Strawberry Freezer Jam--Just Do It!

This is a project that I've been excited about for a while now.  I spent hours over the winter poring over recipes and instructions for strawberry jam, imagining warm weather and sweet strawberry scents lingering in the air.  I was probably obsessed.

It helped me get through the winter, I tell you.

I originally decided to make a batch of water-bath processed jam and a batch of freezer jam, with the intention of giving some of these away.  I also wanted to see which I liked better--freezer or processed.  However, when I got down my enameled water bath canning pot, I saw, right there on the label, that it said "Not for use on glass/ceramic cooktops".  I wasn't sure why, but after a quick search online, I found the answer--and there were a couple of reasons.  One, the glass cooktops tend to have sensors in the burners that keep them from heating the cooktop surface up too much, which prevents the glass from cracking.  Because of this, the burners will not keep a consistent temperature needed to properly kill any bacteria in the jars.  Second, the enamel pot did not have a smooth, flat bottom--it had concentric inverted rings that extended into the inside bottom of the pot.  Having less surface contact meant an uneven heat, and that's a no-no.  So, sadly, not having all of the equipment to substitute another pot for the enamel one, I decided to just make freezer jam.  Besides, it sounded easier!

After a fun trip to Suter's, the nearest u-pick strawberry patch, I had all of the strawberries I could ever want or need. 

My hubby and I spent a beautiful 70 degree morning picking about 14 pounds of strawberries. 

I really wasn't sure how much to get, and how much jam it would make, so we just picked and picked.  It was a great morning for being outside, and I always love the u-pick fields for fresh fruit.  It's exciting finding the little red berries shining in the sun--like being on a treasure hunt and finding the mother lode. 

They look so good, like little rubies poking out from underneath the leaves. 

I couldn't help but give thanks to God for the beauty of His creation, and the opportunity to enjoy and partake in what He's provided for us to eat.

Once we got our pails home, I gathered my supplies and then I began the tedious task of washing and hulling every. single. strawberry. known. to. man. 

Although, as I was washing them and slicing them, I realized that no two berries were the same, and couldn't help but enjoy the different sizes and shapes.  They were like snowflakes. 

There were tiny ones, uber ones, odd-shaped ones, and ones that looked like several berries had all grown together.  I even found a heart-shaped one.  They all smelled the same, though--delicious!

To my husband--I heart you berry much!

I crushed the berries, a layer at a time, with a potato masher.  It leaves larger chunks of strawberries, but still mashes them well.  I also tried a pastry blender, but didn't like the results quite as much. 

After I accumulated four cups of crushed berries and juice, I added two tablespoons of lemon juice. 

Then I added the 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 3 1/2 tablespoons of instant jam pectin that I had mixed well in a separate bowl, and stirred the mixture constantly for three minutes.  Then it was time for the jars!

After washing the jars, rings and lids, I lined them all up on wax paper on the table (just to protect the table, no other reason for the paper).  Then, using a canning funnel and ladle, I scooped the jam into the jars up to the bottom edge of the funnel.  I consistently got 6 half pint jars with each batch.  I let them sit, uncovered, for 30 minutes to thicken.

After 30 minutes, I couldn't help it--I had to taste my creation.  I loved it!  I spent the rest of the afternoon eating spoonfuls of the jam out of the tester jar while I prepared a total of two dozen half pints of freezer jam.  Easiest jam I ever made!  I already gave three jars to our neighbors.  I hope they like it!

I used one full bucket of berries to get the two dozen jars of jam.  And this is still what was left!

I'm going to try and freeze some of the remaining berries in a syrup mixture which I'll share in another post.  We also plan on eating some berries fresh from the field, too.

What a great day.

Sweet Corn for the Winter

The season for sweet corn is winding down in these parts.  Corn is a major crop across the Midwest, and is always plentiful here.  However, I've missed out on corn on the cob for the past several years.  I started craving it a few weeks ago, and bought a few ears.  I've been addicted to it ever since!  Not only is it just delicious, it seems to be helping with some of my gastrointestinal issues.  Win-win!  There is nothing that screams summer more than a fresh ear of corn with butter and salt. 

Well, maybe ice cream screams summer.  And watermelon.  And grilling...

Anyway, many of the produce stands around here have been offering end-of-season deals on bushels of corn.  I got a bushel for $10 (5 dozen ears--which comes out to between 16 and 17 cents an ear) and decided to ask my mom for her recipe for freezer corn.  I remember her making this when my uncle grew corn waaaaay back, when we were young'uns.  She gave me the instructions, and my husband offered to help with this big job.  Today was freezer corn day!

