Oh...the glorious bounty

Early Girls and Sweet 100's still warm from the sun...straight from OUR GARDEN.

And yes, I realize "bounty" may be a bit dramatic. But considering I wasn't even sure if the plants were even going to make it a few weeks ago, let alone produce fruit? I'm calling it a bounty. (and to make it official, I'm creating a new label for it, too!)

Hey, it's a start!

Wednesday in the Word.

parsley blossom...yes, I let it go to seed.

Psalm 27:5

5 For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

and set me high upon a rock.

I'm a jam making fool.

We ran out of homemade strawberry jam about two weeks ago. The way we all acted about it, you'd think we'd been out for 10 years and that it was imperative to our survival, like water, or air. We were very spoiled having homemade jam all year long. Very spoiled. And since I refuse to buy it now, we just had to do without until I could make more.

Finally, once I got all geared up to do some serious jam making, I went to my local fruit stand and they were closed. CLOSED. They're never closed! But I had it set in my mind that I was going to make strawberry jam today, darnit, so I decided to go to the strawberry stand across town. I have to say...the berries themselves aren't as good as the ones around the corner from my house. But we were desperate...desperate for jam...are we pathetic or what? Spoiled, I tell you.

Ian agreed to help me, thank goodness. Jam making is always more fun and less work when someone helps you. He's a great berry smasher. He's gotten into label reading and gardening and living a bit healthier. Don't get me wrong, the boy loves a soda or a pack of Starburst as much as the next kid. But at the same time, he is becoming aware of food, and what it does for you, and where it comes from, and what it should and shouldn't contain. Both of my boys are. They make fun of me for being a label reader sometimes...but that's OK, because eventually, when they grow up, they will have this knowledge to draw from. And as long as I at least give them the tools...they can decide what to do with them after that.

Anyway...back to the jam.

We smashed and simmered and boiled and filled and processed...and less than an hour later...we had 8 jars of homemade jam.

As I pulled them out of the hot water bath and set them on the towel, one by one, they made me smile with that telltale *ping* they make when the jars seal and you know you've been successful. I just love that sound...don't you? Isn't it pretty? And yes, it tastes good, too!

Monday morning...and we're off!

Just so you know...this tomato picture has nothing to do with anything I have to say today. I just liked it...and thought I'd share...because I don't like posts without pictures. So...there.

Monday's are usually low-key...I try to leave them for weekend catch up stuff...laundry, some cleaning...some regrouping. But not today. Today I have to work at 10. Ian has Mad Scientist University at 9a until 10a. Seth is going to pick Ian up by scooter and they'll stop for a SLurpee on the way home. I won't be off until 2...at which time I'll pick the kids up from the shop...because at noon Chris is coming home for lunch and then taking them back to the shop with him. Then Ian has a scrimmage game at 5 until 7.

Whew. Did you get all that? Busy, busy.

What have YOU got in store for this beautiful, cool and breezy Monday?

So I whipped up some jam yesterday.

Remember these? This is the box of "soft fruit" I got at my local fruit stand on Thursday. I planned on making peach butter and strawberry jam on Friday but I ended up getting a migraine and didn't do ANY of it.

So there the peaches sat...continuing to ripen and ripen. Not good. But I had no choice.

Well, yesterday I found myself with a spare hour before going to our friends house for a barbecue so I decided to see if I could make a batch of jam real quick. I know I said I was going to make peach butter, and I will, but it required an extra step of pureeing the fruit mixture and then reheating it and I didn't have time for that. So...jam it was.

I got my tools out...

...and set up my stations...and got to jam making. What a mess!

You pretty much can't go wrong with peaches and sugar...you know?

After about 40 minutes or so...mission accomplished! Five jars of golden peach jam.

I even took a jar to my friend as a hostess gift...still hot from the canner! Nothing like cutting it close, eh? I'm about to have some with toast...I'll let you know how it came out! I've never made peach jam before...so we shall see!

I'm thinking later today I'll "whip up" some strawberry jam! I hope the strawberry stand is open today...

Happy 4th of July!

Be safe. Have fun. See you tomorrow!

Farmland: Supporting my local farms.

Last week I noticed a cute little button on my friend, Leigh's blog, Burbs and the Bees (isn't that an adorable name? I love it!) for Farmland.org. I clicked over and liked what I saw...so then I got a cute little button. Farmland.org asks that if you're going to display a button that you talk about local farms and farmer's markets and such on your blog...spread the word! I figured I could do that...chances are I would have posted about it all anyway!

Several years ago a local farm built a small fruit stand on the corner of their property. As long as I've lived here (31 years) we've never had a vegetable stand nearby. It was very exciting. It's only about a half mile from my house...walkable for sure. (Honestly, I'm usually in my car because I typically stop by on my way home from somewhere...but I could walk if I wanted to...and if it wasn't so dang hot. And I wasn't so dang lazy. But anyway...)

The owner, Aliki, and her family and friends are all SO nice. When you walk up to the stand it's like you're walking into a family members home. They greet you with big smiles and cheerful greetings.

Tomatoes and figs dappled in the sun shining through the lattice roof. Aren't they beautiful?

They grow just about everything they sell. Maybe even everything by now. But if they didn't grow it, you can guarantee someone local did. I told Aliki last week that the true sign of summer, for me, is when she opens up her stand each year. She said, "Not until the tomatoes are ready. Then it's summer!" And I have to say, I agree!

Look at this gorgeous bounty! Peppers and cucumbers and beans and okra...and not pictured are corn and potatoes and onions and garlic and melons and apricots and plums and cherries and...and...the list goes on and on! I asked Aliki last week when she was going to start giving farm tours. She laughed. Do you think she meant, "Never! I have enough work to do already!"??

Jars full of beautiful golden honey...harvested right there on the property.

They also dry and bottle their own herbs. And just this year they began bottling and selling olive oil...from the trees right on their property.

Every so often they've got big boxes full of "soft fruit", fruit that is ripe and is ready right now to either be eaten immediately or preserved in some way.

This box of peaches and yellow plums came home with me. So far they've been eaten straight from the box; cut up, sugared and served with vanilla bean ice cream and right now Ian is eating a bowl of them with sugar and milk with his breakfast. The other half of the box will be turned into peach butter later today...I can't wait to try it!