My mother made the best chili sauce. I use her recipe, but you know how it is, two cooks can use the same recipe and it won't taste quite the same. Maybe it's nostalgia working on me, but her chili sauce tasted so good.

I know chili sauce is a condiment, but I like it on mashed potatoes. I have eaten it that way since I was a kid. Place a good pile (I mean heapin’) of mashed potatoes on your plate. Slather it with gobs of butter. The bed is ready. Add a generous topping of homemade chili sauce and dig in! Mashed potatoes and chili sauce is good eatin'.

Meat was a luxury growing up. Eggs were the usual daily protein of my childhood. Fried eggs were often served for supper. I have an allergy problem with egg yolks. I still can't eat them. I would heap potatoes on my plate. Pass the chili sauce, please.

MOTHER'S CHILI SAUCE
1 peck ripe tomatoes
6 green peppers, seeded and sliced
6 large onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 cups cider vinegar
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon each of cloves, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg

Scald tomatoes in large saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes. Take from water and remove skin and core. Now-a-days I chop tomatoes, peppers, and onions in food processor until a small dice. In large kettle, combine chopped vegetables, vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, celery seed and spices. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Skim off foam and stir occasionally until of desired consistency. This could take an hour or more. Pour into hot jars. Process in hot water bath for 15 minutes after water comes to a boil. Remove from water bath. Turn upside down on newspapers on counter out of drafts. When cool, label and store. Makes about 12 pints.