we be jammin

As I mentioned last week I got the homemaking bug and decided to make jam. And bread! because what good is homemade jam without homemade bread?

The results....

 • Even if you put raspberries and cherries in your jam if the majority of the fruit is strawberries it will taste like strawberry jam. Lesson learned.

• Using this article and this article was helpful and I am now a believer in Pomona's pectin.

• What is Pomona's pectin? A natural pectin that allows you to use honey or sweetner in your jam instead of sugar. Good stuff right there. (Can be found at Whole Foods for around $5).

• The calcium water it calls for comes IN the pectin packet. Learned that lesson the hard way... after asking two different people in Whole Foods where I could find calcium water and then calling up Orchard Supply.

• Side note... Whole Foods is a BEAUTIFUL PLACE. My grandfather owned a grocery store for 50+ years and we take our grocery stores seriously. Its what my dad likes to do for fun on a Friday night, just ask my mom.

• Whole Foods breaks the budget times ten. For that it turns me into a jealous teenage girl and I want to call it ugly behind its back (out of pure envy of course).

• I will be making more jam... soon I hope! And this time I want to do a little more experimenting with flavors. I grew up eating huckleberry-peach-strawberry jam and I'm not sure if there is a flavor that can top that right there. No sir.

• The bread turned out ok. My oven is fickle and I think I overcooked it slightly. But I have had it at its best and it was DELIGHTFUL! (thank you Elyse). It is easy to make and has a nice hearty feel to it because it is made with oatmeal. You can find the recipe here.

• You can make jam too! It really wasn't that hard and if you are super nervous then try making freezer jam. Its simple as pie...or jam.

ps. I am moving where//there to tomorrow for this week. Stay tuned!