not for the birds!

today i am here to share with you a simple tip for growing strawberries. 

we have been growing strawberries for several years now, but just recently we have had issues with birds. the birds nibble on the ripe berries, leaving holes in the side, before we have an opportunity to harvest them. so, we purchased a roll of bird mesh netting from home depot for under $8. we cut the netting to size & draped it over our beds. it works perfectly & we have delicious berries! 

i am excited to bake a rhubarb strawberry crisp this week!

strawberry jam recipe

hello! i am here today to share with you my favorite strawberry jam recipe. this is by no means a recipe that is healthy, but my mom & i have made this strawberry jam since i was in high school so it holds dear memories for me. i also don't eat this jam everyday. i gift it to my family during the holidays (my aunt requests it!) & use it as a delicious topping on waffles during our special sunday brunches.

my mom came into town this past weekend & brought along a box of strawberries from my hometown! i've never had a better strawberry. they are truly melt-in-your-mouth amazing. so, with my mom in town & a box of strawberries, there was really not much else to do but can! that we did & i am happy to share with you our recipe. enjoy! 

supplies needed

- canning jars with screw tops & new lids (i prefer smaller jars for jam)

- water bath canner or extra large pot with lid

- large pot

- saucepan

- ladle

-funnel

- clean towels

ingredients

makes about eight 8-ounce jars

- 6 cups granulated sugar

- 8 cups whole strawberries, capped & crushed

- 4 tablespoons lemon juice 

- 1 package (1.75 oz) regular powdered fruit pectin

1. place clean mason jars without lids or screw tops in water bath canner. add cool water to canner until it reaches the rim of the jars. place canner on the stovetop & bring to a simmer. simmer until you are ready to use your jars.

2. place new lids (the flat part of the top) to a saucepan. add about an inch of water. place on stove top over low heat & allow the lids to heat until you are ready to use them.

3. measure exact amount of sugar into a large bowl & set aside.

4. measure exact amount of crushed strawberries & add to large pot. add lemon juice & mix. add pectin & mix until the pectin is dissolved. 

5. bring to a full rolling boil (a boil that does not stop boiling when stirred) on high heat. all at once, add your measured sugar to the large pot. bring your strawberry mixture to a rolling boil once more, stirring constantly.

6. once your strawberry mixture is at a full rolling boil, boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

7. remove the pot from heat immediately. skim off foam.

8. remove your jars from the canner, making sure to dump the water back into the canner from the inside of the jar. place warm, empty jars on towel. remove lids from saucepan & place on the towel.

9. carefully fill one jar at a time using your funnel. make sure to fill jar leaving 1/4 in. headspace. wipe off the rim with a clean towel & screw on lid & top to fingertip-tight. place jar in canner & repeat.

10. once all of your jars are in the canner, fill the canner with water until the water is 1 in. above the tallest jar. cover canner & bring to a full rolling boil over high heat. process jars for 10 minutes. 

11. once jars have been processed, wait five minutes. then, remove jars from canner & place on towel for 24 hours. after 24 hours, make sure your jars are sealed.

12. label jars & gift to family or friends! enjoy atop waffles or on a delicious pb&j!

happy canning!

Freezing

 

According to the calendar, today is the last day of summer. Sigh. And today I finished the last of our garden strawberries that we had frozen from early in the season. Sigh again. They were so good. We used them mostly in smoothies and today I blended strawberries with some of our frozen peaches, a bit of vanilla greek yogurt, frozen banana, a dash of milk, about three ice cubes, and a splash of lemon juice for jazziness. Yum.

I think freezing is so easy. Last year we had a surplus of tomatoes and decided to freeze them for use in spaghetti sauce, chili, etc. If you've never tried freezing, simply wash the whole fruit well and remove any mushy spots. Then lay them out to dry on a towel. Once dry, spread the fruit onto a cookie sheet and put in the freezer. When they are frozen through, you can store them in containers or gallon zip top bags. We didn't even bother to remove the skins prior to freezing. I find it just as easy to remove the skins when I am ready to cook with them. All you have to do is dunk the whole frozen tomatoes into hot water for about a minute then off slide the skins.

Do you freeze some of your garden produce?

Strawberry-lemon slushie

As in much of the country we've been experiencing higher than average temperatures this week. The other day, after overdoing it in the heat, I came indoors with a beet red face and tongue hanging out, panting, I want a slushie! So I began throwing frozen strawberries (from our garden), ice cubes, squeezing lemon juice, and drizzling agave nectar into the blender. Whirrrr... in moments I was feeling revived, and even went back outside to enjoy it in the shade. This drink is fruity and not overly sweet, and definitely perky.

Last night I made it again, jotting down (loose) notes of ingredient quantities, using simply the wide mouth jar for measuring. Makes about 2 cups or 2 servings.

Strawberry-lemon slushie

* 4 oz. water (for a spoon-thick slushie) or 6 oz. water (for a drinkable slushie)

* 1-2 Tbls. agave nectar, or sweetener of choice (swirl it into water to dissolve then pour into blender. Honestly I didn't measure it, the amount is a guesstimate.)

* juice of 1 large or 2 small lemons

* full mason jar of frozen strawberries

* 4 ice cubes

Add all ingredients to blender and whirl. Taste and adjust sweetener if necessary. Garnish with fresh mint and sip or slurp away!

final garden tour

take a final walk with me around our front yard garden...

the swiss chard is ready to be harvested for our favorite meals

the snap peas are crispy & perfect for the pickin'

the radishes are bright & round

around the corner, the container garden is waiting for its big move south

the strawberries are ripening & so sweet to the taste

soon, this goodness will be transplanted to raised backyard gardens,
bigger pots & flower beds.

little red house with its edible landscaping, small garden plots, cold frame, & compost pile- you will be missed. not for too long, though. we have bigger plans in our home down south.

the perfect spring lunch

as i was walking the garden yesterday i realized how hungry i was and how much food there was to be eaten right in my own back yard. the chives are blooming and caught my eye. in i went for a pair of scissors for a snipping.

next i headed to the chicken coop to find a few eggs. i thanked our hen

and then grabbed a basket and cut some salad greens.

then off to find some strawberries for dessert.



the perfect spring lunch.

and how satisfying to know that it came from just a few steps away.


soft scrambled eggs with ricotta and chives

4 large eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese (room temperature)
2 slices whole grain bread or whole grain baguette slices, lightly toasted and buttered
whole chives (optional)

whisk eggs, chopped chives, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl until well blended. melt butter in skillet over medium heat. add eggs and stir until eggs are almost cooked but still runny in parts. remove from heat. add ricotta and stir just until incorporated.
arrange toasts or baguette slices on plate. spoon scrambled eggs atop toasts. sprinkle with more salt and pepper. garnish with whole chives.