What's everyone been up to? Lots of reading, I'm sure! If you have suggestions, please tell us! I'm working on reviews for some very good books and will be sharing them in the next week or so. Will do some giveaways with them, so stay tuned!
I was on vacation last week and while we didn't go anywhere or do anything terribly exciting, I did get a bunch of canning done. Did strawberry/rhubarb jam, mixed berry jam, zucchini relish and "Habanero Gold" jam. The habanero jam was for the girls, who both love hot and spicy foods. Not me. I'm such a wuss that bbq potato chips are spicy! They loved it though, served over brie on crackers.
This pic shows the berry jams but not the relish or habanero jam. I'm planning to do more canning and look forward to trying a new recipe from Ball for strawberry/balsamic vinegar jam. They claim it's earthy and good, so I'm going to give it a try! Does anyone else enjoy canning?
Let me know what you're all up to, ok? After battling menopausal depression and Tim's broken arms, things are finally looking up and it looks like we're going to survive!
Laurie
11 comments:
We can't get anything done for the rain. We can't even get our lawn mowed because it is staying so wet. Living in a swamp right not. I have been trying to clean our deck and get it finished.
Oh man, I hear you on the rain! I'm not outdoors a lot, but have a feeling the mosquitos will be terrible this summer. Our city sprays for them sometime in the summer, not sure if they've done that yet or not. I'm an indoors, A/C kind of gal!
We've had rain every day for I don't know how many days. Usually comes late afternoon and lingers - we've never had surplus like this! So happy your menopausal issues are leveling out! I'm scheduled for surgery on the 25th - having a hysterectomy and bladder tack. So I'll soon be on the hormone replacement medicine too.
Glad things are looking up for you guys. I love straw-rhubarb jam/jelly.
Sorry about the broken arms - and both arms, my goodness. How did he break both of them?
Having cateract surgery today. Can't wait til whole thing is over with.
Lisa, you will feel so much better after your surgery. I had the same thing 13 years ago and haven't had bladder issues since. They left my ovaries b/c I was only 40 at the time, so I had PMS every month until menopause decided to take over and run the show. Menopause is so evil. I'm only taking the anti-depressant, no HRT. You'll be in my thoughts and prayers.
Pat, Tim fell at work and broke his left wrist and right elbow. Was off work for three weeks and under light duty for several weeks after that. He's just now back to full duty, but finding he still has to take it easy. Thinking of you with the cataract surgery. My mom has had both of her eyes done and was very pleased with the results. Saying prayers for you, sweetie.
We've missed you, Laurie! I've been doing some reading. Read Jill's newest, It Had to Be You and Lori Wilde's, All Out of Love. Loved them both. I'm with you on the a/c and indoor life. Your jams look really good. No one in my family cans but maybe someday I'll give it a shot.
Glad to hear that your loves are getting back on track!
We had a friend who broke both of his wrists catching a football. It's very frustrating for them eating, dressing, writing, driving, going to the bathroom all become monstrous, embarrassing chores!
Patience!
We've had rain in Wisconsin too. The last week the weather improved as we got the rain in the morning so we could enjoy the afternoons and evenings.
Unfortunately we already have mosquitoes, deer flies (aka sweat flies) and water parasites from geese causing swimmer's itch. I get really huge hives from the last two.
Did you watch the fireworks on the 4th? We went to visit my 89 yo mother. We saw the fireworks over Lake Michigan. Always very impressive.
We're staying home too. Trying to save some money for house repairs.
Looking forward to your book reviews.
Glad you are back. This has definitely not been a fun summer weather-wise and forget mosquito bites. My dh gets a bite and it is gone in a few hours, mine last for more than a week and some get the size of the 50 cent piece.
I consider black pepper a hot spice!
Cheryl, you should definitely give canning a try! There's something satisfying about it, providing something for family and friends to enjoy that you made with your own two hands!
Laurie, I hear you on the house repairs - it never ends, does it? And they say gas is going to be at $4/gallon or higher, so I think we'll be nice and cool indoors for the rest of the summer!
Joyce, I'm with you on the bites. I can't leave them alone and then end up with ugly spots all over. Too funny about the black pepper! I am a huge weenie and the girls laugh at me for not being able to take the heat - I love Chipotle's burrito bowls, but the chicken is sometimes hard for me to finish. Oh well, there are worse things, right? lol
Thanks for your wishes. Am going well. Seeing better.
Hope Tim continues to get better fast.
Glad to see you again, Laurie! Wow on the jams! I've never tried canning, but love reading about it ;)
So sorry to hear about the depression and about Tim's arms--hope he's healing up fast, and you're feeling better!
It's been a busy summer so far--the kids went straight from school into four weeks of day camp, and then DS1 had minor eye surgery last week. We're finally relaxing into some unscheduled time, and trying slowly to get some traction going with cleaning up the house! We'll see how that goes!
I've been reading randomly, pulling things off the TBR. A couple so-so reads from the Heartwarming line at Harlequin and then the 2nd in Julie James's FBI/US Attorneys series, which was fabulous.
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