Sunday FUNday...

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Started Sunday FUNday out with homemade flax seed oatmeal waffles and fresh strawberries:

Delicious!!!

Still had a ridiculous amount of strawberries in the refrigerator that I stumbled across yesterday while out so I decided to make Strawberry Jam:

Used my Weck Jars but still had jam leftover.  Remembered that I had purchased some cute little gingham jars at the Dollarama some time ago.  Decided I would give them a try and then use them as Christmas presents to neighbors and acquaintances.  They WORKED!!!

The temperature was kind of cool today so I also used the opportunity to bake a batch of Oatmeal, Coconut, Salted Carmel Chip cookies for lunch boxes later this week:

After dinner I took my bike out and rode 8.61 miles through the neighbourhood.  The old wives' tale of first full moon after my birthday being full frost is likely going to be true.  It is SUPER cold out there.  Hands were solid cold when I returned home.  Very beautiful night out there:

Hope this inspires your own creativity.  Wishing you all the BEST Day EVER Monday.  Stay Safe out there.

Kathy

 

I'm in a Bit of a Jam...

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Seriously, I got myself into a wee bit of a jam today!  Literally, I used up one and a half gallons of strawberries today to make:

Seven and a bit jars of Strawberry Jam!  🍓🍓🍓

I think we shall be having toast with fresh strawberry jam for breakfast tomorrow.

On top of that I actually have something crafty to show you today.

I used some lightly scented Strawberry Fabric I had on hand to make a Dish Towel that was also in my stash.  

Putting the jam jars on top made the kitchen smell just a little more summery for a while this afternoon.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Here Comes Monday.....

Good Evening Internet Friends!

Monday arrives tomorrow and I am only sort of prepared for it.  As of this moment, I still have about 50 lbs of tomatoes to do something with.

Thanks to one of the ladies on a quilting page I belong to asking about an Ebelskivor Pan I decided that since I had made all that fresh jam last night that is what was going to be breakfast this morning:

I purchased this pan at Williams-Sonoma when they first opened in Calgary close to 10 years ago.  Of late my son has been more enthralled with the Waffle Maker on Sunday morning, but these are always fun to make and eat:

After breakfast I cut up tomatoes and got started on tomato sauce:

While that was simmering and processing I set about cleaning up some yarn and cross stitch projects that I have in various states of start (notice I did not say finish).

This afternoon we took a walk in the River Valley.  It was pretty but I think I will be regretting this decision as the night goes on because my lungs are very tight at present.  Will be sleeping with my puffer beside the bed I think tonight....

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Abracadabra!

Good Evening Internet Friends!

It's that magical time of year where everything gets to turn into something it's not by donning a costume.

As you have already witnessed through my blog the garden was bountiful this year.  Plus I was provided with 2 boxes of tomatoes.....I now have just over 200 lbs of tomatoes in my possession.  Seriously.

I have spread all these out on newspaper under the spare bed in the basement to keep from ripening too quickly.  However, they are ripening just a wee bit quicker than I would like what with all the other things I have on my schedule to accomplish ☺

This evening after kiddo and I got home from selling Scouts Popcorn, I started in earnest on the tomatoes.

As of a few minutes ago I am the owner  of 7 1/2 pints of green tomato jam!  This is where the magic comes in; by putting green tomatoes through the food processor and adding a bit of sugar and some Strawberry Jello I have Strawberry Jam!  If only I could wave my wand and make it appear...

Tomorrow will be Salsa and Tomato Sauces!  I am hoping there is still room in the freezer so that I can just put the jars in there and not have to can them to save time......but there is already a lot of vegetables, a half a beef I got from a friend and a basket full of bison from home as well.  Guess I won't put the canner away this evening ☺

Now off to knit for a bit and see if I can actually sleep in tomorrow and get a full four hours of sleep.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

And the weekend is ....... Over

Good Evening Internet Friends.

Not sure where this weekend went, but it is gone.

Yesterday my son went to the Kids Building Workshop and the Home Depot:

Then it was off to skating.

After skating we decided to have lunch at Sky High Burgers.  It was alright, but probably not to be a repeat any time soon for us.

We spent the rest of the afternoon doing nothing really around the house, I did take a nap though.

After dinner we took Maverick for a walk over to my friend Sharon's house and of course Maverick got lots of hugs and kisses from both her and her husband and a bone to take home ☺

Today I was super busy.  Laundry is all caught up and I made:

Strawberry Jam from the bazillion green tomatoes I have lurking under the spare bed still.

We also made Chocolate Crinkle Cookies this afternoon:

After dinner we took Maverick for another long walk and now we have a very sleepy puppy.  Hopefully he will sleep through the night again!  ☺

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

The Strawberry Theme Persists....

Good Evening Internet Friends.

I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing Sunday.  

After breakfast my son and I packed a picnic lunch and headed out to the River Valley Trails.  I do have to say the trail system here is very well developed and used.  Our total trip was 32 kilometers up some pretty impressive grades.  We did not successfully pedal up all of the grades, but we did what we could and for an 11 year old and an asthmatic I think that's pretty good! ☺

After returning home we spent the afternoon on the deck eating ice cream in lawn chairs.  

Poached fish for dinner and then this evening I made 8 jars of Strawberry Marmalade.  Here are the first ones:

I really want to start eating these....

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Raspberry Jam

One of the things that my son and I also did this past weekend was go to Horse Hill Berry Farm.  It was their last weekend of picking.  We were able to get a full pail, although it did take almost 2 hours, but it was the end of August, so....

 Anyways, we ate raspberries in our morning breakfast cereal, and then made:

Raspberry Pear Jam!  Altogether we made 6 of these jars.

The pears were on a really good deal at Costco, so we got them, and used some in the jam.

I recently purchased these Weck canning jars at Duchess Provisions here in Edmonton.  

These jars are a little more pricey than regular canning jars, but I am totally in love with these jars and the way that they work and that they are only made of glass!!!  I will be getting more of these.

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Strawberry Adventure # 3

The last thing that I did to finish using up all of the strawberries from the weekend, was to make Strawberry Marmalade.   I LOVE the taste of this marmalade, and love making and gifting it because no one really knows what to expect the first time they taste it, but after that, you are addicted to it!

I have not included a recipe for it, because it is a kind of you have to see how to make it and what it should look like, to know how to make it sort of things.... really.

Here are the jars straight out of the canner!  Apparently I forgot to wipe the tops before I took the picture!

I can hardly wait to try some!

Hope this inspires your own creativity....

Kathy

p.s. the jars on the right just have the light shining through the window straight on them, all jars are really the same color ; )

Raspberry Cream Cheese Breakfast Buns

I made these delicious little treats last night for lunches.

The recipe is from  the complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook.  The same as the rest of the recipes in this book - DELICIOUS!

I used my own canned raspberry jam on them!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy

Jam Cookies

I think it's time for the Christmas baking to begin.  Today my son and I went to the SCARS Christmas Bazaar, and then to kids scrapbooking at Scrapbook Memories & More where he made three Christmas cards and two Christmas ornaments.  Got us in the spirit of the season.

I used my home made raspberry jam for these cookies, and they are delicious.

Here is the recipe:

Jam Cookies

1 cup butter (not margarine)

3 ozs cream cheese

- cream together then add

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

- mix well then add

1/4 cup Birds Custard

2 1/4 cups flour

Roll dough into 1" balls.  Make an indentation in the center of the cookie and fill with jam or chocolate.  I use an icing bag to put the jam into the centers.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 - 15 minutes.  Wait til cookies cool before you try one (the jam gets very hot).  Enjoy!

Hope this inspires your own creativity...

Kathy