I am always looking for new and healthy plant-based recipes. One day I was watching 3ABN (satellite channel) and I stumbled across a cooking show that was featuring two ladies that have an amazing cookbook. I'm usually leery about cookbooks because I've had much non-success with them. I have multiple food allergies and usually recipes end up with me changing so many things that it's more of a hassle than anything.
When we first changed to a plant based diet, I was beyond happy to see that everything is dairy free (one of my allergies) and many things are either gluten free or can be made gluten free very easily. So when I first heard about the cookbook "Give Them Something Better", I was excited to check out their website.
I have been a subscriber to Give Them Something Better for a few months and have tried some of the recipes on there. One of our favorites is butterscotch pie - refined sugar free (sweetened with dates) and delicious!
Right now, there's a giveaway going on over at Your World: Healthy and Natural. I read the review of the cookbook and was amused to find out that she has the same problems I do with recipes! Always changing things to suit our needs. But it was so encouraging to know that she didn't have to change a single thing in the Give Them Something Better cookbook. Also, it's great to hear that non-vegetarians are loving the plant-based recipes because quite often, it's a hard sell to get "carnivores" to appreciate "herbivore" foods :)
Check out the link and enter the contest. There's also lots of ways to get additional votes so it's easy to get a few extra chances in there.
The contest closes on February 6th at 11:59 p.m. EST at which time a random draw will take place. And even if you don't win, I encourage you to get yourself a copy of the cookbook. It's a great way to incorporate healthy and delicious food into your family's diet. You won't be sorry that you did!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Our Christmas Newsletter
It’s hard to believe that we’re almost at the close of another year. As the seasons change, it’s nice to reflect on the changes that have occurred during the past year and share what has happened in our lives with you - our family and friends.
The beginning of the year brought to our family a new sense of our desire to live more in the country and to be more self-sufficient. In the spring, we decided to put our house for sale. We felt that the Lord was leading us elsewhere but were not entirely sure of where. So we stepped out in faith that God would reveal His plan to us in His time. Our main goal was to be mortgage free (a very hard thing to attain in this day and age!) so the houses we were looking at were “less than impressive” for the most part. Our budget was really low and so was the state of many of the houses we looked at. But in the summer, we put an offer in on a place in Eganville that needed a lot of work but fit right into our price range. The only stipulation was that our house had to sell first. This was definitely a test to our patience! But in July, we were led elsewhere by God’s hand intervening and bringing us together with a wonderful family. We met at church one Sabbath, realized we had some common history and over time, they told us they were building a log house for someone which didn’t work out. After much discussion and prayer on both our ends, we mutually agreed that this was the place that God wanted us to be. So we let our offer expire on the house in Eganville and Matt has been building a log house (Stephanie’s dream!) in his “spare time”. So once it is finished, we believe that God will sell our house in His time. We will have 10 acres, a brand new log home, be self sufficient AND mortgage free. Isn’t it amazing how God works?
Another blessing that has been provided to our family has to do with something that has been a thorn in Matt’s side ever since we got married – and no, it’s not his wife! Matt was diagnosed with inoperable sleep apnea in August of 2004. The doctors said it was so severe that if he didn’t have a CPAP machine (designed to keep the airway open while sleeping), that Matt would have died shortly thereafter. Many times sleep apnea is linked to being overweight but at the time, Matt was in very good shape and at a perfectly healthy body weight. So there was really no known reason why he would have it. In March of 2009, we changed our lifestyle dramatically by adopting a total plant-based diet and forgoing all animal products. This has immensely improved our health and wellbeing and numerous medical conditions have vanished since we started this new lifestyle (as well as Matt losing over 70 lbs of unwanted weight!). A few months ago, Matt was starting to have problems with his CPAP machine so he went in to have it tested. After a couple of tests and sleep studies, he was miraculously given a clean bill of health! He no longer has sleep apnea and we attribute this entirely to the work of God in our lives in helping us to be healthier with the knowledge we are given. For those of you who are unfamiliar with sleep apnea, it doesn’t just go away. Sometimes if people are severely overweight when they are diagnosed and then lose weight, the apnea will go away. The problem can also be linked to enlarged adenoids and surgery can sometimes be successful. But in Matt’s case, none of those factors applied. We are very thankful for this miracle in our lives and Matt is glad that he can go interior camping again!
Stephanie has been busy this year with decorating cakes (over 150 to date!) as well as teaching cake decorating classes at Algonquin College. She’s also teaching a Sugar Free baking class in December that should be a lot of fun. This is the last year of decorating cakes as it is starting to take too much time away from the kids. With the children getting older and homeschooling becoming a daily priority, cake decorating is something that is not nearly as important as spending time with our children.
