As busy as our life is, I wouldn't trade it for anything. Things should start slowing down a little bit soon. My mom's stuff is all here now, and her home is in the process of being sold, the settlement is just days away. Once the home is sold, she will be debt-free and will have no more ties to Virginia, except for her job, which she will retire from soon. With the house sold, there will be no more calls for my husband to make or reply to, concerning the reconstruction or the mortgage or the insurance people. That's a chapter we can finally close.
Life with 4 children doesn't really slow down, though. There is always something to do, and at times, I am needed by 4 children at the same time, sometimes the husband needs me, too and I am pulled 5 ways. It felt like that, last weekend, when my family was here for the 4th and I was non-stop go, go, go. I don't think I sat down all day Friday except to eat, and even then I was constantly getting up to fetch something or other. By the time they left on Sunday, it was almost a let-down, I had nothing to do and I was still wired up and ready to go somewhere, anywhere!
I've been busy berry-picking these days. I go out and do the "rounds", picking all the ripe black raspberries and now the blackberries are just beginning to ripen. I still have plenty of blackberry jam from last year and I really don't want to make more, but I can't let the berries go to waste. Besides, I enjoy the picking process, walking from bramble to bramble, stretching to reach that lone berry all the way in the back, hoping I don't fall and get stuck with hundreds of thorns. It's peaceful for me, to walk and hunt for berries, usually when I put the Baby down for his nap and the girls are playing in the yard.
Anyway, no jam making, so what to do with all those berries?? I found a recipe for making fruit sorbet. I tried it first with the cherries and it was oh, so good! Tried it next with the black raspberries and mulberries and wow! So now I am extracting the juice from the berries and freezing it until I need it for a new batch of sorbet. I have a whole shelf full of cherry and berry sorbet and no more room for more, so we're going to have to eat some to make room. Yum! Twist my arm. It's really easy to make and for someone as busy as me, I can appreciate a quick recipe for something so delicious. Here's the recipe if you'd like to try making it yourself::
4 cups soft fruit (cherries, peaches, berries, melons etc..)
2 cups sugar
1 cup orange juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
Puree fruit in food processor or blender. In large saucepan, heat orange juice, sugar and lemon juice just to boiling. Stir to dissolve sugar. When sugar is dissolved, add fruit puree. Stir to combine. Pour into 10x13 cake pan and place in freezer. Freeze for several hours or overnight. When frozen, cut into small pieces and in small batches, puree again in food processor until light and fluffy. Pour into freezer containers and repeat until all gone.
I plan on trying this with peaches next! Let me know if you try this.
5 comments:
That recipe sounds fabulous!! Unfortunately we rent our house (have just moved back to the UK after two and a half years in Thailand) and we don't have a freezer!! It's driving me bonkers!!
Your family sound lovely...your lucky to be surrounded by loads of people and loads of love :-)
C x
Wow. You are really a busy lady :o)
No photos... darn. I do LOOOVVVEE your photos.
Carol-- We don't have a freezer either, but we have two fridges and the freezer sections are packed!! We are saving for a freezer but darn it-- things keep popping up that take priority over a freezer! A single batch of sorbet doesn't take much room, a few pints at the most, so don't let lack of freezer space stop you from trying it! :o)
Thank you, I love my family and I feel loved in return.
Karen-- I meant to put in a picure of the sorbet-making process, but realized I didn't take any! I'll try to take pictures of the process next time I make some. I like to post with pictures, too. :o)
RHUBARBS!!! Rhuuubarbssss??? Im JEALOUS! A few weeks back I was hankering over rhubarb pie and I decided I want rhubarbs. So I was at Winn Dixie food store and I didnt see any and I asked the produce guy if they had rhubarbs (thinking I might overlook it and knowing I didnt overlook it). He smiled and said Really? I repeated the question and he grinned and said yes we do and I asked where? He laughed, its in the back. Can I have some? nudging him and off he went and brought me 7 small stalks. Thats all?? He said, you want more? Of course I want more and its not enough to make a pie. I want more than enough and off he went and bringing me more rhubarbs. I was sooo happy to have it and I didnt even look at the price until I was at the cash register. Gulp! Almost $10 but I couldnt let go. I wanted it!
I made the pie that afternoon and shared a very small slice with my family and ate the rest myself the next few days!!!!
RHUBARBs!!! GRRRR.. :0)
My eyes popped out when I saw the picture of rhubarbs in a very big pail. Gimme Gimme some! :0) pretty pleeeeeeeeaseeeee..
xoxoxo
Jenny, could you not make the jam and sell it? Is there a tourist place near you? Or a neighbor with a fruit and vegetable stand who'd love to add some jam?
I've bought many a jar of jam and preserves around this area, because I don't have the time nor the skills (right now) to make my own?
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