It was really an easy process, but a lot of work, kinda messy and somewhat time-consuming.  With me and the hubs working together, it still took around three hours, and that didn't include time for the corn to cool to room temp in the bags.  Still, it was very worth it to have delicious sweet corn in the freezer, waiting to cheer up our winter meals in the months to come.

We started shucking the corn at the same time.  Once a dozen had been cleaned, hubs continued with the shucking while I got out a large bowl, a small bowl, a long serrated knife, Dutch oven pots, freezer bags, my 8-cup measuring cup, a strainer, sugar, and salt.

I inverted the small bowl inside of the large bowl, with the flat bottom of the small bowl pointing up.  I set the cob on top of the small bowl, and sliced all of the corn from the cob, letting it fall into the large bowl.  It helped a lot having the ear elevated above the cut corn.  Thanks for the tip, mom!

Once I had 8 cups of corn, I put it into the Dutch oven pot, along with 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 2 tsp. salt.  I brought it to a boil and let it boil for ten minutes, then I strained the corn in the sink to remove the extra liquid.  Then, we set it aside to cool a bit before we put the corn in freezer bags in 2 cup measurements.  We squeezed as much air out of the bag as we could (hubs was really good at it!) and flattened the bags in preparation for freezing. 

And so the afternoon went: lather, rinse, repeat, and so on.  All told, a bushel of corn gave us 22 2-cup bags of corn.  Before I knew it, it was six o'clock and dinner hadn't been started yet.  I cleaned up and fixed some dinner (complete with a side of buttered corn) while hubs finished bagging the corn. 

There is nothing as sweet as the fruits of your labor!

Except sweet corn.

Thanks again to my beloved husband, who helped me with all of this!!

A Few of My Favorite Summer Things

"Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you."--1 Samuel 12:24

It's been a busy week.  I've started longer hours at work because we are short-staffed for the summer, and it's been an admittedly hard adjustment for me.  Plus, we had some unexpected plans come up last weekend, which put me behind in housework and all of the other things that I normally take care of on the weekend, so I've been trying to catch up in the evenings during the week.  Today I feel exhausted, and struggled to get through my morning at work.  However, I enjoyed the drive in to work--I love the warm, muggy, hazy mornings that only occur in the summer, and this morning was perfect for that.  That inspired a list of my favorite things for the summer season.  What do you love about summer?

I love the smell in the air!  I love how fresh nature smells in the summer.  This is not as noticeable if you live in town, but the fragrance is intoxicating out in the country.  The smell of roses in bloom, freshly-cut grass, dew in the air...the smell of life and growth that is only experienced in warm months.

I love the heat!  I know that doesn't make me the most popular person in the world, but I enjoy it, because it makes me think of how much fun I had during the summer when I was young.  I don't necessarily want to be a kid again, but summer vacation was what I always looked forward to, because all I did was play outside.  I rode my bike around the neighborhood, roller skated (remember those?), played games with the neighbor kids, swam in the pools, and never wanted to bathe.  Maybe that's too much information, but I never wanted to come in at night and take a bath and have to go to bed.  It cut into my fun time too much.

I love to travel in the summer!  Seems like I do a lot of traveling in the summer, and always have.  You don't have to worry about snow and ice storms making the roads bad, and besides, there are just many more events to travel to in the summer, like festivals, beaches, cookouts, and tourist attractions.  I also just love sitting in a car with the sun shining in and the little air conditioning vents pointed right at me.  This usually lasts for about five minutes, and then I freeze, but I like it.  Just a great time of year to hit the road.

I love garage sales!  These only happen in the warm months here, maybe only six months of the year, sometimes less.  I don't know what it is about shopping for stuff in someone else's garage that is just so fun, but it is--you really never know what you might find!

I love gardening!  Even though I call it my "practice garden", I still enjoy tending the garden beds.  It's great for learning what works and what doesn't; for instance, this year, broccoli didn't work.  It bolted before we could get anything harvestable.  No big deal, I'll try again when I have a large garden--I also think that I didn't have enough room for them to grow.  I'm getting potatoes already, so I'm pretty excited about harvesting those soon.  I seem to do well with lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes, and bush beans.  I'd love to grow carrots, strawberries, blueberries, rhubarb, and other things, but now's not the right time.  I look forward to having my dream garden someday!

Enjoy the hot summer weekend, everyone!  And thank you to everyone who checked out my turtle cookie recipe in the Little House Living recipe blog hop last week--it was the most-clicked-on link in the linkup!  I hope you enjoy the cookies as much as we do!

