Jam & Pies

This year all the berries have been ripened very early. The Strawberries were ready in the middle of May. That is almost unheard in my area of the world. I think I got a little too excited and bought a flat of Strawberries. Than I bought a flat of Blackberries (though they might have been Marionberries). I made several jars of Strawberry Jam because everyone loves Strawberry. I also made some Mango Strawberry Jam that is wonderful. The last batch of Strawberry was Strawberry Mango Mojito....very nice tasting jam if I do say so myself. I then froze about 3 pints of strawberries so I can have some later during the summer. 

Next up Blackberries....a batch of plain Blackberry, some Blackberry Lemon Jam, Blackberry Cardamon Jam, and some Blackberry hand pies. I also bought some raspberries becasue they are my favorite, froze a couple of pints and made some Raspberry Chocolate Sauce (though it looks more like jam). I used my Fresh Tech Jam machine...this machine makes jam in about 22 minutes. The nice thing is you can make small batches of jam, 2-3 cups of fruit will make 3-5 half pints of jam. I like to make small batches of interesting jams instead of large batches, it gives me room to experiment with spices and flavors.

Finally the Cherries!!! My neighbors have a Sour Cherry tree that the cherries were falling off the tree. So I got out the ladder and picked enough for a Cherry pie. I shared some of the Cherry Pie with friends because we had too much pie in the house. Everyone was happy with the results. 

I want to get some peaches or mangos this year and make some chutney. The last time I made chutney it turned out delicious and was devoured quickly. I haven't made it in a couple of years and I think it's time to make some more. 
Of course there is going to be a lot more canning this summer as I have purple beans, cucumbers and tomatoes planted in the garden. Last year we had an abundance of tomatoes and I finally figured out how to can a decent tomato sauce. So I'm looking forward to a lot more tomato sauce this year. 
Lastly...We went up and got the Trophy Wife yesterday. It's running OK, but it needs some work. I have to talk to my mechanic and see when he's available to help me get the car in tip top shape. 

A quick trip to Bend

A couple of weeks ago we took a quick trip down to Bend Oregon. My husband had not seen the beautiful drive along Highway 20 from Salem to Bend, I have not been down that road in over 30 years but I remember it as an idyllic drive.  My husband wanted to take the 78 Cadillac Fleetwood out on the road to see how she drives on long trips, this drive seemed like the perfect thing. We  also wanted to come around and over Mt Hood to pick up the Trophy Wife from my mothers place in Brightwood. I did not recognize Detroit Lake...it is painfully low, you can see all the docks laying in the dirt. Seeing the area where the HUGE B&B Complex fire was in 2003 was also a shock. A lot of the trees charred black but still standing, it was kind of depressing. We stopped in Sisters where we saw a wonderful exhibit of metal sculpture by Ken Scott. Just before getting to Bend we stopped to take a photo of the 3 Sisters. Those are beautiful mountains. In Bend we wandered around Bend trying the local beer and stopping at Mirror Pond in downtown Bend. We ate at a great restaurant called Pine Tavern looking over Mirror Pond. Leaving Bend we came home over Highway 26, picking up the Trophy Wife in Brightwood. I'm happy to have the Trophy Wife back, she needs some fresh paint and a little tender loving care from a mechanic.