Sorry people. I tried out the public blog but it creeped me out. I’ve made my personal blog private again. I will continue to blog my recipes here because my recipe file is a bit out of control.
If you want access to my private blog, the address is rkfurr.blogspot.com. Send me a message and I will tell you how to access it. I really do want my friends to read it, it just makes me feel uneasy to be so completely open.
http://www.poi-factory.com/files/img/tucanos.jpg
First, wash the limes because you are going to be blending them up, skins and all.
Next, chop off the ends and throw them away.
Then cut the rest of each lime into 8 pieces. You can cut them however you want, go crazy.
I am a big believer in letting your kids help you cook and this is an easy recipe they can help with after you've got the limes chopped up.
Add in the other ingredients: water, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, and ice. Then let your little helper blend the heck out of it. The great thing about the ninja is there is only one button on top, not 10 different speed settings, so Abby can do it herself which she obviously loves. It actually only needs maybe 10 pulses or so but I let her have fun with it. 
After your drink is blended up, throw some ice in the fanciest glasses you can handle.
Then, this is super important: pour the drink into the cups THROUGH A STRAINER. It will be kind of nasty otherwise.
One recipe makes about 4 cups so if you are planning on making another batch, you can hang onto this stuff and throw it back in the blender for round two. Otherwise, toss it. 
Slip an extra lime wedge onto the side of your glass if you're feeling glamorous and serve!
If you're like me you are probably wondering what you are going to do with the rest of the can of sweetened condensed milk when the recipe only calls for 3 tablespoons. If you buy like 10-12 limes and make this a few times you will use most of the can. I started looking up other recipes in which I could use up the rest of the SCM and a recurring theme was fudge. However, the sweetened condensed milk can last for a few weeks in the fridge if you put it in a plastic storage container so I just keep mine around for this lemonade.
This recipe is a loose guideline and I've made it with different variations, it also freezes well. The original recipe comes from Ryan's Italian side of the family, but I think I have butchered/altered the original (depending on your perspective) enough to call it my own.
First you need to get the skin off of the tomatoes, so start by salting some water and get it boiling. Just eyeball the salt, maybe a tablespoon or two. You'll want the water to be about an inch deeper than your tomatoes.
Next, cut an X at the bottom of each tomato.
When that's done, cut out the stems.
After your tomatoes are ready, use tongs to drop them by batches into the boiling salt water bath.
After 30 seconds to a minute, the skins will start breaking open. When you see this happen, use your tongs to take the tomatoes out.
Run some cold water over them and they'll burst even more.
Once they're cool enough to touch, pick them up one at a time and peel the skin off. It's kind of fun. It should come off really easily. If you're having a hard time getting the skin off, pop the tomato back in the water for another 30 seconds or so. When you've got all the skin off, dump out the water, you'll use the stockpot again later.
The next part is kind of fun too. Once all of the tomatoes have their skin removed, pick up a tomato and point the top where the stem has been removed down towards the sink. Give the tomato a little squeeze. Some juices and seeds should come out as pictured at the bottom of my sink. You don't have to go all Hulk Hogan on it or you'll obliterate the poor thing. You don't need to get out every last seed. Don't be surprised if the seeds decided to bust out of the of your hand, volcanic style, causing you to scream like a little girl. Be cool. 
After you've squeezed all your tomatoes, give them a rough chop. I don't really worry about the size because I like to use an immersion blender on the sauce at the end. If you don't like it chunky and you don't plan on blending it you might want to dice yours a litter finer than me. 
Salt your tomatoes and set them aside. I didn't measure here either, maybe another tablespoon or so.
Next, if you have one, get out your handy dandy garlic peeler. If you don't have one, go get one, they are so awesome! If you do have one, thank your kitchen-gadget-happy mom for getting you one! But seriously, it is wonderful and can't cost more than a few bucks. All you do is stick a clove of garlic in the opening,
put your hand on top and roll back and forth a few times,
...and voila! You garlic skin is removed! 
Once you've got your garlic peeled, chop it up. Don't be scared. Ten is a lot but it tastes good. The original recipe called for like 20-25 cloves. You can handle ten. 
Take your Vidalia onion and chop it in half. You can use a different kind of onion but I like my sauce sweet.
I learned how to cut an onion from The Pioneer Woman. You probably already know this trick but just in case you don't, take one half and cut slits in it almost all the way to the end, but not quite. You want the half to stay together. This picture might look backwards to you and you'll probably hold everything the opposite way but I am a lefty. Lefties do it right! Or at least that's what a pencil I used to have in elementary school reassured me. 
Next, turn the onion 1/4 turn and cut the opposite way and you'll have a perfect dice.
Once you've got your onion and garlic cut up, throw them in the pot with about 1/4 cup of olive oil and saute on high heat until soft and the garlic is beginning to brown. Sorry for the horrible lighting. 
Now it's time to add the rest of the ingredients. Remember these guys?
After you dump in the tomatoes, add in your spices. I used 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp oregano, 1 cup fresh cut parsley and 1/3 cup fresh cut basil. If you don't have fresh herbs, don't sweat it. Dried work well too, and I'd use about 1/4 cup dried parsley and 4 tsp dried basil.
Mix that up and then add the remaining ingredients: 1 tbsp sugar, 1/3 cup red burgundy wine, and 1/3 cup olive oil. We don't drink or keep alcohol in our house so I use red cooking wine available in any grocery store. 
Mix it all up and let it simmer for at least two hours. The longer the better. The original recipe calls for 5-6 hours but I usually don't have that much time. Stir every 30-45 minutes. Monitor the thickness. If you like the way it is, keep the lid on. If you want it to thicken up, simmer with the lid off. I usually leave the lid off for most of the time.
If you don't like chunky sauce like my hubby, use an immersion blender to even out the consistency. If you don't have one you could puree a batch or two in the blender and pour it back into the pot.
Pour over spaghetti noodles (we love angel hair), garnish with Parmesan cheese and basil, and serve. Mmm...As I mentioned before, this recipe is flexible. You can use canned tomatoes and dried herbs if you don't have fresh ones. You can add tomato paste to thicken the sauce. You can also add other garden vegetables like peppers and mushrooms, however I tried to add a red bell pepper one time and it tasted funky so I don't recommend that. The original recipe called for a bottle of clam juice which I left out this time because you don't really miss the flavor and it cuts down on the cost.