Schmuck jam

I am going to tell you that making jam is not easy. Its time consuming and not all that cheap either. But I am in bliss land when I make jam. Because its a way to keep my mom alive to me. My mom and I made blackberry jam every summer. Picking the blackberries was so painful. Getting snagged by huge thorns and they tear the skin and then prepping the fruit, buying jars, sterilizing the jars, cooking the fruit sugar and pectin, then skimming off the foam. Next comes getting it in the jars, sealing the jars and then a 10 min water bath in boiling water. All to come to the possibility that the jam won't set and you end up with syrup. There must be something wrong with me???

So today I made strawberry peach jam with Orange Liqueur in it. You can't taste the liqueur. But man oh man can you taste the strawberries and peaches. Yum. Tomorrow I have strawberry pineapple with strawberry liqueur to cook up and put up. I have to go buy more jars.

Then after jam making today, I planted green beans, cucumbers, yellow crookneck squash, broccoli and zucchini.  I also put in sage and basil. Oh and cherry tomatoes.  Gotta have tomatoes if you have basil.

Tonight when hubby gets home, I have to finish working one area of the garden so I can plant flower and dill. I love dill.. and homemade pickles. When things start popping up, I will take pictures. Now its just dirt, leaves and weeds with a few snakes thrown in the mix. I caught a baby ring neck snake yesterday. They are so cute. They are the size of a cooked noodle. Tiny tiny.  Today a nest of termites were hatching out of the dry rotted rail road ties that act as a garden wall. The lizards were feasting on them.  Sorry am I giving you the hibby jibbies?

I need to go plant my aloe plant that a friend gave me.  I still have to plant my new fig tree and all eight of my blueberry bushes. Then there is the Meyers lemon and persimmon tree. My hubby promises he will order dirt in the next couple of weeks. Most girls I know got jewelry for valentines. I got dirt. I couldn't be happier.

This is Girl Schmuck signing off.