Balloon Fest!

We had quite a day today!  I've been looking forward to the weekend for most of the week anyway, so having plans for today made it even better.  We started out by going to an auction for antique arms and artifacts this morning.  Hubby had an interest in three antique flintlock rifles that were up for sale, but we walked out with nothing--the total sum of the three guns ended up going for over $10,000.  Needless to say, a bit out of our price range!  But it was still enjoyable.  Afterward, we went for barbecue and then a walk around the mall.  Home for a while (and I might have dozed off while hubby was watching the ballgame), then we decided to go out to the annual Balloon Fest on the south side of town.  I think we have gone every year that we've been here...or maybe missed only one year...I'm not sure.  We knew it would be busy, but we went anyway...neither one of us likes to be around large groups of people, but we survived.  After waiting in line for a half an hour at a concession stand, I was anxious to try deep-fried Oreos for the first time in my life.  I've heard about all of the concoctions of state fairs around the country, and the deep-fried Oreos were really popular a while back.  We found a less-populated area of the park, but a place that still had a good view of the balloons, and I tucked in.  They were great!!  I loved how the cookie was coated with the batter and powdered sugar, and the cookie and cream filling inside was warm and soft.  In fact, the cream was a bit gooey, but it tasted great.  Hubby tried one, but didn't like them.  More for me!  Then it was time for the illumination, and the end of the festival for the night.  There were going to be fireworks afterward, but we weren't planning to stick around for that.  Below are some photos of the coolness of seeing the balloons all lit up in the evening dusk:

Last balloon glow for the night

Someone had a lighthouse balloon!

Oooooh, pretty

Glowing

Again, a lighthouse.  Who knew you could fly a lighthouse?

I liked this picture: low, middle, high

*Drool* Deep fried Oreos.  Five came in an order.  One was already in my belly before it occurred to me that I should take a picture.

Sorry, no Owl Corner this week.  It's past my bedtime.  I just wanted to share the pretty hot air balloons with you.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

New Stuff

The Fireflies Are Back!

I'd like to take a moment to say, is there anything more relaxing than a warm summer dusk and watching the fireflies talk to each other in your backyard?  I contend not!  It seems to me that fireflies have been more scarce this year, but last night as I was reeling in the hose, they were out in full force.  I sat down in a patio chair and just enjoyed watching them blink to each other for quite a while...it's just fascinating to me that they can do that.  To me, seeing the fireflies is a quintessential summer staple.  I'm not a bug person, but I do like the fireflies and their blinking little behinds!  For some interesting facts on fireflies, check out this link.

Fireflies!

What Else Is New?

Well, I'm proud to say that we have had several projects finally completed on our house!  Our roof has been replace and looks great, our living room has been repainted and rearranged and looks great, and our new couch has been delivered and looks great.  The roof took about a day and a half, and we did have an Amish crew do the work.  Overall, they did a great job.  We decided to go with a two-tone gray shingle instead of staying with the reddish-brown shingles that were there when we bought the house, and it's a nice change.  They also re-roofed our shed out back. Over the Independence Day long weekend, my husband and I were able to repaint the living room and hallway with some deeply-discounted Sherwin-Williams paint (we bought $45 a gallon paint for $25 a gallon!) and we went back to the basics--a creamy off-white color, which looks great with the leather couch and large wall map picture from Hobby Lobby (which we purchased on clearance).  Except for the couch, it was a pretty inexpensive change, and we couldn't be happier!

New Boss

We're also going through a transition at work.  The former pastor was reappointed to a new church, and the new pastor started Friday.  I don't work on Fridays, and Monday was a holiday, so I didn't actually work with him until Tuesday...except I barely saw him.  I know what it's like to be the new person at a job--I've been that many times.  I don't think, though, that I've ever had to experience a new boss!  This will be a new experience for me, and a time of transition for everyone.  My husband has patiently reminded me a few times that I don't really work for my new boss...that I work for Him, and that God's in control of the situation.  As a person who seems to increasingly dislike changes and disruptions in my daily routine, it's difficult to handle some of the recent changes with any sort of grace.  I don't have a choice, though, and it will all work out one way or another.  I just need to continue to put my trust in Christ.

New Creative Idea

As you might have noticed, I've been pushing hard for my new website, The Sunflower Tree, to take off.  I would really like to see this become a real business for me, but I can't do it without your help.  So I ask you to take a moment, visit the site and "like" it on Facebook.  Even more helpful would be to share it on your Facebook page!  The more people that know about it, the better the chance that I'll start getting some orders.  I'm constantly creating new ideas, and I post them as quickly as I can while working around my job and housework and so on.  I'd like to say thanks again to those of you who have shared my site--I'm very grateful!

