Weekly-ish notes on navigating big change

strawberry

The Adventures

Every week is an adventure. I share my adventures via images + notes, and you're invited to join in.
You can find all my adventures here, or follow along via email here.

 

Pro-tip: put a cookie sheet under your cobbler so when it (inevitably) boils over, you don't scorch strawberry juice in your oven. #oops #yum #vegan
This is happening! Strawberry rhubarb pie!Driving little bro to the airport, knitting @ttldesigns Stacatto. #carknitting #brothersisteradventureIntrovert Recovery Day a rousing, lazy success: painting, reading, cleaning, chili-cooking, pie-making, and now there's a kitten on my belly and a dog at my feet.

Adventure Notes

  • This pie was delicious. I didn't have a pie crust made, so I left it crustless…and it was delightful.
  • I just started knitting Staccato, and several knitters have commented they want to join me. Let's have an impromptu knit-along! Just weet/Instagram with the hashtag #staccatoKAL to share your pictures + progress. You can see the yarns I'm using on Ravelry.
    • MONDAY is my birthday! Yay!

Some very generous friends wanted to send gifts…only to realize that my address isn't anywhere. If you want it, just ask.

 

Making Jam

In our family, jam is more than just a sweet topping for your toast. It's a little jar of spring sunshine – preserved for the whole year. It's memory and taste and love.

Jay's Grandma Mary made jars and jars of jam every year – strawberry, raspberry, boysenberry (after her trips to Oregon). You always knew to take a few jars from the freezer when you ran out.
Knowing how my husband loved Grandma's jam, I asked her to teach me and she scoffed – “It's just the Sure-Jell recipe that comes in the box, read it yourself!”

Grandma was straight like that and that's why we loved her.

When she passed away last October, I knew that this would be the year that I got serious about jam. I bought a few boxes of Sure-Jell and waited for the first strawberries.

They appeared last weekend and I got to work.
YIP 9 Strawberry bath
Washing

Clean Strawberries
Topping

Crush it!
Mashing

Add sugar
Adding the sugar (4 cups)

Pour it on!
And pouring.

Quilty jars of jammy goodness
I'm particularly smitten with the jewel-y pink in the quilted jars – so beautiful!

The jam turned out perfectly, just like Grandma's!

PS. Really, if you want to make it, get a box of Sure-Jell and read it yourself (it's the freezer recipe)!