Every year on the second Sunday of August, more than a dozen sweaty but dedicated people hover for 12 hours over steaming pots in the backyard of a home in the Colonia section of Woodbridge. As the day goes on, their aprons become speckled with red splotches as they relentlessly stir in the mission to produce 500 jars of homemade tomato sauce.

They don’t make a dollar from it. In fact, most of the jars are given away to lucky relatives, neighbors, co-workers and friends. And all of the sauce is gone before New Year's Day. Lisajoy Marinello co-hosts the "Sauce Day" alongside her friends who call themselves “The Crafty Girls.” The band of sisters includes Allyson Gialluisi of Fanwood, Cara Liegi of Colonia, Lisa Ortenzio Avila of Bound Brook, Jennifer Marotto of Spotswood, and Donna Marotto of Somerset.