tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post7588233044117459289..comments2024-03-26T10:01:18.135-04:00Comments on Living the Frugal Life: Hard WorkKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-66307310619087512152010-06-02T07:43:33.391-04:002010-06-02T07:43:33.391-04:00Chile, no worries. Yes, I can now see the advanta...Chile, no worries. Yes, I can now see the advantage of the little canning jars. I'm going to do some scouting for all kinds of canning jars at yard sales this weekend. I'll be especially happy if I come away with any small ones.<br /><br />A Parmentier, just out of curiosity, is that your surname, or are you saying you grow a lot of potatoes? I use regular powdered pectin for sugar-added recipes, the Ball brand to be specific. I also follow the recipes given in the Ball Blue Book of canning, which is listed on my Bookshelf page.<br /><br />Lorie, I know, it really is hard on the lower back. I just heard that the same farm is going to have raspberries in a few weeks. I'm thinking that might be a lot easier on my back. But I'm not sure I'm up for another massive canning session, nor do I think we really need any more jam. But...I think I love raspberries even more than strawberries. Sigh...Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-31854268996768038412010-06-02T06:58:48.353-04:002010-06-02T06:58:48.353-04:00Oh! I feel your back pain. We are close to 100 lb...Oh! I feel your back pain. We are close to 100 lbs of strawberries taking me two + hours to harvest. Need to work on sections each day so the back is not screaming when finished. I have a pot simmering on the stove right now, yummy preserves. Aching back and all, it is so worth it!Loriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05294056530885964319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-1053558153924492862010-06-01T12:33:00.939-04:002010-06-01T12:33:00.939-04:00Kate, I was doing the same thing on Sat. We went ...Kate, I was doing the same thing on Sat. We went to the U-Pick at our CSA and ended up with 2 flats of organic strawberries for $30! My mom and I spent the next 6 hours making 4 different kinds of jam, ice cream, frozen strawberry bags, strawberry short cake etc! It was a long day! I was curious, what kind of pectin do you use?Day in the life of A Parmentierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00218652162983037975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-73761074057050264982010-05-31T09:24:47.993-04:002010-05-31T09:24:47.993-04:00Oh, sorry for my previous question. I see you pos...Oh, sorry for my previous question. I see you posted how the rabbit was dispatched already.<br /><br />I hear ya on the jammin' generosity thing! In fact, I intentionally purchased several flats of the 4 oz jars for that specific reason. Smart recipients know that returning the jar ensures continued generosity...Chilehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11406176434011890590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-2699899467913165772010-05-31T06:42:42.250-04:002010-05-31T06:42:42.250-04:00Sense of Home, sorry to hear about the closure of ...Sense of Home, sorry to hear about the closure of the strawberry farm. Can you put in more of your own plants? Any other local fruit alternatives for your smoothies?<br /><br />Pamela, my productivity comes in spurts. So much so that the spurts are blog-worthy. Those jams sound great.<br /><br />Wendy, I didn't wait long on deciding how to cook the rabbit, but I'm filing your recipe. I wonder though whether farmed rabbits have more fat than a wild spring rabbit. I'm pretty sure grilling our extremely lean garden rabbit without barding it somehow would have turned it into a tire. Still, I like the sound of smoked rabbit, so thanks for the suggestion.<br /><br />Konnie, if you were my neighbor, you'd be most welcome to sample the goods!<br /><br />Alyson, for the strawberry-balsamic I just substituted balsamic vinegar for about half the lemon juice. For the strawberry-ginger, I finely grated a piece of fresh ginger about the length of my thumb into the pot with the strawberries, sugar, pectin and lemon juice. I used that much to go with a recipe that used 2 quarts of berries.<br /><br />Jaimie, thanks. And yes, it is a good feeling of accomplishment.<br /><br />Jennifer, very funny about the pyo pecan-brioche sticky bun farm! That much productivity, you will note, was actually crammed into *two* days, and I collapsed on the third. Seriously, I was a lump yesterday and needed the break. As for the self-control, we were told straightaway at the u-pick farm that we were allowed to sample as we picked. We did so. It's a smart policy on the farm's part. People don't feel furtive, and they end up buying more, I think.Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-50170123851987194932010-05-31T05:47:12.838-04:002010-05-31T05:47:12.838-04:00Your culinary skills are impressive! And your self...Your culinary skills are impressive! And your self control (I would have eated at least 8 lbs while making the jam). How do you cram that much productivity into one day? I should be digging the garden now instead of reading about other people's work.<br /><br />You haven't got a PYO pecan-brioche sticky bun farm nearby, have you??Jennifer Monterohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10003650742439806128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-72174680682155336842010-05-30T20:48:49.844-04:002010-05-30T20:48:49.844-04:00Looks great! I'll bet you felt so satisfied a...Looks great! I'll bet you felt so satisfied at the end of the day.Jaimiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06485771858410245401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-9919444432035316712010-05-30T20:05:17.940-04:002010-05-30T20:05:17.940-04:00Could you share your recipes for the varieties of ...Could you share your recipes for the varieties of strawberry jams? That would be great!AlysonRRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14475207843418392225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-50768780629749476002010-05-30T15:21:39.669-04:002010-05-30T15:21:39.669-04:00Sounds as if you've earned a day off, Rabbit i...Sounds as if you've earned a day off, Rabbit is sooo good!, I've always tossed them in the crockpot or cooked as you would a chicken. Our berries are ready to go but not enough for winter or jam. I'll be heading to the local u pick on TuesdayKatididshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15568618127371786808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-3555939720925328552010-05-30T10:58:00.806-04:002010-05-30T10:58:00.806-04:00I love the way you write. No idea about the rabbi...I love the way you write. No idea about the rabbit. But if I was your neighbor, I would be already at your house wanting to try the strawberry/ginger jam:)<br />KonnieKonniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13799743157541073295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-65052068463278494012010-05-30T10:26:47.538-04:002010-05-30T10:26:47.538-04:00If you have some woodchips, smoked/grilled rabbit ...If you have some woodchips, smoked/grilled rabbit is awesome! I usually use a rub of cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and sage, and then just let it cook on the grill - one low - over some smoking chips (I like apple the best) until it's tender. Delicious!<br /><br />Bon apetit!Wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04642417312794814066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-84283145317284169132010-05-30T10:22:36.052-04:002010-05-30T10:22:36.052-04:00Great post. I'm impressed at your productivity...Great post. I'm impressed at your productivity. Yesterday I went to Galena, IL, and bought a couple of jars of specialty jam. They sound weird but are actually yummy. Pumpkin butter, and Rhubarb blueberry jam.Pamelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00895378142580844716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-55503682941761828592010-05-30T10:01:31.625-04:002010-05-30T10:01:31.625-04:00Our U-Pick for strawberries closed after last year...Our U-Pick for strawberries closed after last year's season. I am so disappointed. We have a strawberry patch, but it doesn't produce nearly enough berries for us. <br /><br />Last year we picked several gallons of strawberries and froze most of them. They supplied us with berries for yogurt smoothies all winter.<br /><br />We will not have as many smoothies this coming winter.Sense of Home Kitchenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06670637532208860258noreply@blogger.com