It seems as though there are a lot of changes and new things in our life lately.  There are sayings about trials and changes: "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", "(fill in the blank) builds character", and so on.  I do believe, as many do, that God uses trials (big and small) to transform us into the creations He meant for us to be.  We need to be flexible and have faith that what He allows is for our good and His perfect will.  Romans 12:2 says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will".  2 Cor 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!", and Isa. 43:18-19 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."  Perhaps the trials that God allows us to experience are His way of making a stream in the wasteland of our lives.  When we thirst for Him and His mercy, He will not only nourish us, but he will change us and cause us to grow in Him!

Happy Spring!

Sweatin' to the Wii!

Stock photo

With the warmer weather that has set in (for now), I'm enjoying the benefits of being outdoors for a change.  I have been trying to make it a point to do the exercise DVDs that I bought to use with the Wii fitness board before work each morning, but one day last week when the temps outside climbed to almost 70, my husband invited me to join him for a walk around our neighborhood.  I really enjoy walking outside (and just being outside) when it is nice out, so of course I accepted!  It feels good to make it a point to get some exercise in each day.  I don't know if I've lost any weight (the scale scares me!), but I'm glad that I've found some motivation to try and take care of myself more.  We did a one and a half mile route through the neighborhood, with some inclines.  All in all, a nice workout on a beautiful day!  It makes me realize just how ready for spring I am.  It seems like it's been a loooooong winter!

Veggie Time!

My sprouts!

I need to get out and try to work the garden beds some.  It's been very wet these past weeks, so I haven't ventured out to see what it's like.  Usually, when we get heavy rains, the area around the beds becomes very saturated and muddy, and it takes a long time to dry out thanks to the clay soil that we have here.  We built raised beds to help with the drainage around the plants, but it still makes working out there pretty messy at times.  I want to get things going, though!  I have started my indoor plants, which are sprouting already.  It's such a great feeling to plant something and watch it grow...you feel like you've really accomplished something special.  For as long as I keep a garden, I hope I never lose the enjoyment of watching things grow!  Right now, I have tomatoes, celery, and pansies that have started to grow.  My peppers have not popped up yet, but they are supposed to take a bit longer to start.  I have a good feeling, though!

Summer Grilling

We were able to break out the grill for the first time this year.  Yum!  I don't think we ever got to use it last summer, due to the work schedule that my husband had then.  I had picked up some petite sirloins at the grocery store during my last trip, and with the weather as nice as it was last week, it sounded like a great idea to grill some steaks.  May I just say that my husband is the best griller I know?  It was like eating at Texas Roadhouse without the dancing and loud music.  And I'm not just being biased.  He's a good cook anyway, but he's really good with the grill.  I think that he should make up for last summer and grill all of the time this summer!

Technology....ptttthhhhhbbb.....

Well, it looks as though our desktop computer is out of commission for the time being.  The fan broke on the tower, and apparently it's not a good idea to run the computer without a fan (duh).  So we need to get it replaced, fixed, or my husband's personal preference, buy a new computer altogether.  He's been wanting a new one for a while anyway.  I don't know what we'll do, but I can't download photos from my digital camera onto the laptop I'm currently using (software compatability issues), so I won't be able to share any new pictures with you for a while, at least until something changes.  :(  Update: as of March 24, the computer seems to have mysteriously healed itself.  Weird...

Prayer Request

I found out last night that my father has to have a heart catheter done in a week and a half to explore possible blockages.  He is not saved, and does not really want to know anything about the Lord.  Please pray that the Lord might use this opportunity to open some doors for witnessing.  Thanks in advance!

^{Worry is normal for me.  I think that women tend to worry more than men, because we are more emotional than men (which is the way that God made us!).  It's normal to worry and wonder, especially when you don't know the outcome of something.  It's a human emotion.  If you find yourself an excessive worrier, like me, a good passage to remember is out of Matthew 6:
"}But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."  God has everything under control.  Even in the worst of circumstances, He has a reason and purpose for everything that happens.  We just rarely have the capacity to understand!

It's the Weekend!

McKinnis Farm Barn, Autumn

Hello all! I hope everyone has had a good week. I've been spending the week with my husband, who has been on vacation. We might have gone somewhere if it hadn't been for the car needing an unexpected repair, but that's okay. We've had fun spending the week together at home. We have mostly just done things around the house and relaxed. The week has really flown by! I didn't think it would be a busy week, because on Monday I didn't have any appointments for the week, but things seemed to start lining up and before I knew it there were things going on every day.

