Yesterday started out kind of slow...Our raspberry picking was canceled due to lack of raspberries at the Joseph u-pick, so Ci and I took Ginger on our walk, we meandered near the rodeo grounds reminiscing about other walks, rodeo's and carnivals...then back up the hill to Barton Heights... Back home Papa fixed his special cold cereal and banana for us, and as we started eating, Debbie drove into the driveway with truck, horse trailer and five dogs, to pick up the two rams that have been in our pasture for about two months...After a "ram and dog rodeo" with all of us herding, or watching gates, Cienna slammed the trailer door as the two rams jumped inside the trailer, to get away from the sheep dogs.
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| "Huckle Raz Jam" |
As Debbie was driving out the drive she said, "Do you want to pick my raspberries, I haven't had time?"..."Sure, we said in unison!"...Back inside we finished eating our now soggy cereal and tough toast, put on long sleeve shirts, Papa got our berry picking buckets in the car and Ci and I were on our way, leaving Papa and Ginger home...Several years ago we had given Debbie raspberry starts so we knew the berries would be big and plentiful... We soon had almost two gallons of beautiful berries and home again the work began...Jars, lids, and pectin were brought up from the cellar...I have done this so many times, don't really have to think, just start with a large pot, sterilized jars, rinsed berries, Cienna measured sugar, we added the pectin and boiled away...Soon I'm ladling hot jam into the jars as Cienna moves the funnel from jar to jar, hands me the rings, which I screw on tight and the jars full of raspberry jam are left to cool on the kitchen table...We continue making three batches all together, I find a bag of mixed berries in the freezer, so we add those and make a berry medley jam then add a quart of last years huckleberries to raspberries and have a new jam called "huckle-raz"...It turns out a bit soft but will make a wonderful spread for waffles or pancakes...Several hours later and thirty 1/2 pints of jam we are done for the day...Always a satisfied feeling when the cellar shelves start to fill up.
With all that fresh garlic hanging to dry Cienna and I start another project...Since Becky is leaving and will be living in a new apartment we decide to make her a garlic braid to hang in her kitchen...We gather nine nice heads of garlic, a few small flowers, lavender and oregano put them all together, and bind them together with plastic zip ties...Add a raffia bow and VOILA we have a lovely gift...and can you believe NO PHOTO!!
So today we are headed for a walk, then make rhubarb jam, more garlic braids and Tate is coming to stay for three days...Never a dull moment...I promise more photos ~OWAV:)
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