Stephanie also had the opportunity to take an 8-session sign language course at Algonquin College. She really enjoyed it and the kids are picking up on it quickly, too.
We’re looking forward to Christmas with a new sense of the true joy of the season – helping those in need. Our family is organizing a free Christmas Eve dinner and program at our church (the Pembroke Seventh Day Adventist Church) and we’re praying that it will be a blessing to those who are less fortunate in the community this Christmas. Stephanie is also planning on organizing a monthly supper club where we will cook a healthy vegetarian meal together, have a small health talk and then share our meal that was prepared. Based on the turnout of our first health series in November, we’re trusting that it will be something that is well received in the community. Many people are looking at how to live healthier lives and it’s a proven fact that a plant-based diet can, in many cases, reverse lifestyle diseases including high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol and even cancer and diabetes. We’re pleased to offer this type of cooking class to the community and hope that many people see the benefits of adopting this healthier lifestyle.
In case you haven’t heard, our family will be expanding again! Our cute little bundle of joy will arrive sometime in the 2nd or 3rd week of January – four legs, fur, tail and all! We’re getting a puppy and the kids are so excited! Our friends bred their two Great Pyrenees dogs and the puppies were born on November 12th. We haven’t picked one out yet but we're leaning towards a male - the biggest one :)
We hope that this letter finds you all well. Hopefully we’ll get to see many of you over the holiday season and catch up on the past year. We’re praying that this New Year brings you a wonderful sense of God’s love for each and every one of you and that you take the time to search out His truths. As we close this letter, we’d like to leave you with this poem about the New Year:
Instead of making a New Year's resolution
Consider committing to a biblical solution
Your promises are easily broken
Empty words, though earnestly spoken
But God's Word transforms the soul
By His Holy Spirit making you whole
As you spend time alone with Him
He will change you from within.
Consider committing to a biblical solution
Your promises are easily broken
Empty words, though earnestly spoken
But God's Word transforms the soul
By His Holy Spirit making you whole
As you spend time alone with Him
He will change you from within.
Love: Matthew, Stephanie, Ryan, Joel, & Ella
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Does God exist?
It seems that we can't listen to the news or read a newspaper without hearing about something sad or devastating that has happened in the world. We live in a world that, as it is now, will never be free from this kind of thing. I have heard the question often asked "If there is a God, why would He let all these things happen?" I can't honestly say I've ever personally been asked that but I've wondered how I would respond if I were. And I really wasn't sure. It's a hard question to answer. Recently I was sent an email from a friend and the subject line read "Does God exist?" It put into perspective that question that quite often goes unanswered. I thought I'd share it with everyone because I haven't heard or seen a better way to answer the question "Does God exist?"
"A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God,
the barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.'
"A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God,
the barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.'
'Why do you say that?' asked the customer.
'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would
allow all of these things.'
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
allow all of these things.'
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barbershop again and he said to the barber:
'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'
'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber. 'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'
'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed
beards, like that man outside.'
'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'
'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber. 'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'
'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed
beards, like that man outside.'
'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'
'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't
look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'"
'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't
look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'"
"God never asks us to believe, without giving sufficient evidence upon which to base our faith. His existence, His character, the truthfulness of His word, are all established by testimony that appeals to our reason; and this testimony is abundant. Yet God has never removed the possibility of doubt. Our faith must rest upon evidence, not demonstration. Those who wish to doubt will have opportunity; while those who really desire to know the truth will find plenty of evidence on which to rest their faith....By faith we may look to the hereafter and grasp the pledge of God for a growth of intellect, the human faculties uniting with the divine, and every power of the soul being brought into direct contact with the Source of light. We may rejoice that all which has perplexed us in the providences of God will then be made plain, things hard to be understood will then find an explanation; and where our finite minds discovered only confusion and broken purposes, we shall see the most perfect and beautiful harmony. "Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." 1 Corinthians 13:12." [Steps to Christ ch. 12]
What a great thing to look forward to! Having all the perplexing cares of this world made clear to us. I know without a shadow of a doubt that there is a God. And He loves each of us more than we'll ever know.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Home Sweet Home
Welcome everyone! This is a continuation of our For Sale advertisement for our house. Please enjoy the tour featuring pictures of various rooms in our house and their descriptions. For additional information, please refer to our original ad on Kijiji
Nearly new house situated in beautiful Beachburg on 2.17 acres
View from the back side of the house which features a walkout basement with patio doors as well as a separate door off the office/4th bedroom
12x12 shed with cement slab foundation - perfect for holding your garden tools, lawnmower or any other equipment you may have
Welcome to our home! The front entrance way is bright and open. A closet to the right is the perfect spot to hang your coats and hold your footwear. The beautiful railing adds rich color to the house and showcases the staircase to the walk-out basement.
