enough snow for sledding

Photo 1: We got a WHOLE bunch of snow and this is what our beautiful house looks like with it! Pretty beautiful & so lucky!

Photo 2: Alivia was sledding with her friend so the boys and I went out to play in ALL THIS SNOW!

Photo 3: We thought that the little hill in Pap's yard would be good for sledding...

Photo 4: Jackson, being the good big brother that he is, pulled and pushed Levi around on the sled.  Weeee!

Sadly, the snow was too deep and too powdery for sledding, at least in this location. It was exhausting work and didn't last very long, but we made some memories and went back to warm up with some cocoa.

This snow would be great for skiing or snowmobiling. I love that I had that growing up and hope to try skiing again soon. :)

Strawberries {by the numbers}

{5.28.15}
It's berry picking time!

Here it is "by the numbers"-

1 hr

12.25 lbs $1.80/qt or $4/qt pre-picked 

Double batch of low sugar strawberry jam

Double batch strawberry sauce

1 qt to give away 

1 qt to keep and eat today 

My cute little helper

And a funny face for the road.

It was a good morning. It was the first day the fields were open so the picking was easy and plentiful. ;)

{this & that} February moments

Found this picture on my phone. Looks like the kids were using the camera again. :P
Good one Jax.

It has been SO cold this winter! Check out these temps!
That Siberian wind is SERIOUS business!

We got a few inches to play in! Hooray! Bundle up and get out the sled folks! Alivia hopped in and then Levi tried to push her (while walking on his knees); it didn't work so well, but good effort!

Jackson was off on his own while the other kids attempted to sled. I asked him what he was making. He said, "an animal shelter". Oh Jackson. Always thinking of nature and wilderness skills. That's awesome.

Graham cracker houses

{11.29.14} 

2nd annual graham cracker house-making get-together with our cousins. I was too busy helping with the creation to get any "live action" shots. Here our the kids with their houses. This year we used Aunt Sara's homemade royal icing and I think it worked really well. They still fell apart a little but they turned out pretty festive. 

They look tasty kiddos! Let the Christmas season begin!

Summer's bounty

Another bounteous, delicious summer. Check it out!

Look at this handsome boy! He loves corn on the cob so when Grandma offered him some he had TWO!

Yummeee! That's some good corn from Pap's field. 

Mmmm. We've also been enjoying some yummy peaches and nectarines from the orchards. So juicy and sweet. Levi digs in and doesn't give up until all that's left is the pit. ;)

Pap gave me some tomatoes from his garden and I decided I'd make some more of my roasted marinara sauce. Here's everything all mixed together ready to bake- tomatoes, oregano, basil, garlic, salt and pepper, olive oil, and chicken broth. 

(Note: I made a double batch of sauce which I ran through a Victorio strainer, the simmered for 5 hours and got 1.5 quarts of sauce. However, it will be heavenly delicious sauce which I'll save for a special occasion, but this might be one of my last ventures in sauce making. Almost 20 pounds of tomatoes, 3 hours of prep and cooking, 1/4 hour of straining, 5 hours of simmering and about 1 hour in the water bath canner for 1.5 quarts of sauce. Not sure if this math adds up.)

{LOWer sugar} strawberry jam

After picking strawberries, we had SO many I was able to make a 2nd batch of jam, so I thought I'd try this one with a bit less sugar. It is TASTY!

I bought the SURE JELL (for less or no sugar needed recipes) and followed the recipe here.

LOWer sugar Strawberry Jam

Yield:

About 8 (1-cup) jars or 128 servings, 1 Tbsp. each

Ingredients:
6 c. crushed strawberries

4 c. sugar

1 box low sugar pectin

1/2 t. butter

Directions:

1. BRING boiling-water canner (or steam bath canner like me), half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

2. STEM and crush strawberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. Measure exactly 6 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-quart saucepot.

3. MIX 1/4 cup of the sugar (from the measured amount in bowl) and pectin in small bowl. Add to fruit in saucepot; mix well. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining 3-3/4 cups sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

4. LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

For more instructions on how to can strawberry jam, see my other recipe.

kraft kitchens tips

HOW TO MEASURE PRECISELY

To get exact level cup measure of sugar, spoon sugar into dry metal or plastic measuring cup, then level by scraping excess sugar from top of cup with a straight-edged knife.

ALTITUDE CHART

At altitudes above 1,000 feet, increase processing time as indicated: 1,001 to 3,000 feet-increase processing time by 5 minutes; 3,001 to 6,000 feet-increase processing time by 10 minutes; 6,001 to 8,000 feet-increase processing time by 15 minutes; 8,001 to 10,000 feet-increase processing time by 20 minutes.

strawberries galore

One beautiful Spring morning my little helper and I went strawberry picking. We had a delicious fun time. (Note to self: Do not dress berry pickers in WHITE shirts.) ;)

Here's the stats of our trip:

4 hands 

1.5 hours

14 lbs

$1.75/lb = $24.50

1 Good Samaritan* (Story to follow)

Double batch of strawberry sauce

Single batch strawberry jam

Single batch low sugar strawberry jam 

(which I REALLY like- may make this my EVERYTIME strawberry jam recipe)

Here's the story of the Good Samaritan- before we left, I guesstimated we'd pick maybe 10 lbs of berries, so I brought enough cash for just that. (Side note: The night before I'd cleaned out my wallet and decided I didn't need to carry my checkbook around with me ALL the time because I only used it SOMETIMES.) On with the story, Levi had picked/eaten about as many berries as he could handle and our time was about up (before we had to get back to pick Jackson up from school) so we brought our berries to be weighed. I was a few dollars short, HOW EMBARRASSING! I scrounged up a couple more dollars in change from my car (SO EMBARRASSING) and was STILL a bit short. I said I'd need to leave whatever berries I needed to. (Here I am SO mortified and EMBARRASSED. Sheesh! Where's my checkbook when I need it?!) Luckily the sweet older woman who'd just finished paying overheard my ordeal and asked, "How much do you need?" Then she said "Oh I can get the rest." Talk about a lesson in humility. I thanked her again and again and asked for her address so I could repay her. She emphatically said it wasn't necessary; she just said, "I pray the Lord will bless you", to which I responded, "and I know the Lord will bless you for your generosity. Thank you so very much!" And she drove off in her Volvo and I said a little prayer for the modern-day Good Samaritans. 

And there you have it, picking berries can be more than just picking berries; it can be a lesson in humility and a chance to "pay it forward". Now go and do just that!

{our best bites} apple cider floats

I found this yummy new drink in my Savoring the Seasons cookbook. It has been added to our FALL foods rotation!

Recipe & Pic from Our Best Bites

Apple Cider Floats
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup ginger ale
2 scoops vanilla ice cream, or any seasonal flavor such as cinnamon or apple pie
ground cinnamon and nutmeg for sprinkling
1-2 tablespoons jarred caramel sauce, optional

Directions:
Pour apple cider and ginger ale into a glass.  Add vanilla ice cream.  Sprinkle on nutmeg and cinnamon to taste and drizzle caramel sauce on top.  Serve immediately with a straw and a spoon.

Yield: one serving in a tall glass

*If you want a snack-size or smaller portion, here's the ratios I use:
1/2 c. apple cider
1/4 c. ginger ale
1 scoop vanilla ice cream

ENJOY!! Such a tasty treat to find!