergency personnel only.
However, this was all we got the other day; it is the most snow we’ve had to date, but not nearly as bad as 2014.
I was also reminded that week my son just happened to be stranded at a hotel up in Indianapolis, during a state youth conference. They were trying to get food to their room and everyone was huddled together risking running to their cars for items. He told us the minute they attempted a short run, they couldn’t feel their face.
And of course, my son brought not ONE winter clothing item with him.
Hat? Gloves? Scarf? NOPE.
Of course not…ugh…
He’s a guy in his 20s, am I right?! 
I also had my daughter visiting from Georgia. She was quickly reminded why she moved south, to begin with. She NEVER has liked Indiana weather.
It has always rained on her birthday. Overcast skies made her sad. Easter egg hunting was usually out.
Yeah, visiting her cousins (in the south) made me lose my youngest at an early age. She graduated from high school and off she went!
So, I was secretly happy that she couldn’t leave, perhaps for days! 🙂
The Scrabble games we had started ended up being a week-long tourney!
I never played so much Scrabble in ALL.MY.LIFE!!!
Luckily, we still had power while others did not.
And food.
You always need food.
But, we had to go rescue the son and brave the slick roads, as we weren’t so sure his car would do well on the ice. And, we had to move the car as the daily parking was racking up fast!
That trip should’ve taken 2 hrs (roundtrip), but it was MUCH LONGER at a creep.
We all safely arrived back home for more Scrabble.
Then, Facebook pictures started leaking out as to how hard they all had it up there stranded in that horrible, awful, Indianapolis hotel.
When I first moved from California, we experienced the blizzard of ’78. What a shock that was for us southern Cali kids! I remembered going out with my dad to rescue people trapped in their homes unable to leave their driveways. He had a big plow on the front of his truck, and he’d just lower his huge blade down the middle of the highway. We were the only ones on the road. It was kind of eery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFaVwg8K8xo&t=89s
As of right now, the temps continue to be down right frigid but I don’t think we’ll see much more snow this week.
So, as much as I love the look of the new, fallen, snow, I’m also thinking it’s time we also looked south. These winters are just killing my skin and eyes, and it is not fun. (Yeah, I wasn’t made for dry winters, if you’ve read my health blog, I’m basically a lizard.)
I’m actually thinking I wasn’t really made for this EARTH…always something.
Even when it’s 13 degrees out, my house is still set at 62º because this forced heat is just a killin’ me!
Now my son is married and looking to move south as well.
Hubby cannot retire soon enough!
Countdown.
then there's two...Morgie & Me 