Jamming

Yesterday and the day before were strawberry jam days.  (It's hard to do it all in one day when there are young and wild children about.)  It was my first try and yes, jam was made with success and aplomb!  My favourite part about jamming is the sweet smell of the strawberry syrup simmering on the stove wafting through the house.  And it profoundly assails every visitor to the kitchen, inviting them to pull up a chair and chat about "the old days" when their ancestors (usually mothers or grandmothers) used to make their own jam.

I'm almost positive that blueberry jam will follow.

While waiting for the finished jars to seal (not trying to brag here), I also did a little number on ghoraybe, a Middle Eastern shortbread cookie.  Delicious little things with green pistachios pressed in the centre.  The secret is butter AND A BABYSITTER!  (And the word is out... I'm not really supermom.)  Not just any butter though.  Clarified butter.  I'm sure I've just shocked a few people.  For a lot of people I know, butter alone is a bad word.  Clarified butter is practically anathema.  However, if you don't inhale these cookies, one or two (incidentally sized to eat in 2 small bites) will do you more good than harm.  Just think how nicely they go with afternoon tea!  Or sitting chatting about the ol' jamming days for that matter.

In other new, we have officially moved into our new dwelling!  I have no idea what awaits us here, except for the mountains of boxes that need unpacking, or at the very minimum investigating.  I say investigating because I have no intention of unpacking every nick-knack in those boxes only to have to pack them up again a year later.  The books, toys and crafts shall be exhumed.  The rest - dishes notwithstanding - are debatable.

What I'm finding tough about the whole process is that I cannot just go through boxes and organize.  I am subject to the needs and whims of 3 little monkeys.  This means my pace of unpacking just hit tortoise.  So, with a newborn rearranging my nights and a hefty amount of work awaiting by day, I am preparing for the worst.  

At least we'll have jam for those mornings when getting up seems like more effort than it's worth.  Then tea with toast and jam will be a welcome treat.