The living room is such a bright and inviting space! The main living space is an open-concept style which includes the living room, dining room and kitchen, making it perfect for entertaining large crowds, watching the children and having a bright and sunny space to be in
The dining room works well for either small or large families. We quite often have over 20 people in for a meal and we all are seated very comfortably. The patio door opens to the large deck which is great for expanding your space or just to enjoy the beautiful view. You really can't appreciate the view unless you come and see it for yourself!
Preparing food is a breeze in this large kitchen! Plenty of cupboards, a 9 foot peninsula and lots of space make this a kitchen you'll never want to leave! The peninsula has countless uses - ample space for preparing food, the perfect smorgasboard for large crowds...I even use it when measuring and cutting large pieces of fabric. It's so handy to have a large open space like that and you'll wonder what you ever did without it before.
Another thing you'll wonder what you did without before is the walk-in pantry. Store all your dried goods and sundries in this great space.
The upstairs bathroom is a nice size - not too big and not too small. This bright and sunny bathroom features a low-flush toilet, sink, extra large mirror and a tub/shower combination with a 3-panel sliding glass door.
Master Bedroom
Bedroom #2
Bedroom #3
Part of the unfiinished basement - Unfinished is great because it leaves you the freedom to add your own personal touches
Airtight Regency Wood stove in the basement - This excerpt is taken from their website: "Save money on your heating bill…and get back to basics with a beautiful Regency wood stove. There is nothing like a wood fire. Regency is the leader in gas, wood, and pellet fireplaces, inserts and freestanding stoves, through attention to flame, heat, efficiency, safety and quality
There is a natural gas furnace as well but because the house is built to be energy efficient, we successfully heat with wood most of the time and keep the house at a very comfortable temperature. But whatever your preference for heating, the choice is there - gas, wood or both.
Cold Storage - Plenty of space to store canned goods, root vegetables or other goods.
HRV in Laundry Room/Bathroom in basement
Shower in Laundry Room/Bathroom in basement
Washing machine and dryer (negotiable with price)
There is a natural gas furnace as well but because the house is built to be energy efficient, we successfully heat with wood most of the time and keep the house at a very comfortable temperature. But whatever your preference for heating, the choice is there - gas, wood or both.
Come for a visit and see for yourself why this is a great home to buy. Energy efficient, bright and open, nearly new, close to all amenities including being only steps away from the Whitewater Bromley Community Health Centre and minutes to restaurants, groceries, churches, fairground, sports arena, elementary school and several quaint gift shops.
Beachburg is a great location because you have all of the conveniences of the city with the beauty of the country at your doorstep.
Friday, July 29, 2011
God still answers prayers
I wanted to share an experience that we had this past Wednesday. The day started out in good spirits as we were to go visit some friends of ours an hour and a half away. We got into our van and started out but realized about 3 minutes down the road that we forgot our directions. So back we went to the house. When we pulled in to the driveway, Matt got out and immediately he smelled rad fluid. He looked under our van and sure enough it was dripping out quite fast. We had smelled it the day before as well but there was no leak at that point. this time, however, it was a different story.
So with a disappointed announcement of "well, we're not going", we all got out of the van. We live a few minutes away from a garage that specializes in rads so Matt drove down there while I called our friends to tell them we weren't coming. This was disappointing but what made it even more so was the fact that we had just had to cancel with them a few days earlier because Matt mysteriously had a shift written in for him at work for the day that we had planned on going that we had no idea about.
I realized right then and there that for whatever reason, Satan didn't want us to go. 2 times we were being held back from going to the same place. So as soon as Matt left, we got down on our knees and prayed.
We have been praying a lot more as a family lately so it really seems to just be a natural thought to pray if there's something wrong. So that's what we did. And we didn't just pray "please God fix our van". I prayed specifically that when Matt got to the garage that the leak would stop and they would be confused as to what happened.
As an aside, Matt had taken his bicycle with him so that when he left the van at the garage, he'd just ride his bike back. But in faith I kept watching and waiting for the van to drive in the driveway and not his bike.
