a nice surprise

Over the winter I worked on a blanket project for charity. Vivi over at tricotducoeur had encouraged some of her readers to participate in the blanket project for the kids at Victory Junction Gang Camp.

Victory Junction is a year-round camp that serves children, ages 7 to 15, with a variety of health issues. The camp enriches the lives of children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses by providing life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun, and empowering, in a safe and medically sound environment. The camp was founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty, in honor of their son Adam and opened its doors 2004.


I made this blanket and sent it in. Others did the same. (Say hi to my girl Molly who was hoping the blankie was for her.)

A couple of weeks ago I got such an unexpected and nice surprise. I didn't realize that by submitting a blanket by the deadline I would be eligible for a prize...but I was! I received a lovely hand made aromatherapy necklace from Wisdom of the Moon in my color choice. I chose green as you can see...

Be sure to check out Wendy's Wisdom of the Moon etsy store and also be sure to take a few minutes to enjoy her blog. Thanks again Wendy! I love my necklace!

as the sun sets

unenhanced photos taken Monday evening.

done jammin’, now sharin’

The strawberries were cleaned (all 30 quart) and jam was made last week between Thursday and Saturday…at least what I was willing to make. I ended up with all three kinds; strawberry, strawberry-banana and banana and a total of 7 full pints and 22 half pints. The remaining berries were frozen for later use. The leftover bananas, well, I made a couple of loaves of banana bread as well as drying a dehydrator full, and then froze those remaining.

I considered a few different recipes and as is somewhat customary for me came up with my own version for the banana jam. I liked the idea of adding a little rum to this jam, but the only thing I had in the house was a little Bacardi 151 and a little Malibu Rum. Needless to say I thought the 151 might be a little too much, so I opted for the tropical flavor and lower alcohol content of the Malibu. So here’s the recipe I came up with…

Cabana Banana Jam

8-9 ripe, but still firm bananas

½ cup lemon juice

4 ½ cups sugar (I used raw turbinado sugar)

¼ c. Malibu rum (optional)

¼ cup water if necessary

Pour lemon juice into large pan. Slice bananas into pan, then mash up well with fork or pastry blender. Heat, adding 4 ½ cups sugar. If needed, add ¼ cup water to help liquefy. Cook over medium heat, bubbling until thick and gloppy, (you know, jam consistency), stirring occasionally as needed. (I should have timed this, but didn’t so my apologies. I’m thinking it cooked 40 - 60 minutes, possibly a bit longer)

When thick enough to call jam, you can remove from heat and can or do as I did and add ¼ cup Malibu rum and cook down again to let the alcohol cook off. Then remove from heat and fill hot, sterile jars. Cap with hot lids and rings, wiping jar rims to ensure a seal. Process 15 minutes in hot water bath. With or without the rum it is yummy stuff!

***

As I was making jam I realized I hadn’t done so in a number of years. Actually I think the last time was when we lived here prior and we had our own strawberry patch. And I realized that most jam recipes call for added fruit pectin which I have never used until this week. I only used it in my strawberry banana jam. The only difference is when using the pectin your jam sets up quicker. The longer you cook the jam I noticed the darker it becomes. My old fashioned strawberry jam turned out much darker because I cooked it a long, long time as opposed to adding pectin. You can see the jars on the right are way darker. The strawberry-banana jam is in center of photo and the banana jam on the left.

I be jammin'

After boo-hooing about the high cost of strawberries this year, dear hubby Coop took a spin around the Amish neighborhood here yesterday and brought home a couple of quarts. :) Seriously he did, this bunch you see below came later. My husband is such a deal maker...he paid $2 a quart for the first ones, all the while trying to deal the nice lady down. She finally told him to come back about 7 PM and she would deal with him on what she had left. He got all these you see below for $1.65 each and everybody was happy!

With all these berries as well as the 15 pounds of bananas, I'll be jammin' for a couple of days...strawberry jam, banana jam, strawberry & banana jam.... Not to mention freezing and/or drying some of the fruit. I'll be up to my elbows today and it's all good!

touching base & glad to be back

It's been two weeks but now I'm back and happy to be so! My computer monitor went haywire limiting my online access. That has now been replaced with a good, used one.

