We had the opportunity to pick apricots and cherries from Mom B's friend's yard this week. We brought home quite a bit of fruit, and spent a couple of days working on it. I found an awesome recipe online for apricot jam, since our family eats A LOT of it. It's our favorite kind of jam. I guess we should have planted an apricot tree as well when we planted our four peach trees last year! That, and they are Mom B's absolutely favorite fruit. I also made a couple of batches of sugar-free freezer jam, with Splenda, but I'm thinking I should have made them with some more natural kind of sweetner instead...next time, or perhaps just lower sugar. (There's so much controversy out there about artificial sweetners, esp. aspertame.) Actually, one of the batches of sugar jam I made was lower sugar anyway, just because I like it a bit less sweet. At least Nels doesn't eat as much jam as the kids do!!
Anyway, we ended up with about 16 quarts of apricot jam (likely another batch tomorrow) altogether, and pitted a froze about 8 gallon size ziplock bags of bing cherries...does anyone know how to get rid of the cherry juice on & under my fingernails?? I already tried lemon juice, and it lessened it, but...
Other than fruit, I worked some at the school. Yesterday was our annual Primary/Ward Activity, where the activity committee does dinner and the Primary is responsible for games. This year we had an Olympic theme, and it was fun. They asked ME to be the MC...? Okay, whatever. It was fun.
Kimberly was to be at girls' camp all week; she did have a marvelous time, but she did have to
come home one night, sick, but was well enough to go back the next morning. I'll have to share more as I learn more from her. Sacrament Mtg today was packed with the awesome experiences they had up there, FEASTING on the Spirit. Nels went up on Monday night through Tuesday night, as one of the Priesthood Representatives, and Kimberly earned the camp nickname, "Kuddly Koala," since she cuddled up to him on both night's camp fire activities. He had an absolute blast canoeing around Tuesday with the other priesthood guy, and soaking all of the women leaders & girls, and yet avoiding most of their attempts to reciprocate. He loved it all so much, he's decided he's going up to girls' camp every year from now on! Lucky guy!Well, gotta get the troopers off to bed. (Oops - didn't get this posted until after midnight!) Another week of..."busy summer stuff"!
5 comments:
I thought things were supposed to slow down in the summer! Maybe it's just a different type of busy-ness. Sounds like you're having fun.
I just made my first freezer jam this summer and we are so excited that we will have jam all year. We are bummed that we didn't get to freeze more fruit this year since we don't have an extra freezer. Next year we plan on purchasing a freezer and picking a lot more fruit. Yummy! We are excited for peaches to be in season as well, but unfortunately there isn't anywhere in Washington to pick your own. It is great to see that you guys are keeping busy and enjoying the summer.
Homeade jam is the best. After Tessa was born, my mom came over to help me out and brought all this fruit from her trees and made me a bunch of plum, peach and apricot jam. I have no idea how she did all that along with taking care of my other little ones and working out in my yard. She uses a lot less sugar than what the recipes call for, but it's still plenty sweet enough. Store bought jam is just way too sweet for me.
You'll have to share the recipe for apricot jam, I love it too! So plant an aprcot tree THIS year instead!:)
Enjoy the fruit, Gods gift basket straight to you. Mmmmmmmmmmmm.
Amazing...I'll be expecting to reap from what you've sown;)
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