I've been trying to pull myself out of this funk, to make myself write to you about good things, but really I only want to complain. I want to complain to you that my husband refuses to fold towels the way I've shown him. Complain that no amount of expensive cream or Vaseline will stop my hands and heels from cracking. Complain that I've been putting on weight since Bad was weaned and I don't know how to make it stop.
I'd pushed all these half-written raving blog posts out of my head and started to list my blessings; but then, this morning, the unthinkable happened. We ran out of jam.
Now, I've never been big on jam before; but this summer, on the most beautiful June day, we took the kids to pick strawberries. We bounced along on the wagon ride out to the field, and the berries were tiny and firm, jewel-bright and bursting with forgotten strawberry flavour. Within minutes we'd picked 10 pounds. And if they'd bothered to weigh Bad along with our containers on our way in and out, they may have charged us for a pound or two more.
Strawberries are disgusting frozen, so 10 pounds of berries meant jam. I googled recipes, and then I googled for help understanding the recipes. And then the kids and I sliced berries and boiled them up with nothing but sugar and fresh lemon juice. We bottled it up, and printed some labels.
Just taking the jar out of the fridge made me smile, and the jam itself was amazing. Every time I spread a little on a fresh muffin or scone it took me back to that day. Like a little bit of sunshine for breakfast. Bad wanted to eat it with a spoon. And now it's all gone and I'm kicking myself for giving any away. I blame February.
9 comments:
I have to disagree with you *gasp* on the frozen strawberries! I buy them in season, and freeze as many as I can. I chop them up with frozen bananas and sliced almonds for breakfast, I use them in smoothies, I will blend them fresh then freeze them in ice cube trays for chilling in my wine glass in the summer (also good with coolers)... oh the list goes on..
As for running out of jam, well,, I can agree with you there on being upset... lol.
That is the BEST food label EVER.
And would you be willing to share your fabulous magical recipe?
For the dry skin, have you tried Aquaphor?
I agree, February sucks.
I added a link to the recipe!
Maybe you'll get lots of suggestions for the dry skin thing, but I use Vaseline Creamy Problem Skin Therapy. I got a 220ml pot at Shoppers for sale at $2.99 (I think they are normally about $5). I generally wait until they go on sale, then buy heaps of pots to give to friends cause it works so well! Good luck with getting through Feb.!
What a great post! I could practically taste the berries and feel the warm sunshine on my skin.
mmmmm jam........
Oh that sucks. Homemade jam is awesome.
I get very down in the cold and grey weather although I'd trade you for the cold at the moment!
I have the opposite problem, I can't lose weight until bubba weans and then it falls off without me trying. I'm sure your body will adjust to not feeding soon.
I love the jam label! Absolutely adorable. I guess you know that you need more than 10lbs when you go to pick this spring so that it will last all year :) I will definitely be grabbing your jam recipe for when we go picking in May! Hope the winter blahs pass soon.
Hey there! I just found your blog today, and I love it! I just wanted to second your thoughts on February. February and August are the two worst months for me. I wish we could skip right over them!
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