It's been very hot here. From what I hear, it's been hot everywhere! We've been fighting the heat with central air and frequent trips to the local ice cream places. It's a hard life, but someone has to do it! :) It's a terrible weakness for me during the summertime. I should probably be eating healthy summer treats, like watermelon, but watermelon doesn't come in chocolate with a waffle cone! We discovered a newer place on the other side of town that sells a local brand of ice cream, as well as Amish deli meats, cheeses, baked goods, and local produce. I think it's my new favorite place here in town. We've been there several times for ice cream over the last few weeks, and tonight we bought some deli meat and cheese. Should be good!

Egyptian Sarcophagus

I'm getting anxious for the weather to cool down.  It won't be long before we are on our way to Gettysburg for our vacation this year!  I am so excited to go.  I've had several people tell me that I have to visit all sorts of things while I'm there, which is fine.  I know that there are places that my hubby wants to visit again, and I just want to see it all.  I'm sure I'll have plenty of photos to share when I get back!  Unfortunately, we are not leaving for another month, so I will have to wait it out.  I love traveling, though.  I love seeing things that I've never seen before.  I think I've always learned more that way, as opposed to reading about places or facts in books in school.  I tend to remember things better.  The photo at the right is from our trip up to Toledo back in May, and they had an Egyptian exhibit.  I find Egyptian exhibits fascinating, partly because they are so old, but also more because of the Egyptian stories of the Old Testament.  The museum even had a commemorative cylinder of Nebuchadnezzar on display!  Museums could use more displays relating to Biblical times.  Maybe someday we'll make it to the Creation Museum.

When days and weeks get busy, it's hard to remember to give the Lord priority.  I admit that I haven't done a good job of that this week!  It's even harder when you become overwhelmed by what you are going through.  It's important, though, to remember to rest and find time to pray to and communicate with God.  A good verse to remember is Matthew 11:28-29: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest in your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Random Stuff

Time for a new entry! And I feel like I have nothing to talk about. This week has been pretty slow as far as events or activities. These are the dog days of summer, for sure! I've taken up a new project: making my hubby a 19th century outfit because he will be helping with a living history program in October. I usually make my own patterns for my clothing, but I entered new territory when I agreed to make mens' clothes, and have been working from a rough written-out "pattern" for a shirt. It's quite frustrating. I still have to try my hand at making a vest, but thankfully we are ordering pants for him, so I won't go crazy trying to make those.

With the weather too hot to enjoy being outside for very long, I like to stay inside and do housey things like kitchen work. So, would you mind if I share a recipe? One of my hobbies is baking, so I'll share a dessert recipe. The recipe at the end of this post is for some extremely delicious brownies, acquired from one of my husband's coworkers. It makes quite a bit, so it's best to have lots of friends over to share these with (as in, serious girl's night)!

I'm not sure what direction to go with this blog. My original intent was to tie Scripture into everyday happenings in life, but it doesn't seem to be very effective. Does anyone have any suggestions for improvements? If I like your ideas I will use them! I appreciate feedback. You can leave comments at the end of the blog entry or on Facebook.

I have found myself shorter with patience than usual lately. My sewing project is a great example of it. I don't know why I have no patience right now; however, I will admit that patience has never been a virtue for me! I came across this verse, which is a good reminder that patience is not a suggestion, but a commandment: "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Col. 3:12

Cheesecake Brownies:

Ingredients:

1 box brownie mix, your choice

½ C vegetable oil

¼ C water

4 large eggs

2-8oz packages softened cream cheese (I use Neufchatel, because it has less calories/fat)

1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 C lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ C seedless strawberry jam (optional)

¾ C walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*. Spray 13 x 9 pan with no-stick cooking spray.

Combine brownie mix, oil, water and 2 eggs in bowl. Stir. Stir in nuts if desired. Bake 20 minutes.

Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Slowly mix in 2 eggs, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth. Pour over warm brownies.

Stir jam until smooth. Drop teaspoonfuls over cream cheese. Use knife and swirl jam gently into cream cheese filling to create marbling.

Bake additional 35-40 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Cool 1 hour. Loosely cover and chill in refrigerator for 2 hours or more. Cut into 16 bars. Store in fridge.

Other suggestions:

Layer strawberry jam between brownies and cheesecake. Do not marble.

Use caramel, either swirled into cheesecake or layered between, and add mini chocolate chips to cheesecake mix. Top with caramel and nuts for turtle cheesecake brownies.