Preserving Raspberries and Memories

We went to a nearby raspberry patch on Tuesday. The kids were hot and exhausted after 90 minutes of picking fruit. I believe it was worth it because we weren't just picking berries for making jam but also for making memories. The sweet intoxicating raspberry patch bouquet will forever be with us. It smelled like honey, but not like any regular honey that we've ever smelled or eaten. I wish smellovision had been invented. I took plenty of pictures and it was so neat to see Harold's face the same color as the berries just before we threw in the towel. Haley was super tired, but stuck through it as long as I popped an occasional berry in her little mouth. We dropped the berries off and then went to our local grocery store for lunch and sodas so huge that Henry's tiny hands couldn't bear the weight of his. He said that it just slipped right through his hands. Yesterday was Wednesday and we decided to make, jam and syrup. We just followed the directions given on the pickyourown.org website. We also had pears that had finally ripened that we had purchased from bountifulbaskets.org so we decided to can pearsauce and sliced pears. We used a vegetable peeler and an apple corer/ slicer . With Hannah helping it made quick work of it. Those little jars don't just reresent food they represent family time and cooperation. The kids are learning more than just how to can summer fruit, they're learning the importance of being there for each other, self reliance, and how to have fun without a video game, t.v. or computer.

Is anyone going to read this?

I haven't posted to this blog in forever. I'm thinking of posting some new pictures and maybe some recipes.