Our summer bounty, Blackberries!

We went to our daughter's house to make jam.  After collecting and freezing large quantities of blackberries, we picked today to use up her stockpile.  I prepared juice last night to take to make a batch of jelly for our pantry.  So we made 6 batches:  jelly, 1 low surgar jam and 4 regular jams.  It was quite a marathon of canning.  E also canned up 4 pints of tomato sauce and baked 2 pumpkins to puree and freeze.  Definitely good stuff, the grandkids got to lick a spoon and they approved.  I must make a batch of jam in the morning and use the solids from the jelly drip, I'll sieve it because seedless jam is my preference.  We are very tired but satisfied and I am grateful for my husbands help, he watched the 2 grandkids (ages 3 and 6). We would never have been able to work for HOURS with them underfoot.  Thank you hunny.

Blackberries . . . .

I have been out picking blackberries, again.  14 cups!  They have all been going into the freezer till I can get to them, plus hopefully to juice up better.  My family has not been too cooperative these couple year, my rule has always been:  you pick, I make it.  The blackberries and so big and beautiful and juicy this year with a lack of sun and rain, go figure.  Anyway, my goal is a batch each of jam, jelly and syrup (to die for on vanilla ice cream).  Yes, they have been out there BUT NOT enough!  And with hundreds of pounds of berries, hmmm . . . . wasteful!  One year when my kids were little I made  80 jars of good stuff with plums, apples, pears and blackberries.  And yes, the whole family was involved.  Not too sustainable of us, either.

One of the Best Dinners!

My husband and son went grouse hunting last week.  My son bagged 5 grouse.  Last night he made dinner with a few hints here and there.  He found a recipe on line for the breast with orange wrapped in bacon (they didn't have the cooking time right . . . 20 min., I told him 45 to 60 min).  Served with wild and rice mix. OMG!  so good!  The meat was enhanced perfectly and not overpowered by the bacon.  He did a good job even though dinner was 2 hours late, it was worth it.  I made a blackberry pie for dinner which was a perfect end with wild game.  I like to add 2 extra cups of berries to my pies with the sugar not changed.  I think the fruit flavors come thru better and it's not so cloyingly sweet.  Our daughter came for dinner with the girls and his girl friend.  It was a great evening!

Summer Weather Update

I looked up the August weather for our area: half a degree below normal and only 10 sunny days.  Strange!  Because I have yet to go to bed, tossing and turning from the hot summer days, in fact the comforter is still on my bed.  I know we have way more sunny days than ten!  Summer gardens have already been in fall mode and yet produced very little. Half corn crops around here are not in tassel which means the roadside stands will not have a good profit. Another reason for worsening economy . . .  weather!

I will be starting on my preparedness plans.  Food, first aid, flashlights will be this month. Creating space will also be a challenge but not impossible.