I had a very nice weekend - more domestic than usual. (Domestic is an in joke with my DH - when my next younger sister heard I had started knitting, her first exclamation was "How Domestic" - not usually a word I think of when describing myself).
I was gifted last week with a bunch of rhubarb. I love rhubarb... especially fresh cut with salt on it. (mmmm). In obtaining rhubarb, I am following a blogosphere pattern.. - The Dye Pot (a blog I came across recently refered to rhubarb goodies recipies posted by Ann at the Purling Swine. Then, I saw that Lynn at ColorJoy! also made rhubarb goodies...
So.. I made strawberry rhubarb pie. I love this kind of pie. My DH loves this pie... however I had never made it before. So, armed with a recipie from AllRecipies (Here is the recipie) I picked up ingredients and went to town. Well... the pie turned out great, but I had seriously overestimated the amount of strawberries I needed. I had bought 4 times the strawberries I needed.
Oops.
Fortunately, I had been planning on making strawberry jam this spring - as soon as it was true berry season in Minnesota (not till the end of June). But, I had planned ahead. I had already asked the wonderful Annie for her jam recipie - and she sent it with canning tips! Armed with this, and a couple recipie books, and the internet, I bought canning supplies (mason jars and lids :-) ) and, Saturday night AFTER making pie, made jam.
I used Annie's recipe, but added in a cup of rhubarb (since I had a bunch on hand). It adds a hint of tangyness that I quite like. I think I'll add more next time... The Big One had a great time helping - she likes to mash strawberries! And, she stirs well. It went _very_ smoothly and I now have 7 half-pints of jam. Wonderful jam. Before I make more, though, I need a better pair of tongs. Barbeque tongs just don't work as well as one would like, and I felt odd using the salad tongs (scissor-style tongs) :-)
I had never made jam before (by myself). My parents had a grape vine in the backyard - Concord grapes - made great jelly, but lousy eating. I helped many years making jelly - I remember straining the grape mash through cheesecloth to get rid of the seeds and skins. Those jars were sealed with paraffin wax - that was always fun. I clearly remember the year we added apples - grape-apple jelly is wonderful as well!
That's as close as I come to "pioneer" melissa. (sorry - couldn't resist :-) )
Sunday my cold relapsed, and we did some cleaning. (After eating toast and home-made strawberry jam, of course!) And, set up the computer for the 2 year old... she hadn't gotten to play on one yet. This is a large change from when the Big One was a baby... she made the mouse to cursor connection at around 20 months old or so.
Monday was a difficult day. My grandmother is doing an amazing thing - she is packing up and moving from Minnesota to San Diego. Her younger daughter lives there, and she's moving into a retirement community about 6 blocks from my aunt. The hard part is the goodbye's and sorting through decades of stuff. I asked for (and was graciously granted) her Spode dishes. These were her everyday dishes, and I grew up eating off of them. I love them... and now own them. But, saying goodbye at her house for the last time was rough. She flew out today. This was the best thing for her to do (for many reasons)... and I am very proud of her. There are many inpiring things about my grandmothers - they are great role models for me and my daughters.
Then, the Timberwolves lost. Not on the same level, but depressing nonetheless.
And, I knit. I finished the first skein of Kersti on one baby blanket, I finished the second bottom of the little duck feet, and I finished the first bottom of the big duck feet. I still need to wash and block the waves blanket.. maybe tonight.
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