Reading Wish List

Magazines I enjoy reading

• Creation
• World News
• Testimony
• Real Simple
• Readers Digest
• Consumer Reports

And occasionally....i.e. waiting rooms

• cooking magazines
• popular science
• National Geographic.
• ...and that great American rag...."P_ _ _ _ _" 

Reading magazines at this stage of life suits me well.  They usually aren't too demanding mentally, thereby allowing me to go to sleep shortly after reading.  I get my little reading fix AND get to sleep quickly. 

It's rather obvious that our reading materials do say a lot about us.  If I listed the last 5 books I have read, you would think that I was a Christian who likes to read, housekeep, raise children, and live healthily, and make JAM.  What do the titles in your life say? 

Flashback - Somebody Special Turned 5

Way back in Febuary, little miss turned 5. She heard about her 10 yr old cousin in Ore. who had had a tea party for her birthday party. Viola! My almost tomboy declared that her favorite birthday party theme would be Tea Party...yes, it rather surprised me. Then, I just felt sad. You see, the last tea party I was at was Grandma Mary Jane's 85th birthday party, when little miss was 3 mo. old. Grandma loved pretty china and all the ways that a table can be made beautiful. So this party was a little bit a way to honor her - to pass on to my daughter, that the simple can be made beautiful. Really, isn't that what God did, took "simple" DNA...little molecules..ADGC and created life. Beautiful, spectacular, amazingly unique life. Thank you Grandma....for lovinging the beautiful in life!

 My sisters even know how to make jicama beautiful!

Mini cupcakes w/ flags - thanks A. Mary!

Chocolate covered strawberries WITH sprinkles!

Blueberry Lemon Scones from Cooks Illustrated....mouthwatering!

The ever determined birthday girl getting rid of the smoke. =)

Her actual birthday was special too. We (she, youngest man, and I made blueberry pancakes...our family birthday tradition)

Yes, it's a penguin with sunglasses....yes, he loved it =)

A. Sharon came and ate lunch here, then she got to go out for a birthday lunch with Daddy. 

She is so blessed!

Grandma Irene came over and let Sarah help a little bit making the placemats tea party worthy. 

Stamp...stamp....stamp.

After all, you are only 5 once! 

Do you remember your 5th birthday?  I don't. But that is hardly shocking....I have an anemic memory.

Thought question?  Look around you...what beauty has God placed in your life right now? 



Paddington might be hunting Strawberry Marmalade!

I've had the recipe marked in my Jam cookbook that has been calling my name for quite a few months. Last week, in an urge to put off doing all that I needed to do to coordinate the "End of School Year" Picnic.....I up and made some Triple Berry Jam.

Strawberries

Boysenberries

Blueberries

All mixed together in a fragrant sugary pot.

Washing the jars in hot soapy water

S was doing her best to take a picture of me skimming off the foam. =)

Fast forward to this week...last week of school, mind you....I managed to remember the ingredients when making my grocery list. I stopped at the Strawberry stand to find that they had 1/2flat of jam berries. After lunch I started processing and figured out that I had just enough to make a double batch of Strawberry Marmalade

Strawberries mixed with a plentiful amount of Orange and Lemon zest and fruit. The citrus brightens the sweet jam delightfully. The handy dandy zester comes from Pampered Chef. I highly recommend it. (The side prongs nicely score a cucumber as well)

The marmalade mixture at first showed the citrus color...as you can see below, cooking made it primarily red.

My efficiency loving side delights in being able to use my 9 qt canner + a towel on the bottom to can all of that jam in one shot.

Oh Paddington....where are you....there's marmalade available!

Caramel Pear Jam, Strawberry Marmalade, and Triple Berry Jam....it's what's in stock. But by far the most fun one to say is....STRAWBERRY MARMALADE.

Thought Question....Dorcus was the only woman raised from the dead. She served her community selflessly. What can I(you/we) do to better serve our community? In the spirit of humility, i don't expect public answers...but take a minute or two or three...PAUSE...and let the Lord speak to your heart. We all have room to grow.

P.S. Kendra - you must be streamlined....20 minutes? Hahahahah! =) Excellent post right there, blogging friends! I've definately caught myself comparing myself to other bloggers. Then low and behold life happened and I got so far out of this that I wondered if I should simply bid everyone goodbye here in blogland. But I didn't...obviously =) Goodnight!