In the past two weeks the garden has grown rapidly. I am so proud of the work we (mostly Coop) have accomplished. Everything looks good. I hope to post pics soon. We've lost one tomato from breakage and one pepper didn't make it. Oh yeah, and the green beans were compromised by our friendly deer who helped themselves to the middle of a row. So up went the fence posts with line and dangles to try and deter them. If Shadow were still here his mere presence would keep them at bay. If you remember he came back after a short absence. Unfortunately he disappeared again and has never returned. He was a very old dog and I wonder if he just knew his time was up. I have had cats who did that, just wandering off to die. I don't know and I have accepted it now, but we sure miss him.

We've been enjoying the green onions and red romaine which is at its peak right now.


I have been sending romaine home with everyone I see. I finally purchased some bacon yesterday so tonight we'll be enjoying wilted lettuce instead of a crisp salad.

Eli, the Amish fellow who promised me strawberries stopped by to say he couldn't provide them. I see now they are going for $2.50 and up a quart at roadside places. At the supermarket last night I saw homegrown Ohio strawberries for almost $4 a quart!! Last year I paid $1.25. I'm not sure I'll be making an strawberry jam at all with the price so high and that is truly disappointing. I guess it's time to consider a strawberry patch of our own again.

Today I will be busy with bananas. We purchased fifteen pounds last night for under $5 so I will be dehydrating a bunch. In another day or two as they ripen further, I'll be making a batch of banana bread for the freezer. What I don't use up will go into the freezer for use at a later date. I always buy bananas when I can find a deal on over ripe ones, which are seldom truly over ripe. They freeze so easily by just tossing them whole and unpeeled into a bag.

Have a wonder-full day friends, I am off to the kitchen.

My Daughter’s Story – It Might Save a Life

Please visit my other blog, Earth Apothecary where you can read this article about my daughter's battle with c. diff (a life threatening and often fatal bacterial infection) and her return to wellness by natural means. Yes, it could possibly save a life.

afternoon thoughts

Spider spins and weaves a web across the front porch from post to a hanging mobile. So intent with just this one mission, I don’t have the heart to tell him to take his business elsewhere. I watch the intricacy of his work, tiny limbs move with lightening speed in nimble perfection. Voila! He shoots through the air then stops to resume spinning his transportive web. I watch, in awe of this tiny miraculous creature of the earth.

A mamma bluebird perches atop the electrical line, keeping an ever watchful eye on the box that houses her young ones below. She and Papa never travel far from their young. Every so often Papa returns to the nest and peers in through the hole in the box to check in on the youngsters.

Redwing Blackbirds chirp loudly as they dart back and forth across the summer sky. They now own the south field where in late winter and early, early spring the Red Tail, Kestral and various other hawks ruled and hunted. Now seldom is a hawk seen as the Redwing sentries perch atop grass and weed. And if a hawk dare traverse their territory he is met with quick aggression, chased off by a flurry of redwings.

A faithful couple, the cardinals fly to and fro from Maple to Spirea, melodiously calling out to one another as they flutter and dart from tree limb to bush. There is much activity today in the green of the Maple tree.

We planted that tree in 88 or 89 during our first residence here, having dug it from my sister’s property. Just a small, young thing, it survived being bumped and broken more than once by the lawnmower. Not only did it survive, it thrived. When we returned here in 06 it was a wonderful sight to behold…our tree stood tall and mature, providing perfect afternoon shade for the front lawn and the south window.

When we first returned here in May of 06 to begin clean up as a favor to our friends, I would take a few minutes to myself on occasion to go out, sit on the ground and face the woods. I would find myself speaking with the trees and sometimes I would cry, yearning to come back. Oh how I had missed the beauty of their presence.

What is it that connects us so strongly to a place, making us feel so sure of where we belong? I do not know, but I do know beyond a doubt that it exists. And so, for a moment or two each day, I find myself being consciously thankful for my return.