On Saturday morning, I was up unusually early.  I puttered around a bit, went for a run and then took the girls to the farmer's market.  I went to get strawberries, more specifically strawberries for jam.  I bought 6 quarts with the intention of making 5 batches of jam and having some left for nibbling.

I made freezer jam, just like I did last year.  In my mind, I look forward to this day and I dread it all at the same time.  I want to make the jam, but it is somewhat of a production.  There is the gathering and washing of the jars, the trip to buy pectin and sugar and more often than not, another trip to the store when I run out of either jars or pectin or sugar.  This year was different.  I bought 5 boxes of pectin, 1 case of wide-mouth jars (which are my favorite, by the way) and a 10 lb. bag of sugar.  I had just enough of everything.

Last year, I received lots of questions about freezer jam so I'm going to try to tell you what I do know from my experience.  It doesn't make it right or wrong - it's just what I do.

1 quart of berries is about enough for 1 batch of jam.  I say about enough because sometimes it's a little too much or sometimes a bit too little.  I wash the berries, cut off the stems and slice them.  I then mash them with a potato masher, leaving little some little chunks.  I measure 2 cups of the mashed berries (and juice the mashing makes) for each batch.

Freezer jam uses a lot of sugar.  I am okay with that.  The recipe in the pectin box is 2 cups mashed berries to 4 cups of sugar.  Yes, A LOT.  But you have to use the right amount of berries and sugar or the pectin won't set up properly.  There arelower sugar pectins available, but I have never used them so I can'tspeak to them.  My mom has tried a low sugar one and did not like it. I trust her judgment and continue to do what we have always done.  I use Sure Jell pectin and I buy it at the grocery store.

A canning funnel is key.  It cuts down on the mess in a big way which is good since it is a very sticky mess.  You can normally find one in the grocery store with the canning supplies.  If your grocery doesn't have the jars or the funnel, try a small, independently owned hardware store.  You know, the mom and pop kind.

I use glass jars.  I always have and my mom and grandma did too.  Don't worry - they will do fine in the freezer as long as you leave about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch at the top of the jar for expansion.  Glass jars break in the freezer when the contents expand and there isn't any room left.  If you leave the space, you will be fine.  According to the recipe, the jam lasts a few weeks in the refrigeratoror up to a year in the freezer.  I've had jam for up to two years in myfreezer and it's been just as good.  In fact, we will be finishing our 2008 supply before we crack open any of the 2009 jars.

It took me one and half hours to make the five batches - I normally have two different ones going at a time.  There is some finicky timing, but this is what works best for me.  I clean one quart of berries, mash, add the sugar and then start on a second quart. By the time I am finished cleaning, mashing and adding the sugar to the second quart, the first quart is ready for the pectin.  Once that batch is jarred, the second batch is ready for the pectin.  Once I have the second batch in jars, I start over with two more quarts of berries.  Make sense?

The jam has to sit for 24 hours before it goes in the freezer.  It's just about time for me to take care of that last step.  And then I will take a break from jam for another year.

Or maybe just until the raspberries ripen.

Happy mail = happy Erin.  Looks like a recipe for a good weekend.  Enjoy yours.

Yesterday, when I answered Molly's simple question about magazines, I laughed when I realized that four of the six I receive are about food (Everyday Food, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine) and one always has some good food in it (Martha Stewart Living).  Even number six (House Beautiful) has recipes in it.  Add to that a huge collection of cook books and you might think I like to cook.  And I do!  Both Fatty and I enjoy spending time in the kitchen and we love to try interesting taste combinations and new recipes.  The problem is the kids.  Like many other moms, I struggle to find nutritious meals that are kid friendly and still satisfy grown up tastes.  The pre-dinner hour is normally hectic so I like meals during the week to be basic enough for me to manage it in a small amount of hands on time.  I can tackle the fussier recipes and exotic ingredients on the weekend.

Right now, we have two meals in our rotation that everyone loves.  The first is Tuscan Lemon Chicken from Ina Garten's Back to Basics cookbook.  The second is Chicken Tacos from the October 2008 issue of Everyday Food.  After making both of these recipes numerous times, I have tweaked them to suit our family and can now make both of them without consulting the recipes.  Here is what I do.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken adapted from Back to Basics by Ina Garten
(click here for the original recipe)

1 whole chicken cut into eight pieces, bone in, skin on
(You can use whatever pieces you prefer - we sometimes just choose thighs)
2 or 3 lemons
1/3 c olive oil
a couple sprigs of rosemary, chopped
4 or more cloves of garlic, chopped
kosher salt
pepper

The night before make the marinade by combining the zest of two lemons with the olive oil and 1/3 cup lemon juice.  Add the rosemary, garlic and pepper. (I use freshly ground pepper and totally eyeball it - I'm guessing it's about 1/2 tsp.).  Generously salt the chicken and place in a shallow dish.  Pour the marinade over the chicken and refrigerate overnight.

Pull the chicken out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you are ready to cook it.  In the cookbook, Ina calls for grilling, but we roast it in the oven.  I turn my oven to 425 degrees on convection bake and roast for 40 to 45 minutes.

