Apple Butter & Plum Orange Jam

On my final day of this FIVE day Thanksgiving weekend, I opted to spend the day in the kitchen. I had no idea how long it would actually take me to convert 24 apples and 3 pounds of plums into 15 half-pints of spread.

I actually thought the apple butter would take the least amount of time, but it took FOR EVER! Part of the problem was I didn't follow the recipe.... I didn't think there was enough cider to simmer the massive amounts of apples I had sliced up, in the end this required 2 hours of simmering to boil off all the liquid.






This summer I was given a huge box of red plums, not knowing what to do I decided to just freeze them until I figured something out. I found a recipe for Plum Orange Jam, which sounded different and delicious... and contained a hint of orange liquor. (I snitched a lick and it is delish - the jam not the liquor). This was by far the messiest project of the day, as the thawing plums released all their juices up to my elbows. It also took a lot longer because I got carried away prepping the plums and watching the Green Bay/Atlanta game, and realized that I had 9 cups of plums prepped and only needed 5 cups... so the surplus of plums is stored in the fridge ready for another batch tomorrow.


Learned: There is something about that "pop" the jars make after their water bath that is so rewarding. The moments after they are removed fill me with anticipation, until I finally hear confirmation of a job well done.

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: Not Just the Book I Read

It seems as though life is passing me by at warp speed lately. I have taken lots of photos of whats been going on with high hopes of having (finding) time to write about it. But as I looked at the 70 pictures on my camera I have decided that I really can't write a post about each and every one so a photo montage with captions is what you'll get.

We took another trip with my mom and Dan to Ridgeway. Maddox got even more brave on the tube and tried standing up and jumping on it. Of course we weren't going too fast. His bravery ended when the tube began to dive under water with him still on it. Madison is a pro at riding this thing, and we just can't seem to throw her anymore.



Allison and I got rained out on our last trip to the lake so we opted to run all over the valley with 4 kids collecting veggies to prep for the winter. It was a great day complete with picking our own green beans in bare feet the mud squishing through our toes.




Madison started her first day of middle school. Her and her BFF went shopping for their first day of school outfits. She is loving it and doing so well.


We had the first soccer games of the season in Colorado Springs and Greeley. The girls played well winning 2-0 and tieing 3-3 which was a great comeback since they were down 2 nothing at the half. The girls had a great time at their team dinner, and Maddox got to spend time with his favorite teen too! The great trip was cut short when one of our team mates was run off the road and flipped their car. Thanks be to GOD they are ok, just banged up, but their car wasn't so lucky.



I managed to read a few books too.
A Million Miles was one of those books that you need/want to read multiple times to get all the meat out of it. It is one that has the power to change you, to inspire you to make a better life, to live a better story. I have never marked up a book (except my Bible) so much, I have many thoughts that I need to just get written down but will have to do that later.
The Mockingjay is the final book in the Hunger Games. I have LOVED this series, it is one that engulfs me. It touches so well on the paradoxes of the human life. When I read a book, especially the finally in a series, I want to be surprised and held captive till the very end, and then when it is over I want the story to still consume me, and I was not disappointed!


The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas was not what I was expecting it to be, but it was an emotional roller coaster. The rise of Hitler and his devastating reign of power has always been an interesting period of history for me. I have been and continue to be baffled that one person can be so instrumental in the desecration of a group of people. The most thought provoking piece of this book is the author never uses the name Hitler, or the name Auschwitz, but you know the setting, but it could just as easily be any other country where genocide has rippled through, or if we are not careful the seeds of hate could bring here.


Learned? Preserving food is easier than I thought, I am still completely captivated by a good book, and I am blessed with great kids who love life and everything it has to offer.

I Did it ALL By My Self!

Last week I tackled a HUGE (for me) project... I found and fixed a cracked pipe in our irrigation system, and capped off another pipe, making our third zone usable again! And the best part is I did it all by my self... no help from any muscle-y man. I even went to the hard ware store and got my own supplies and sounded like I knew what I was talking about (at least I think I did).

Next project.... a manicure!

Learned: While I sure love having a husband who can do any and everything, it was nice to know that I could take on this project and complete it successfully.

Butter Makes Everything Better

Today I made my first batch of butter. I picked up some heavy cream at the local diary, then I literally just whipped it up!

I have made whip cream before, and for butter you just keep whipping until all of the sudden the whipped cream looking stuff turns to chunks with what appears to be water but is actually butter milk!
Next you have to wash the butter to get all the butter milk out of it (the butter milk is what makes butter turn rancid quicker). This step requires a bit of muscle, as your mixture is the texture of firm butter and you have to mix in ice water and mush it around, rinse and repeat. You continue this process until the ice water drains off clear. I used my mixer for the first several washes then used a spatula to really mush it around.

For my final step I added just a bit of salt and stirred again. And Voila...BUTTER!!!


I pressed it into my old butter container and put it in the freezer till we use up what is in the fridge. I ordered a butter bell from a friend who does pottery, so when that comes in I'll put it in there!