What a Difference a Day Makes

24 little hours, give or take.

Last night I discovered that Michael had resumed his love affair with Vodka, always supposing that he called it off in the first place.
He has received his marching orders, subject closed. Francesca is aware and does not give a t###s.

I could mope and moan, I could go off my food, I could binge eat until I am enormous. But why on earth would I do any of those?

I am still me, I still have the same ideals, ideas and aspirations that I had when I wrote my last post. I am strong, I will not only survive I will flourish and grow in all the ways I want to. I embrace my freedom with open arms and an open mind. No man is an Island, but I am a WOMAN, I am a mountain, I am a continent I am strong.
As the song says, What doen't kill me makes me stronger, at this rate I will be able to enter "the Worlds Strongest Woman" competition.

And now my friends it is business as usual.
My lovely neighbour Nev picked blackberries for me and I duly did the vinegar water, rinse and repeat stuff, then I rough chopped 2 cooking apples, peel and cores included and threw the lot into a pan with a little water. Boiled till soft, mashed down and tipped into a jelly bag overnight. 
This morning I measured the juice, 2 pints, and rubbed the pulp through a fine sieve, 1 lb 6 oz. So far so good.

JUICE

PULP

I had to pop into Wisbech so left them with 1 lb 12 oz sugar in the juice plus the juice of a lemon and 1 lb 3 oz sugar and the juice of a lemon in the pulp. Time did the job and when I came back the sugar was all but dissolved. I put half the lemon seeds and pulp into a little bag, tied it up and suspended it in the juice, as I had used 3 times as many berries as apples I wanted to beef up the pectin content. This jelly is destined for hot buttered crumpets and /or toast and needs to be firm enough not to melt into a sticky puddle.

Both lots were set to boil or simmer way while I washed, rinsed and put my jars and lids in the oven to sterilize them, I also did the same for the jam funnel.

PULP Plopping away like a volcano.

Jelly on a rolling boil, see the bag of pectin rich pips, and my trusty Sugar Thermometer.

It did not take long before they were both ready to pot. 

Two jars of Puree and a dish ready to become a cake filling for Neville.

3 jars of jelly, this will go to London with Francesca.

A taste of home for her breakfast toast.

Not a clear photo but this is the pips and pulp from 1 lemon, it will go in the freezer ready for the next batch of jelly.

You may have noticed that I use less sugar than most recipes recommend, we do not like our jams and jellies to be too sweet. As the sugar helps with the set I always add lemon juice and if I think it needs it I do the lemon pip bag thing to boost the pectin. I know that you can buy commercial pectin in a bottle and sugar with pectin added but it comes at a price, one that I am not prepared to pay

 especially when I have the lemon pips there to use.

It is a warm reasonably sunny day and I have laundry on the line, Francesca is at the hairdressers getting her mane under control and Ben is snoozing next to me.

Reasons to be grateful.

1. More goodies coming out of my kitchen.

2. Sunshine, you can never have too much.

3. A walk with Ben later.

4. No need to shop for a week.

5. A new beginning, not to reinvent myself but to affirm and  consolidate who I am.

On that note I say                 TTFN                               Pam