In a Jam

One of the best things about my garden is the abundance of berries,  I have a ton of them. The worst thing about my garden is the abundance of berries They seem to go to waste every year. Well, this year I decided, no more! I will do something with all those berries! Sure, I could just freeze them or put them in some sort of muffin, but really-that's kind of blah. So, I decided to make freezer jam-one, because I'm too lazy about canning and two, it's the easiest thing in the world to do and quick!

I made two batches, one with raspberries and one with strawberries. I searched through a lot of recipes and the majority of them were about the same. The one problem that you may run into is the large amount of sugar for the jam.  There are recipes with less sugar and I may try them next time.

Strawberry Jam
1 package of fruit pectin
2 cups crushed strawberries
4 cups sugar
Combine sugar and berries into a bowl. Mix well and let sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup water to one package of pectin. Stir until dissolved. Continue to stir until mixture comes to a full boil. Let boil for 1 minute-still stirring constantly
Combine the pectin with the sugar/berry mixture. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
Pour into canning jars, leaving 1/2 inch space at the top for expansion
Put lid on tight and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.
It will last in your refrigerator for 3 weeks or in the freezer for 1 year.

For Raspberry Jam
1 package pectin

3 cups crushed berries
5 1/4 cups of sugar
Follow directions above.

Like I said, to the taste, right out of the jar, this jam will be very sweet but once it is combined with bread, scones or muffins, the sweetness tones down and will compliment anything you spread it on. This jam makes a wonderful gift and everyone will think that you spent hours on it, but we all know the secret!

Another thing to remember, the more ripe the berry, the sweeter and less firm the jam.

You can decorate the lids with stickers or bits of scrap fabric. Freezer jam makes an excellent gift and one of the best things, especially in the summer time, is that you hardly have to use your stove. Nice, cool and easy! 

Feel Good Friday!

 Weheartit.com

It's Friday and I am one happy camper! I got music blasting in the background and I am ready to enjoy the weekend!

I love ice cream! This one might be too cute to eat. Who am I kidding, I would still eat it. PixieFey does an excellent job of stitching up this adorable little cone. You can stitch your own with this free pattern.

I love blogs that have party ideas. Birthday Girl is one of those blogs. So many great ideas and beautiful pictures.

I am obsessed with funky manicures. I really want some nail strips. I don't care if every 8 year old is wearing them, I must have them and I just know that my nails would look fab. 

via pinterest

I'm not sure who this kitty belongs to but I'm pretty sure they are brilliant.

Okay my little love kitties. I am gonna roll on out to the backyard and enjoy the family. OMP has my fruity cocktail made. Now if I can just get him out of that cabana boy outfit. WINK!

Blessed is he who has learned to laugh at himself
for he shall never cease to be entertained.
-John Boswell

Light the Way

I have been crafting like a mad woman lately! I have a goal to do 41 crafts for the 41 years I lived and have until my next birthday to do it. That's almost a craft a week. Can I do it? Eh, maybe....

Anyhoo, I decided to make these lights for my backyard. They are so easy and at night they light up the whole backyard.

Wanna know what's even better than making these for my backyard? Along with Craftster, I did a video. You can clap, it's that cool.



If you are curious as to what they look like at night, here ya go.

The Adventures of OMP and Me

Conversation with OMP part two:


OMP: When you get home tonight, I have a surprise for you.
Me: Is it a pony?
OMP: It's not a pony.
Me: Are you sure it's not a pony? I really want a pony
OMP: Pretty sure it's not a pony.
Me: C'mon, you can level with me, it's a pony.
OMP: No
Me: It's a pony isn't it
Silence....
OMP: Yeah, it's a pony. It's a pink pony, with little puppies surrounding it and it craps out cupcakes that are non fattening and it burps bubblegum.
Me: You had me up till the burping bubblegum, everyone knows ponies don't burp bubblegum.
OMP: Yeah, cause it was totally believable up till that point.
Me: They burp little kisses that land on your cheek and make you giggle. Unicorns burp bubblegum
OMP: I'm hanging up the phone now.
Me: I can't wait to see my pony!
Click
Me: Hello? Burping pony? Anyone.

Only 1 more hour till I get my pony! I am so excited! He better have gotten me the deluxe model, you know, the one that sneezes rainbows...

Scrappy Dog Monday?

