10 simple things

Sara at Farmama inspired me to share a list of 10 simple things that made me happy this week.

While there were so many things that made me happy (what a great lesson in gratitude) these were this week's "top" 10:

1.) Ella skipping. Or more specifically, Ella skipping in her mismatched pyjamas and flip-flops.

2.) Hanging clothes on the line.

3.) Fresh baked yummy goodness.

4.) New blooms

5.) This super quick and easy sewing project.

6.) Collecting eggs from our own hens.

7.) Baseball and home runs!

8.) The joy and wonder of learning to growing our own food.

9.) My eldest child reading stories to my youngest.

10.) Barefoot gardening with kids who like to get dirty.

Oh, and one more... family movie night.


Speaking of family, I can't forget our Henry.


So much for 10 simple things! What made you happy this week?

Easiest strawberry jam recipe, ever!

I love good tasting preserves: jams, jellies, chutneys -- you name it. In fact, one of my earliest farm-to-kitchen connections lies within a sweet memory of strawberry freezer jam.

One of my best friends from grade school always had the yummiest jam sandwiches. The fruit was chunky and perfectly sweet, not the sugary, cavity-inducing smack I was used to in store-bought jam. When she told me it was homemade, I remember thinking, "You can do that?"

My mum was a creative cook, but not a preserver. So when my friend invited me over to share in her family's jam making day, it was an eye-opening and fascinating experience for me.

I don't have very clear memories of the actual process, beyond marvelling at the redness of the berries and the wonder of actually making your own jam. I do remember bringing home a few yogurt containers filled with berry goodness and carefully rationing them because I knew when the last container was empty, the jam was gone until next year.

While I didn't realize it at the time, it was my first life lesson of eating in season.

So when Ella and I brought home a flat (eight pints) plus four quarts of berries yesterday, I knew strawberry freezer jam was on the top of my "to make" list.

If you've ever wanted to make homemade jam but you think you can't or you're too busy or you don't have the canning supplies for cooked jam, then freezer jam is for you. It's easy and quick and little fingers can help along every step of the way because there's no cooking or boiling water involved.

To show just how easy it is, I've put together our step-by-step tutorial.

For each batch of jam, you need:

• 4 cups of crushed strawberries
• 1.5 cups of granulated sugar
• 1 45 g pouch of freezer/uncooked jam gelling powder

Yep, that's it.

Step 1: Sort the fruit to ensure there are no mouldy or rotten bits. I can't get her to clean her room but she'll do this without being asked.


Step 2: Wash and hull the berries. Feed the tops to the chickens. You'll be their favourite person Forever.

Step 3: Mash the berries but don't puree them. Wonder what your daughter means when she says, "Mama -- I love to smoosh things." Decide it's not worth investigating further.

Step 4: Measure four cups of mashed berries into a bowl. Ignore your daughter's comment that, "It looks like guts."

Step 5: Slowly add sugar to bowl of berries and gently stir. Agree with your daughter that yes, it does kind of look like quicksand. Resolve to ask your husband what kind of stories he's been reading to the children lately. Allow mixture to stand for 15 minutes.

Step 6: During those 15 minutes, chase strawberry-snatching son out of the kitchen and remind him that although he did just get home from school, it's only been an hour since last snack and he can't really be that hungry, can he?


Step 7: Slowly sprinkle gelling powder into mixture while stirring for 3 minutes. Reassure eldest child that 3 minutes isn't really that long and no, his arm won't fall off from the strain.

Step 8: Allow to stand for five minutes. Then gently stir for one minute more. The jam, not the eldest child.
Step 9: Give starving masses (aka the children) a taste test before they pop with anticipation.
Step 10: Enjoy the two minutes of happy munching sounds. Go back to step 9 - repeat three more times.

Step 11: Ladle into containers, leaving about an inch at the top for the jam to expand in the freezer.


Step 12: Repeat step 1 through 11 until you have enough jam to last until next June (we've got at least one more batch to go). Jam lasts six weeks in the refrigerator and one year in the freezer.


According to the gelling package, this entire process only takes 30 minutes but it took us significantly longer. Of course, we had to make time for some silliness.

Who knew quart containers could make so many things such as...
... hats,
... and beds,


... the Eiffel tower (apparently, lamby passed out due to oxygen deprivation that high up)

... and a super hero car.


What's your favourite super simple preserve?

Strawberries!

I had a lot of things to do around the farm this morning as well as some writing work. It was Ella's day off from school (she's home every other day) and like most "working" days lately, I was resigned to juggling chores and work while trying to fit in some time together.

But lurking in the back of my mind I knew that time was ticking on strawberry season. I mean, its June 22nd already! Last year, as we were still reeling from the trauma/drama of our first year on the farm, the season came and went without any berry picking.

So in the spirit of trying to reclaim some spontaneity while spending some quality time together -- no work, no chores -- I decided to make this a strawberry day. I even asked if Jack wanted to go into school late so he could come picking with us. I figured it would be like our own mini field trip. He hummed and hawed and decided that he wanted to go to school but he'd coming picking with us next week when he's done school for the year. Fair enough, though it's times like this that I really envy the flexibility of a homeschool schedule.

Even though the sky was starting to grey a bit and some grumpy looking clouds were rolling in, we hopped in the truck and drove 30 minutes to the next village, home our local u-pick place.

The owners said there was another week of picking left, but I'm not so sure. Jack may be playing hookie after all!

We decided that picking berries was kind of like looking for buried treasure.

Look, our first red jewel!

The original plan was to stop after we'd picked a flat of berries -- enough to make a big batch (or two) of freezer jam and have some for munching.

Ella's turn to take a snap of me: "Say, 'cheese' mama!"


After we'd paid (only $8.45 for the flat!), Ella asked if she could finally taste one.


The verdict?

"Mama, can we go pick some more please?"
Absolutely.