It Must Be Monday.

I have been trying to jam/can lately.

It has been going okay besides the slight draw-back that we have no a/c. Nonetheless, there I was today, wrist-deep in peach guts thinking, "They never said coring the peach was half the process." They make it sound so easy on the instructions: "Stem, peel, and core peaches." You'd think they would allow the space in the instructions to adequately explain that this is not as easy or fast as it sounds. Maybe give some tips, or some happy songs to sing to yourself as you are staining skin and nails with peach juice.

"What?," you say. "You can't stain your skin with peach juice." I submit you indeed CAN and offer as evidence my stained fingers and nails. But I am too afraid to pick up a camera - afraid it, too, will end up stained.

So you will have to take my word for it. And don't believe the instructions. Especially when they are only a few sentences for the whole process of making and canning your peach preserves.

That's all I'm saying.

Sight for Sore Eyes

Found these as I was going through digital files. . .

Ms. Giggles cracks a smile.

Ms. Giggles' Blessing

The wiggle-worm earns her nickname.

And she tastes a toe for the first time.

It is just so hard to believe they were ever that small.

A Lil 2 Much of a Good Thing

MMMM. Fruit Leather.

I'd always wanted to try to make it.

So I got a little too ambitious.

And it has taken me 2 days to get back on track!!

I tried 2 different methods for drying it. The old fashioned way (under a cleaned window screen), and in my food dehydrator (pretty much the best invention I have discovered - next to the double-stroller, of course).

Perhaps our climate is more warm and dry than the directions intended, or perhaps I was so worried about laying it on too thick that I made it too thin?? Whatever the reason, they both came out dry and pliably brittle (if you can imagine that).

But very good :)

HolyMotherofMarmaladeGoodness

If you know me, this should be on your Christmas list.

Round 2 of Ambitious Naptimes posts (or is it 3??):

Strawberry Jam

And not just ANY jam. This is a REALLY good recipe.

(I have a really funny story about those pansies)

Here is the link for the recipe (in case you're feeling ambitious):

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Strawberry-Jam/Detail.aspx

(And you thought I wasn't ambitious anymore, didn't you!!??)

FrEaKy FRIDAY!

Some scary sights around my house today...

(Yup. That's a tot's potty-training toittie)

(And that's an almost crawling child who has absolutely no support in this endeavor!)

Sleep Deprived

We just moved the babe in with the toddler.

No one is sleeping at our house.

Need I say more?

(And to think I wanted to start potty training soon . . .)

Just Keep Swimming

Yah, I know. This isn't nearly big enough to swim in, but it was soooo much fun!