Yesterday was suppose to be Scrappy Dog Sunday, but I made jam instead and then got lazy and sat around the house. So, long story short-it didn't get done. Well, let me tell you, that did not sit well with Ms. Lola Mae. So, in order to get on her good side and to make her smile, I'm using today to feature some of her favorite movies.

There is nothing sweeter than a puppy. I love puppy breath, I love puppy paws, I love puppy bellies. They are adorable for a reason, they destroy everything in sight. The only thing better than 1 puppy is 100 more puppies. 101 Dalmatians is a sweet Disney movie that gives us an evil villain with an awesome hairstyle, chubby puppies and two of the best dog names ever, Pongo and Purdy. This beloved Disney movie was so popular that they made 2 live action movies from the original story. OMP hates the live action, but only because whenever it's on, I make him watch it. Don't judge me, you know I can't resist a puppy and a bad hairdo.

I am a lady of the south and I remember wanting my mother so desperately to shop at Winn Dixie because that was the upscale store. We went to Food Lion. The cheapy store. Winn Dixie had a deli, Food Lion had a cart with cakes that had fallen off the back of a truck. Because of Winn Dixie has nothing to do with a deli or my love of upscale grocery stores. It does have to do with a stray dog and a little girl's love for him. As she takes care of Winn Dixie (the dog, not the store) he helps her find friends and grow up in a small southern town. The movie is based on the book Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, which I highly suggest all children should read, then see the movie and see how it compares.

Last but not least is a favorite TV movie of mine about a sweet Beagle named Snoopy. The Big Stuffed Dog is a story of a little boy and his oversized stuffed Snoopy. When the stuffed Snoopy gets separated from his little boy, the stuffed dog goes on an adventure, including a carnival and a hospital visit. It is a very adorable funny movie of a silly stuffed Snoopy. C'mon, what more do you want for 1981 TV?


Okay Ms. Lola, I hope I have redeemed myself and you will now let me give you hugs and kisses. What's that Lola? No, I will not give you another puppy treat. 5 is your limit! 

Salivating Saturday

I have a confession to make. I love my garden. I love every fruit and veggie out of there. I use to hate gardening-it seemed like so much hard work, and it is, but the benefit is definitely worth the work.

The first thing that is ready to harvest in my garden is my lettuce, raspberries and basil. OMP and I have been enjoying fresh salads and raspberries directly off the vine for about a week now. I was trying to figure out what to do with the basil and the simplest dish to make that can be used for just about anything is pesto.  Here is a quick recipe for yummy pesto.

Pesto
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts
2/3 cups Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups basil
2/3 cups olive oil
pepper to taste
squeeze of a lemon wedge or two

In a blender or food processor finely chop the garlic, next add nuts, cheese, salt, pepper, and basil, then process until finely chopped. Finally, add oil and lemon,blending until smooth.


Now, what to do with your pesto? I love making cowboy pizzas with it. You thought the pesto was easy, cowboy pizza is even easier.

Take a can of biscuits and roll them out flat, next cook them according to the directions on the can. You can make homemade biscuits, but I wanted to eat now and didn't have time to make up the biscuits.

After the biscuits have baked,  add pesto and any other toppings you want. I had left over steak and chicken and added them to the pesto along with some cheese. I turned my oven on broil and put them back in for a few minutes until the cheese had melted. These are so easy and so good! They are perfect for whatever leftovers you have laying around the house.

Feel Good Friday!

From Gardening in the 909

Oh Friday...how I love you. You are the sweetest thing ever.

I want to live in this embroidery. Tinyexistence is amazing! I just love all the little details in the work. Check out her etsy shop too, she has patterns and finished pieces. I heart her.

 I've been catching up on the blog Scrumdillydilly. Great recipes, wonderful pictures and awesome projects. Pretty much everything I love. Okay, I really love the cake batter sugar buns, but that's a whole different story. 

Dear OMP, please get this for me. I can make all sorts of karate chopping noises while chopping up veggies. I promise I would eat more veggies.

As God as my witness, one if not all of my dogs will be wearing this for Halloween.

So many good things to feel good about on this Friday. I am heading to the backyard, throw the ball for the mutton chops and snuggle next to OMP. If he's lucky, he might get a kiss or two, IF he's lucky. ;)

I could not, at any age,
be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on.
Life was meant to be lived.
Curiosity must be kept alive.
One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.
-Eleanor Roosevelt