Jam making

Today a friend and I made an impromptu trip down to a local farm to get berries.
We put my two kids' cars seats into her mini van and us and the five kids were off to the farm. Before we left we called to make sure there were still strawberries. Since our strawberry season here has been very strange this year.
When we got down there not only did they have lots of berries they also had yesterday's berries for five dollars less. They were just perfectly ripe and ready for jam making.
I got a flat and a half of strawberries and a half flat of raspberries.
I was able to can 11 pints of strawberry jam and 5 pints of strawberry raspberry jam. We even had some leftover to have tonight on shortcake and I froze some raspberries to add to muffins and yogurt.
I love berry season. Soon the blueberries and blackberries will be ripe and it will be time to do more canning.

Welcome fall

The signs of fall are all around.

Fall is...

Bike rides in the fallen leaves and making it home before it gets to dark, which comes way to early at 7:30

Homemade treats for teachers

Riding the little yellow school bus to school and being the big man in school

Wearing long sleeves and leg warmers and learning the joys of pockets

Pulling out the almost forgotten needles and starting a fall hat (in an amazing shade of orange)

Finding ways to bring nature in

Hunting for your favorite leaf and having a hard time finding just the right one.

Canning and enjoying your harvest all season long

Welcome fall.. I have missed you.

Blueberries for the little man

As summer is coming to a end I have been trying to saver every last bit.
Last year was my first time canning.
This year I have done a bit more and I still have more to do. I have a freezer full of blackberries that will soon become yummy pies or some sweet jam to enjoy through out the winter months.
I have many apples that will soon be applesauce and many that I plan on drying into apple chips.
Along side the blackberries in the freezer there is also an almost bursting gallon sized bag of blueberries that we picked from the lake house.

The littles did a great job helping me pick and eat most of them. It took a few pickings before the little lady understood that she is to pick the blue ones not the green.
The little man and I have been filling our special time while the little lady naps will reading and 'school' work.
We have been reading lots of Jamberry and Blueberries for Sal. I even found these free preschool printable worksheets to go along with Blueberries for Sal.

I laminated some of the sheets and matching cards so that he could do them over and over.

I dont know if he understands that his is learning. I think most of the time he just having fun and that is what matters most.

Today 10/04/10

Today something amazing happened.
Do you want to know?
Well, if you dont want to know then dont read any farther.
Are you ready for it?

Here it comes...

The hubby...

STARTED WORK TODAY!!!
He got a job working at our church doing maintenance and janitorial. He was so happy last night to file his last week of unemployment. I am very excited for him. After a year and a half he is back into the working field.
So since he is working that also means that I was up this morning with him making his lunch.
I would of been up anyway since the little lady things that 6:30am is the best time to wake up and stay up. No matter what time she goes to bed she is up somewhere between 6:30 and 7:30.
This is just so different than the little man. His morning as a baby started between 9:00 and 10:00 and it still does.
Speaking of the little man this is how he went to church last night.

Racecar pajamas, basketball shoes with a brown crushed velvet blazer. He would still be wearing it today if he would not of spilt water down this shirt as we were leaving church last night. So he came home and changed into his Superman shirt and Hulk/ He man pajama bottoms that he wore all day even out of the house to the thrift store and the auto part store. His unique style just keeps shining.
Tomorrow this little girl turns 7 months.

Some of her favorite things right now are eating finger foods, chewing on yarn, pulling hair, playing the piano (post to come), pulling herself up on the fireplace and being held.
She dislikes jared baby food, her car seat, taking naps. and getting dressed.

Ever since our applesauce making days my house has been taken over by fruit flies. I have tried just about everything to get them to leave.
I cant help it if I enjoy having fresh fruit in the house like bananas that cant go in the refrigerator. I also had to go out a few days ago and pick all of my green tomatoes because it started raining too much and they started cracking.

I think that I am going to try and make salsa with all of my tomatoes, if they make it through the flies. I never have before but I am excited to try.

Yes I can can

It only took 2 days, 40 pounds of apples, 3 batches of applesauce, 1 newbie canner, 1 expert, and 1 very helpful and hungry little man (and a fussy little lady) to make 18 pints of applesauce and 7 quarts of sliced apples.
The little man mastered the apple pealing/ slicing/ coring contraption.

He really liked watching the apple peel come off in long curly strings and how the apple looked like a slinky when it was cut. But I think that he liked eating the apples the best.

Listening for the jar lids to go pop was almost magical.
I had a great time canning. Now that I have done it once I know that I can do it again and I will.
We have already discussed how we will do things a little different next year.