just to raise a smile.

[daisies]

Girls. You know me by now that I get 'notions' to do things.

So a glut of raspberries (6 lbs) and I decided to make some jam. WELL, as they say, I forgot that I would have to add sugar and of course now have a bit glut of raspberry jam & raspberry jelly (for trifles later in year) as I didn't have enough jars.

Sometimes I do things as if I was nesting and getting ready for famine. My brother was visiting from UK prior to their hols in France. As he was flying , he couldn't bring a pot with him. He say loganberries are nice and decided I should get some of those also. So eating red berries with yoghurt for breakfast, and lunch/dinner dessert. May turn kinda 'red' soon , ha, ,ha.

The strange thing is that I do not even eat that much jam.....that will have to change.

Just wanted to give you all a good giggle.

Regards, Daisies

[Chickpea5]

Hey Daisies, I am salivating at the thought of your jam! It and the jelly sound amazing. Not sure how to produce raspberry jelly? I will make another jam and cream sponge if you supply the jam!

The blackberry grove close to where I live is slowly ripening. I think the lack of sun this summer has delayed the harvest. Are you a blackberry jam fan or blackberry and apple pie? We could do a swap: smile!

It is indeed harvest time now and most vegetables and fruit are in abundance. My tomatoes are ripening so I envisage a glut of chutney. If you have any good chutney recipes please send them on. Hugs Chickpea5

[daisies in reply to Chickpea5]

Chickpea5, I enjoyed the sandwich so much, that supplying a jar of raspberry jam is now secured for you.

At this rate, I will have no problem clearing my cupboard of jam. Now, will have to get back to you on blackberry jam. I do agree that the lack of sun has affected the brambles and I don't think there will be as many as other years.

How is the little Spanish speaking dog, Tina...I do hope she is behaving herself.

If you are up to a visit next week, I may call..except Tuesday.

Hope you are feeling a bit better.

Daisies x xx

[Whippit]

Daisy, you might not quite believe this but exactly the same is going on in Cardiff!

My daughter told me about a 'pick your own' a few weeks ago and I couldn't resist picking a huge punnet of raspberries. I went with a friend who came with me and did the same, then remembered she'd come to Cardiff on the bus and couldn't travel home with her punnet so she gave me her punnet and I had £30 worth of strawberries to process.

I didn't have sugar or jars so dashed out to buy some and it inevitably meant driving to two completely different shops. Made up about 12 pots of jam in the end.

I didn't learn a lesson and ordered some punnets of summer berries from my online organic delivery and they were so much larger than I thought that I had to process those too and have made summer berry compote.

Like you, I don't even eat jam! I made an almond desert at the weekend and used up some of the fruit compote decorating that but compote doesn't keep so need to use up the remaining 2 jars!

I must also be looking to store up goodies for a rainy day. I had a cauliflower in the fridge and made it into Piccalilli which I don't like much, then saw a BBC recipe for Crunchy Courgette Pickle which would use up a glut of courgettes in the fridge. Now have 3 bottles of that too!

I think the product of my pickling, jam-making and bottling might just outlive me!!!!

What are we like!? xxxx love Annie

[daisies in reply to Whippit]

your pickling seems worse than my jam making....can't even think what I would do with pickles..

Time for us all to write a recipe book for our 'nesting' projects.

would we make any money.

Please god you will outlive the pickles and our jams..for years.

Love, Maureen xx

[Leeds2015]

Always good to freeze the raspberries and add them to smoothies and juices. That way getting all the goodness without the sugar from the jam. I have gone into nesting mode before treatment and op and now have just counted 50 portions of 13 different types of healthy home cooked meals i have frozen. So not planning on doing much cooking now and enjoying the fruits of my labour.

[Whippit in reply to Leeds2015]

Great idea to freeze fruits and cook up loads of nourishing meals before treatment. Enjoy all your home cooked goodies!

[annieH1]

That did make me smile😃🍓,I've done little this summer,just mowed the lawn.Starting 2nd line chemo the 25th.Hubby made elderberry wine one time.He was told by an elderly gentleman ,that when he had it mixed and bottled,he was to bury it in the garden for 3 months.To this day we can't find it and that was over 10 yrs ago ha ha

[daisies in reply to annieH1]

I just love the advice 'bury it in the garden for 3 months'......can we all turn up to dig the garden and drink the elderberry wine, WHEN we find it. It should be a nice vintage at this point.

Regards, Daisies xx

[Hidden in reply to annieH1]

Hi Annie, sorry you are going back on the roundabout, wishing you the best and do let us know how you are doing

[kittie]

Hi Daisies, their must be something in the air my latest craze is making cream slices. I use shop bought puff pastry cut into 5 cm by 15 cm lengths and baked for 20 minutes. Now here is where your raspberry jam comes into the recipe ,when cooled I cut across the middle spread with raspberry jam and well whipped cream sandwich together and dust with icing sugar. Lovely but thee calories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I think we should set up a business your homemade jam and my shop bought pastry( I know I am cheating). Kittie.

[thesilent1]

Ha ha Daisies. You did indeed being a smile to my face. I love jam and am really partial to Ginger or Rhubarb and Ginger.

You need to rake a market stall lol.

Enjoy. Ann xo

[Hidden]

Well ladies while ye have been all so industrious, I have been away for a few days in Lahinch. It was a pity to leave it today because the sun was out hip hip hip hooray. So my daughter driving we came back through Kilrush and Killimer Ferry Tarbert a better road than Cork to Limerick. Sorry Annie but it is a long a winding road as the song says. So got two apts in post, a second one for the prof, I already had one, I was supposed to get a ct apt but will wait and see. In the meantime, they rearranged colonscopy for am on 28th instead of pm. Great fun in store. But read the letter, I take first dose of prep at 1pm so I at least have that morning to do my few jobs and then another at 5pm fasting in between but lots of fluids but not red ones or red jelly. I dont like jelly anyhow. Hope you are all able to enjoy the lovely sunshine. Now where was I, pastry and cream slices with jam or sponge with jam or jam on its own?

[daisies]

OK girls.....a farmers market stall for all our goodies.... Whippet:you can be our International Advisor!!!!!

Kittie....can't wait to meet you now at our next coffee morning as your name is now put on one of the jam jars.

Hope all Ok.

Daisies

[annieH1]

Lol it sure is a long winding rd,Okay girlies,a stall with jam,cream slices,fruit syrup,and the bottle of elderberry wine if we can find it ha ha,if not I'll try to make sloe gin.

[Whippit]

The crunchy courgette pickle is scrummy with home made bread and chunks of cheddar cheese. My daughter has suggested I go into production with it and sell it to our local deli.

I love seeing all the coloured Kilner jars full of goodies stored up for the winter. I think I'm turning into a squirrel. lol xx Annie