Summertime in a Jar

 

I began canning in 1986, with my mummy. Her frenetic kitchen habits kept most people away, but I was her protégé and basked in the wildness, whether it was pounding her fists and shouting "BARNEY FITZGIBBON" while rolling pie crusts, hollering a dozen orders at once in the midst of getting everything on the table simultaneously for Easter, or simply bellowing, "Hot hot hot... OUTTA MY WAY" while shifting pasta from stovetop to the sink for draining. Everything in the kitchen was fast, furious, and frantic. 

Canning was no different. Stirring stockpots for hours on end, constantly watching for that miraculous "sheet" that would let us know the jelly was ready for jars was hot, exhausting... and we loved every second of it. We would laugh, cry, scream, or bellow at the top of our lungs, but in the end there were always endless rows of jellies, pickles, and relish lined up in neat rows, ready to be enjoyed all winter long. 

Eleven years ago, I also began canning on my own; wanting to try new flavors. Eight years ago, was my last canning-day with Mummy. This year, teach my daughter how to can, keeping the tradition - and recipes - alive.

It will be much, much quieter. 

Watermelon rind pickles. They seem to be a thing of the past... people will say, "Oh, I used to eat those!" or "My grandmother used to make those!" but they're always spoken of in the past tense. It's watermelon season, and in our house... watermelon pickles are very much on our mind! They were the first recipe my daughter requested, and the reason we hunted for something to do with the actual fruit from multiple melons... because while most people buy watermelon for the pink part, we were after the rinds! 

June is watermelon season here. Once they went on sale AND there were a few days of nicer weather, I picked up two perfect ripe melons, ready to can. My daughter has been recovering from a nasty cold, and wasn't quite ready for two days in the kitchen, so she will learn with the NEXT batch of canning. 

Before making the pickles, something needed to be done with all of the fruit. I altered a recipe from online, and decided to make watermelon jam. With only four ingredients it might be the simplest recipe I've canned to date, but it tastes like summertime in a jar. 

This is an amazing new recipe for us! It reminds me of Jolly Rancher candies, and is just perfect on toast. Once it gets colder, I can't wait to try it on my daughter's crepes. The texture was slightly soft-set so I might increase the pectin to a full cup next year, but we are absolutely going to make this again, and again, and again...

Once the jam was made, it was time to process the pickles. While chopping rind for the brine, the first melon produced 17 cups, and since I wanted a small batch, (no more than 7 pints since that's what fits in my canner) I didn't bother cutting up the second one. By the time they were processed, those rinds had shrunk down by HALF! I only had 4 1/2 pints of pickles... barely enough to last us until Christmas! 

I'd read the quantity on Mummy's recipe and doubled the amount to get 7 pints. But for kitchen science reasons beyond my understanding, it wasn't enough. So I quickly diced up the second melon, and popped it into the fridge to brine all day.

Just before bedtime last night, I finished the second batch of pickles. It took one watermelon to create 8 1/2 pints of watermelon jam, but I needed TWO watermelons to create the same amount of pickles. *shrugs* I'll leave the science part of that mystery to someone else, and simply enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Two days of canning. 

Two shelves of summertime, preserved for our long Minnesota winters.  

One very tired mama housemouse. 

A Quiet Place for Me!

It's been a LOOONG time, but we have been busy with absolutely everything. Finally it's time to reveal a project I've been working on in one way or another for nine months now!

28 months ago I told my son and daughter I wanted the house to look different. It didn't matter WHAT it looked like, so long as it was different. They agreed on a vibrant Atomic Age look, with bright white and bold colors everywhere. Our house is so bright and happy now, it's amazing to see the transformation! I love it, truly I do. But... somehow I felt as if it wasn't... ME. 

One of the things I have been doing for the past few years is learning about ME. I have spent my entire lifetime being who everyone else insisted I should be to the point that I didn't even know what *I* liked! Do I like cottagecore or goblincore? Do I prefer classic clean lines or romantic ruffles? What about brown, or pink, or green? I had NO IDEA what actually appealed to ME! I started with clothing, but then decided to branch into room aesthetics.

After spending a long Minnesota winter exploring every style imaginable via Pinterest, I now know that I like lavender and grey. I like floral prints, and Art Nouveau. And I like soft fabrics, and small spaces. 

Okay, so I knew that I liked small spaces. But literally everything else was a complete shock to me!

This spring, after 13 years of sharing a room with my daughter, (11 in the living room and 2 in the master bedroom) we decided to dissolve the craftroom and separate into two bedrooms. My daughter kept the master bedroom, and I took the small room... by CHOICE! 

It has taken all spring to put this together, and to be honest it's not QUITE finished yet. The chandelier is still waiting to be hung, and the closet still needs to be finished. But for the first time in 28 years, I have my own bedroom. And for the first time EVER, everything in here represents ME and MY preferences and style.

Beginning at the doorway, I painted my walls in "Guardian Angel" which is either the purplest white, or the whitest purple. Depending on the hour it can look pink, white, purple, pale grey, or blue. I absolutely love the way it changes color throughout the day, yet always looks subtle and comforting. 

My Hygge Day Cart is parked right by the door when not rolling about the house, and I absolutely fell in love with this painting by Alphonse Mucha. It's from his series The Times of the Day, and is called Night's Rest.

Just to the right of the doorway, is my cozy little bed. It is a slim-twin, meaning it's only 30" wide. That's nine inches skinnier than a standard twin but half again as wide as a sofa, and just right for a shortie who doesn't like to feel lost at sea in an oversized bed. 

Everything is soft, the faux fur pillows double as a backrest when I'm watching birds out the window, and props for arthritis flares. The sweet little tree-branch side table is just big enough to hold a candle, a night light with a tiny pocket to hold my contacts, and Alexa. 

On the walls are a few of my favorite mementos, a pair of framed fiber-art cards from Scotland, and a full-wall mural that makes me think I've just stepped out from the libraries of Rivendell. 

Continuing to the right is my reading corner. The art nouveau planter smiles down on my comfy faux-fur chair, and the birch trees that decorate the living area for our Narnian New Years add soft ambient light for bedtime reading. 

Both the side-table and footstool are storage ottomans holding various toiletries that double (triple?) as the seating for My Itty Bitty Dressing Table which will be recreated inside my closet, and my desk... just to the right of the window. 

I chose a murphy desk because of it's tiny footprint. I wanted something big enough for journaling, planners and smaller craft projects, that wouldn't crowd the space when not in use. This is just big enough to hold all of my frequently-used crafting goodies, with room for my whistles and kalimbas on top. I can face out the window, or towards my indoor garden corner.

In the corner, my tiny indoor garden grows year-round under bright purple grow-lights that bathe the room in color until just before bedtime. And just within the closet door is My Faerie Tale Wardrobe, our crafting supplies, and space for my dressing table. 

 And in the space between my closet and bedroom door, are my bookshelves. At 15" each they don't take up much space, yet there's still enough space here for my favorite books and special treasures, with a place on top for tiny seasonal decorations.  

The dragonfly canvas is the same image you see as my blog header. I took this photo in 2012, and it's still one of my favorite photos EVER!

I have learned so much about who I am, while discovering what I like. I have learned that it's okay to be soft and quiet. I have learned new art styles and discovered tiny multifunctional pieces that can change as my needs change. 

And most importantly... I have learned that I LIKE who I am!