Simple jam making

With some time off between book edits this week, I was finally able to purchase the last remnant's of this summer's produce and tackle our family's canning needs before winter hits: 30 pounds of tomatoes and 20 pounds of fruit purchased from the farmer's market for $1/lb are now crushed, sauced, jammed and stored in our crawl space...  I never thought I'd get to it this season but now that I am all caught up, it feels so good to have it done!

Pretty, isn't it?

Some of you have asked for jam recipes. I follow a guideline rather than a recipe, but I thought I'd share it for those of you that have never tried making jam and are tempted to try. Jamming is an essential activity in our Zero Waste Home considering that we cannot find this sweet in bulk. With only two ingredients (no need for pectin or jelling additives), it is quick, easy, and simple - my kinda cooking ;). The only trick is to know when to take it off the heat: You want it to be neither runny nor overcooked (i.e, burned). 

Yum!

Jam Guideline

Heat equal weights of chopped fruit and bulk evaporated sugar in a large pot (it bubbles way up, so pick a container 3 times larger than the contents). Boil until jelled and pour into sterilized jars. And that's it!

To know if it has jelled, I do what I call a "Moses" test every so often. I run a drop of the mixture onto a cold plate and I strike it across with my finger. When the "red sea" stays open, i.e., the sides of jam do not close up on my finger's mark, it's ready. Cooking time depends on the water content of the fruit, but it always takes less than 30 minutes.

Sometimes I will also run the hand blender in the mixture before it starts boiling for a smoother jam (no pieces).

You can also use the instructions mentioned here to can your jam when you're done. I personally don't. I store it in a dark cold place and it keeps for over 6 months. Beyond that time, if mold grows on it, we simply scoop it up, and it's perfectly fine, but in our house, jam rarely lingers that long...

What will you be jamming?

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50 ways to wear a men's shirt: I did it!

Hi everyone!

Since my last post, I have dedicated my time fully to the book, but I am happy to say that I completed my manuscript and I am back to blogging! Thanks so much for your patience for the past four months (I can't believe it has been that long!)

The shirt experiment sure was a fascinating and wonderfully creative project. Many of you were skeptical about the idea; I was skeptical whether I could come up with 50 different looks, but I did it and I had so much fun doing it! For those of you who do not use Twitter, here is a recollection of all the looks that I wore. And below are my answers to the questions you asked!

Why did you feel the need for boots and platforms?

As explained on my previous post, I went from cold and rainy weather to very hot and dry weather. I also needed different shoes to dress the shirt up and down so it could take me from a fancy restaurant (thanks mom) to a hot sandy beach. I did not regret taking my selection of shoes. I put them to use equally.

Was there any cutting or sewing involved? 

No sewing or cutting involved, if it isn’t for removing the shirt’s labels (to be able to wear it inside out) and two button holes that I added to the bottom front of the shirt for maximum versatility.

Did you wash your leggings in between laundry days? 

My leggings and/or shirt would go into the laundry at the end of the week and/or when my mom had a full machine to run.

Do you not ever sweat or get dirty? 

I am human, I do sweat. However, I am careful about not getting dirty. I am one of those people that will paint a room, wearing my regular clothes and not get them stained.

How did you retain the brightness on the color of the shirt?

I wash the shirt as with most my laundry in cold water.

Did you get tired of wearing black? 

Since I changed looks every day, I got bored with neither the color of the shirt nor the shirt itself. I do however regret not packing my pair of shorts for the hot days that I wore the shirt as a top.

What about packing exercise clothes for working out? 

I am an active individual. I do not go to a gym to “workout”. I hike, ride my bike everywhere and wrestle with the kids: These activities do not require special clothing.

Did you find some styles to be too fussy? 

I personally enjoy dressing up on a daily basis and mixing dressy clothes with casual ones (I like that contrast). That said, some of the styles were more comfortable to wear than others.

Will you be including instructions for all this folding and twisting of a shirt in your book? Unfortunately my upcoming book will not include instructions on how to wear the shirt 50 different ways, it is already filled with a multitude of how-to's! But I am already considering this subject for a subsequent book!

Will you be sending your shirt to the Smithsonian? ;) I am not ready to surrender the shirt, it is the most versatile piece of clothing in my closet and I wear it on a regular basis!

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