So the kids and I went outside and I pushed them on the swing for a little while. Then the phone rang and I rushed in to get it, hoping it was Matt telling me something. To my delight, it was! All he said was "Call Pam and tell her we're coming. I'll be home in a few minutes." I couldn't wait to hear what had happened.
So when Matt got back, the kids raced to see him. They were so excited and they told him that "Jesus fixed the van". Matt, who I don't think was entirely convinced yet and thought maybe it was just a series of strange happenings, agreed with them and said yes, it probably was.
Then I heard him saying to Ryan that when he got to the garage and when he and the mechanic went to look at it, the leak had stopped entirely and they were confused as to what happened. I was practically in tears. God not only answered our prayers, He did it exactly in the way that I asked Him to. When I told Matt what we had specifically prayed for, that was enough to convince him that the Lord was in this trip and that He wanted us to go.
We all got back in the van, drove an hour and a half to our friends' house and an hour and a half back and not once did we overheat or have to stop. We had an awesome time and it was such a blessing to be able to have made the trip.
I'm so thankful that God is always answering prayers - sometimes it's not in the way that we would like but it's always for our best interest. I pray that this will help strengthen someone's faith as it has ours.
So with a disappointed announcement of "well, we're not going", we all got out of the van. We live a few minutes away from a garage that specializes in rads so Matt drove down there while I called our friends to tell them we weren't coming. This was disappointing but what made it even more so was the fact that we had just had to cancel with them a few days earlier because Matt mysteriously had a shift written in for him at work for the day that we had planned on going that we had no idea about.
I realized right then and there that for whatever reason, Satan didn't want us to go. 2 times we were being held back from going to the same place. So as soon as Matt left, we got down on our knees and prayed.
We have been praying a lot more as a family lately so it really seems to just be a natural thought to pray if there's something wrong. So that's what we did. And we didn't just pray "please God fix our van". I prayed specifically that when Matt got to the garage that the leak would stop and they would be confused as to what happened.
As an aside, Matt had taken his bicycle with him so that when he left the van at the garage, he'd just ride his bike back. But in faith I kept watching and waiting for the van to drive in the driveway and not his bike.
So the kids and I went outside and I pushed them on the swing for a little while. Then the phone rang and I rushed in to get it, hoping it was Matt telling me something. To my delight, it was! All he said was "Call Pam and tell her we're coming. I'll be home in a few minutes." I couldn't wait to hear what had happened.
So when Matt got back, the kids raced to see him. They were so excited and they told him that "Jesus fixed the van". Matt, who I don't think was entirely convinced yet and thought maybe it was just a series of strange happenings, agreed with them and said yes, it probably was.
Then I heard him saying to Ryan that when he got to the garage and when he and the mechanic went to look at it, the leak had stopped entirely and they were confused as to what happened. I was practically in tears. God not only answered our prayers, He did it exactly in the way that I asked Him to. When I told Matt what we had specifically prayed for, that was enough to convince him that the Lord was in this trip and that He wanted us to go.
We all got back in the van, drove an hour and a half to our friends' house and an hour and a half back and not once did we overheat or have to stop. We had an awesome time and it was such a blessing to be able to have made the trip.
I'm so thankful that God is always answering prayers - sometimes it's not in the way that we would like but it's always for our best interest. I pray that this will help strengthen someone's faith as it has ours.
Monday, June 27, 2011
It's A Piece of Cake!
I've been decorating cakes as a business for about 3 years. Anytime I'm perusing the internet for ideas, I always enjoy the tutorials with step by step pictures showing how a cake goes from the batter to the finished product. So I thought it would be fun to do my own version of that.
My latest cake was for a wedding that had a very unique theme to it - peacocks! I had a lot of fun planning and making this cake and the bride and groom provided me with some beautiful accessories to finish the cake off.
The couple wanted a three tiered, fondant covered cake. Each tier was vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream in between the layers. So this is how it started out:
This is the bottom tier - 12" round and 4 layers high - I think it was probably at least 5" high. Each layer is sandwiched together with buttercream. I then put a crumbcoat of buttercream over the entire cake and cover it with fondant:
The holes are special hidden pillars that will help in supporting the other tiers. I cut them to fit - just slightly higher than the top of the cake.
On to the next tier! The next level is a 9" round cake. The middle and top tiers are placed on special separator plates that have little "feet" on the bottom that are designed to fit inside the hidden pillars. The weight of the cakes are then supported by the pillars instead of the cake itself which eliminates any bulging and settling that could occur if you were to just place one cake on top of the other.
The same crumbcoating and fondant covering process is repeated with the 9" and the 6" top tier. Then they're all stacked together making sure the feet of the separator plates lines up with the holes of the pillars.