We often use any leftovers for a salad or for sandwiches.  Emily makes hers with parsley instead of rosemary and she grills it.  Super easy and really tasty, even for my pickiest eater.

Chicken Tacos adapted from Everyday Food, October 2008
(original recipe here)

1.5 to 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 c roasted tomato jarred salsa (I buy the Frontera Grill Roasted Tomato at Whole Foods)
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tbsp. chile powder
salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, coating the chicken.  Cook in a slow cooker for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.  When the chicken is finished, shred with two forks and serve with your favorite taco toppings.

I often eat this on top of lettuce with salsa and a side of black beans and rice.  Leftovers make great quesadilla filling.

So there you have it- two sure-fire crowd pleasers.  What are yours?

Thanks for all the birthday wishes - it was a fantastic day!  It included lunch out with Fatty, a trip to the garden store to pick up veggies, a home cooked dinner and margaritas finished off with chocolate cake and a little impromptu party.  Very very fun!  The weekend continued to be great - some gardening, a barbecue at my brother's, a cobbler and homemade ice cream, the pool, a soccer game and plenty of napping rounded it out.

School is winding down - the girls have about a week left.  They came home without homework which was so nice.  For the first time ever, I am excited that school is over.  I am ready for some down time, for no homework and a later bedtime.  I have never felt this way before.  I have always dreaded the end of the school year.  I know - it sounds awful, but it's the truth.  Summer is always a big push and pull with the three of us.  We have to balance three sets of have to's and want to's.  I don't know that this summer will be much different, but if having a better attitude will guarantee some measure of success, then sign me up.

I've been sewing, but really have nothing to show for it.  I made a skirt that is waaaaay too big and am working on my craft swap project.  Hopefully, I will be able to show and tell soon.  I brought my sewing machine down to the family room so I can hang out in the relative cool-ness of the downstairs.  I absolutely refuse to turn the air conditioning on until June 1 and hanging out in the little closet on the third floor is not so fun.  Of course, I may change my tune once the temp hits the high 80's.  We'll see.  The bonus is TV while I sew.  Anything you care to recommend for our Netflix queue?

All right, enough of this rambling.  See you soon.

And I like what I see.

So far it's been a great birthday - some good presents, lunch out with Fatty, lots of phone calls.  I'll be making margaritas later on and eating some chocolate cake.  I'm looking forward to it.

Lecia asked me to write a guest blog post about motherhood.  I was completely flattered to be asked and am honored to share some of my thoughts with her and all of you.

I hope you have a great weekend.  We've got a garden to plant and I have a new computer to figure out.  Fun stuff!

I finished the edging on those 12 granny squares.  I need to make more.

Fatty and I built some raised garden beds last night.  I spent today tracking the sun to make sure we place them in the *perfect* spot.

I ran out of potting soil for the geraniums and impatiens.  I went and bought more and picked up a new hammer while I was at Home Depot

I went to the bank and the post office then stopped by the bookstore to see if they had the new issue of Stitch.  They did.  There are some projects I definitely want to try.  I was happy to see that one is by Melissa.

I took the girls for haircuts - a nice summer bob for Kate, a trim for Jane.

I cut out a skirt and am ready to start sewing .

And just when I thought I had that silly cat all figured out, she decided that peonies are not for her.

Thank goodness.

I have a good number of unfinished projects sitting around.  I get all excited about starting something new so I gather the supplies and get a good start only to be waylaid by yet another new and exciting project.  It's not that I don't want to finish what I started - it's that when I get tired of something or it isn't working, it's sometimes easier to set the project aside and move on to something different.  Case in point:  the granny square blanket.

I started this a little less than two years ago and have picked it up from time to time.  I packed it up to take to jury duty last month,  but it just sat in its tote bag hanging on the mudroom pegs because I never had to go to the court house.  On the way out the door Friday afternoon, I grabbed it for our road trip.  And wouldn't you know, I like making granny squares again.

 

I crocheted the better part of 12 squares on our trip.  I say better part because they all need their green border.  I pulled out the stack of squares previously made and was pretty amazed to count 37 completely finished.  I hope to finish up the others while in the carpool line these last two weeks of school.  I'm not sure how many I need.  I had originally thought 77 squares, but that seems huge.  No matter - I will lay them all out and if 49 is not enough, then I will figure out just how many more I need and make them.

They will get crocheted together with the lighter green yarn.  That seems like a good project for watching TV.  Come fall, I plan on cuddling up with my new blanket.

I'm just not going to think about weaving in all those ends.

School is out in two weeks.

The strawberries should be ripe right about then.

Then come the raspberries.  And the blackberries.  And the black raspberries.

I'm ready for the you-pick bonanza, the jam sessions that will follow and the sweet bursts of summer in my mouth.

Melissa just listed some berry bowls yesterday.  If you plan on eating lots of berries, you might want to buy one before they are gone.  I love mine - use it all year round and not just for berries.  It's seen grapes and even small batches of pasta.  Super handy and so well made.

We're off on a road trip.  Happy weekend, all.