Friday, July 24, 2009

Happy Pioneer Day and The Last of the Fruit

Happy Pioneer Day! I have some wonderful pioneers in my line, but you must go a bit further back. Our families have been in the country since it was practically discovered and it's a treat to do family history and discover a little more about them. I'm sure it will take a life time and then some, so I hope we live to be very old. Or we could just die and get to know them sooner than later. But I vote for staying with the living for now.

While fruit is probably not even ready to pick in Utah, I am finishing up with my shipped here from California/Washington/Oregon stuff. But it's the best we can do here in the frozen, fruitless North. I am shelving the last batch of jam, Raspberry-Cherry. A friend gave me a jar last year and I was hooked. We also jarred several batched of the fig preserves for the World Famous fig cake. I think we'll be making one of these during vacation. And I made blackberry jam this year for the first time in honor of my granny, who always made the best blackberry jam. The berries were just so big and yummy this year (again, thanks Costco!) I couldn't resist. We did more eating that canning this summer, part of our new "5 a day" commitment. We froze more strawberries and blueberries than usual because they were so cheap this year. And yummy. Cooldad kept opening the kitchen freezer (looking for ice cream to be sure) and commenting that "there are things in here!" Meaning, what's the deal with all the cookie sheets full of berries? Fred Meyer had some delicious peaches this week but I don't think I have time to do anything with them. It's so rare and unexpected to find a decent peach up here. Looking forward to seeing what the Utah farmers have to offer. I'm sure it will thrill and delight! And I just discovered some silver salmon in the freezer from last year that will probably make it's way to the smoker when I get back from Utah.

I leave in three days!

2 comments:

CArrie said...

Hey Cathy--
I was hoping to be able to catch up with you in SLC area, but life has thrown in a little curve. Next Tuesday, the newish hubby and I are moving out to AR via U-Haul. I'm leaving public library life behind and will be an elementary school media specialist (aka school librarian) which calls for a big "Yippie-Eye-O-Ky-A!!!" (no more study room drama, unattended children, nor the resulting and huffy "who are you to tell me what to do with my own offspring" mommies). There is also the added bonus of 3 month summer vacations (so I can use them to visit any and all future grandkids--mine brood is a little slow in these matters)! Give my best to Jenny--hopefully she'll soon have #3 in her arms!

Jenny said...

savvy keeps telling me she wants me to make her seedless raspberry and blackberry jam. Not demanding at all...