I’m still trying to get last Christmas done!!! Oh my! Next thing I know it will be Christmas again! I’m still waiting for that nice quiet time in January where you get everything caught up. I guess I’ll stop complaining and enjoy the ride while I have it. Some day my house will be empty, my plants will actually grow and I won’t know what to do!
Here’s just a few updates for May:
Katie is leaving for Japan today! She will go from Louisville to Detroit, then take a 13 hour flight to Tokyo. From there she will take a short flight to where she is staying in Japan. Her birthday is Saturday, but because of the time changes she will be flying through and the length of time in the air, she will only have a few hours of birthday on the ground. Definitely a cool story to remember your 21st birthday!
Allie turned 14! I still can’t believe that one! She was my baby for a long time!
Co-op and American Heritage girls has come to an end for the school year.
I have been at the dentist more in May than any other time. Between me and the kids it’s been a busy dentist month.
We picked strawberries and make 8 1/2 quarts of strawberry jam. We NEED more to make it to next year though!
We got our bees, had lots of chicks hatch, hatched some guinea fowl and working on hatching some turkeys. We’ve had a lot of babies animals been born and the sadness of animal deaths.
Here is the strawberry jam recipe that I used:
What You Need
Make It
BRING boiling-water canner, 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.
STEM and crush strawberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. Measure exactly 5 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-quart saucepot.
STIR pectin into prepared fruit in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming, if desired. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 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 a 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.)
We Can Hackett 