To blog or not to blog - that is the question

Im really not sure where the conversation started, but nevertheless it was had. I was talking with a  friend (ah hem - Katy Williams and her blogspot is farmingmama.blogspot.com) one morning as she was dropping her daughter off.  She mentioned that I should do a blog. I remember she said blogging was really fun. I quickly pondered the idea and said something along the line of "I don't have time for a blog." Deep down, I believe that is was more a hesitation of putting my personal life online. But hey, you aren't living if you aren't ' apart of the social media craze. Now a days, just about everyone is either on Facebook, MySpace or Twitter? And Im not quite sure how many individual blogs there are out there. But do I have something to share? I would like to think so. Between our animals, garden, preserving our harvest, family and friends, Im sure that I could come up with a few posting every now and again. Not to mention the progress on our new house. But do I really have time. Between chasing kids and pulling weeds, maybe I could spare a few minutes. DO I REALLY WANT TO DO THIS??!!??! Well, um, lets see... yes, oh but I don't know! 

Procrastination or hesitation - call it what you will. The result is the same, I am sitting at computer typing my first blog posting. I came to the realization that your blog posts are only as personal as you choose to make them. Who knows, maybe someone out there will actually find interest in what I have to share. Lord knows I have plenty of subject matter around this house. As put by Oscar Wilde "To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all." I do hope you enjoy reading about our life and the way we live!

Serviceberry Jelly - Anyone???

Divide and conquer! I wish that was the motto of my life. Most days are more like fumble and surrender. Ok, well not quite that bad, but it does seem that most of the time I am flying by the seat of my pants. Today was no different. It all started with a conversation I had with Aaron at the breakfast table. (I made french toast and sausage- yummy.) As he was eating his french toast and looking out the window at our monster Serviceberry bushes that we like to call native landscaping - he wondered what Serviceberry Jelly would be like. Me, with my half response of "I dunno, probably like a Serviceberry." You see, I knew where he was going with that question. He likes to think that he is sending subliminal messages. I know better! Fast forward about 3 hours (I suppose my curiosity got the better of me and I like a good culinary challenge) guess what I spent the morning doing? Yup - picking our edible landscape.

As I was picking these very seedy little berries, and eating a few. I was wondering how I was going to rid these little black jewels of their seeds. For those of you who have never eat these berries, when they are ripe, they are about the size of your little fingernail, 80% seeds with some pulp, juice and skin. Not the most appealing little berry considering how many you would need to get enough juice to make a jelly. So, I continue to pick, and pick and pick, and, well you get the idea. Finally - enough to make some jelly (I hope). First a good washing. Well, now what? Chinois or food processor? Lets try the chinois - after making a very large mess with very little juice produced, it was on to the food processor to continue my mayhem. This was getting fun now. The food processor made short work of the chopping but turned the berries into a paste. Great - now what. What about a cheesecloth? Now were thinkin'. After about 45 minutes of wringing out 5 lbs Serviceberry pulp in a cheesecloth, I have about 2 3/4 cups of juice. Surly this should be enough to get a batch done. But, how do I know. Do I have a recipe - NOPE!! (That where the whole fly by the seat of your pants comes in!) So I taste the juice, not bad but really not a flavor I would like first thing in the morning. Sugar! Must add sugar. So, into the stock pot goes the juice and sugar. Well, a bit too much sugar. If there was a fine line between good and sickening sweet I missed it, by a long shot. Great - now what. I need something acidic - lemon juice! Perfect. How does, oh, about 1/4 of a bottle look. Good, cause thats all I had. Lets boil this and see what happens. After about 2 minutes at a rapid boil, I taste it. I was expecting that same sickening sweet, but was very please when it was actually really good. You could tell that it was Serviceberry but had the sweetness that I like on a piece of toast. I was on to something. Now the thickener - I add my pectin pouch and stir. We are on the home stretch! Time for the jars. After some drips of hot syrup onto my hand, the lids are on. Now we wait!

Only time will tell and tomorrow morning, I should know if this culinary challenge will pay off. But for now, I keep looking at the pretty jars with dark purple liquid and think - this was a Divide and Conquer kind of day!