7/26/17

Raspberry Jam with Grandma T


Ingredients:
Certo Premium Liquid Fruit Pectin
4 cups berries
4 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1. In small batches, lightly wash berries in a mesh strainer. Pick out hard seeds, etc.
2. Put washed berries in thin layers in a four cup measuring cup. Mash one cup worth of berries.
3. Using a juicer/de-seeder, juice berries until it makes one cup. Pour juice into measuring cup with other berries.
4. Continue until you have two cups worth of berries (one cup with seeds, one cup without).
5. Pour into bowl, add 4 cups of sugar. Stir well, then set timer for ten minutes, stirring "every now and then as you think about it."
6. Empty liquid pectin into a small bowl. In a separately bowl, get 2 Tbsp. worth of lemon juice. Add lemon juice to pectin and stir well.
7. After ten minutes, stir in pectin and lemon juice and continue stirring for three minutes.
8. Pour mixture into washed glass jars and, "Of course, lick the bowl."
9. Seal the jars, leave on the counter for 24 hours before freezing.

Makes six 6-oz jars of jam.

7/23/17

Hannah & Calvin's Wedding

In June I got to be in the wedding of one of my best friends. It was weird to be in the middle of wedding chaos again but not as the bride. Hannah's family handed over the role of florist to me and I had lots of fun designing the bouquets and floral arrangements.

Laura's Goodbye Party

A few weeks ago we said goodbye to our good friend Laura as she moved to NY to go to seminary. We miss her so much.

Sourdough Bread Adventures

A few months ago I made my first successful sourdough loaf. The starter was from a local bakery and I got the recipe from here. The bread was really dense and I'm not exactly sure what to change for next time, but it was super tasty and tangy. I am trying to gear myself up for making another batch. The process took about three days and more time than I would be able to afford during the school year. I'd love to find a way to streamline the process and integrate it into my life, but I'm not sure how to do that yet.

Russell's Visit


We always take our guests to Oswald West State Park on the Oregon Coast. The cove is so peaceful and it never feels too crowded. The weather was perfect and I opted to relax on the beach while the guys took on a hike along the ridge line.

Cape Horn Hike with Ellie