Now comes my favorite part - accessorizing! First I put the wide ribbon around the bottom of each tier:
Then I add the topper and the two peacocks - mostly so I can get an idea of how it's going to look. I'm also going to be adding a paisley pattern with peacock colors and I need to know where the peacocks will be sitting so I can plan my paisley accordingly.
Next, I begin cutting out the paisley patterns - I used a leaf cutter set which has 3 different sized cutters meant for leaves. I just rounded the bottom instead of leaving it pointed which gave me the perfect paisley shape. I used a combination of lime green, purple and teal:
Next step was to color some of my icing teal for the dots that were going to be around the paisley patterns. I used the teal Wilton gel color:
So after "gluing" the paisleys on with icing, I added the finishing touches and hot-glued some thinner ribbon around the sides of the cake board. And just like that, you have a finished, 3-tiered wedding cake all ready to go :)
My latest cake was for a wedding that had a very unique theme to it - peacocks! I had a lot of fun planning and making this cake and the bride and groom provided me with some beautiful accessories to finish the cake off.
The couple wanted a three tiered, fondant covered cake. Each tier was vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream in between the layers. So this is how it started out:
This is the bottom tier - 12" round and 4 layers high - I think it was probably at least 5" high. Each layer is sandwiched together with buttercream. I then put a crumbcoat of buttercream over the entire cake and cover it with fondant:
The holes are special hidden pillars that will help in supporting the other tiers. I cut them to fit - just slightly higher than the top of the cake.
On to the next tier! The next level is a 9" round cake. The middle and top tiers are placed on special separator plates that have little "feet" on the bottom that are designed to fit inside the hidden pillars. The weight of the cakes are then supported by the pillars instead of the cake itself which eliminates any bulging and settling that could occur if you were to just place one cake on top of the other.
The same crumbcoating and fondant covering process is repeated with the 9" and the 6" top tier. Then they're all stacked together making sure the feet of the separator plates lines up with the holes of the pillars.
Now comes my favorite part - accessorizing! First I put the wide ribbon around the bottom of each tier:
Then I add the topper and the two peacocks - mostly so I can get an idea of how it's going to look. I'm also going to be adding a paisley pattern with peacock colors and I need to know where the peacocks will be sitting so I can plan my paisley accordingly.
Next, I begin cutting out the paisley patterns - I used a leaf cutter set which has 3 different sized cutters meant for leaves. I just rounded the bottom instead of leaving it pointed which gave me the perfect paisley shape. I used a combination of lime green, purple and teal:
Next step was to color some of my icing teal for the dots that were going to be around the paisley patterns. I used the teal Wilton gel color:
So after "gluing" the paisleys on with icing, I added the finishing touches and hot-glued some thinner ribbon around the sides of the cake board. And just like that, you have a finished, 3-tiered wedding cake all ready to go :)
Sunday, June 26, 2011
The "fruits" of my labour
Strawberry season is here! Nothing says "summer" better than fresh picked berries. Some friends of mine and my kids went berry picking at a local patch this past Wednesday and it was great. I usually pick a LOT. I freeze some, I bake with some but I mostly make jam. So I decided that I needed about 32 L of berries to make this work. If you've never made jam before, it's really quite easy. It may seem daunting but it's not hard at all. I was fortunate to have a mother who showed me how to do this delicious tradition. And I thought I would share it with all of you :)
This is what you will need to make your own delicious jam:
9-10 cups hulled and washed fresh strawberries
1 pkg Certo Light pectin crystals (available in most grocery stores around the sugar)
4 1/2 cups white sugar
250 mL or 500 mL glass mason jars with rings
5-8 canning lids (usually found around the mason jars)
potato masher
measuring cup
Large stock pot
wooden spoon
ladle
canning funnel
1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. Wash mason jars thoroughly with soap and water and place in preheated oven. This is to sterilize the jars. They need to be in the oven for 10 minutes and then you can shut the oven off and leave them in there while you're making the jam.
I use 500 mL jars and I usually get 4-5 jars worth of jam but if you were to use the 250 mL size, you'd get around 8-9 jars worth.
2. Wash strawberries thoroughly in a colander or in your sink. The berries we picked were so nice and clean already that there wasn't a whole lot of work in this step for me :)
3. Crush strawberries one layer at a time. I do this in a large 8-cup measuring cup but you could do it in any container and just dump each layer into a measuring cup after you've crushed them. You need 6 cups of crushed berries which is about 9-10 cups of whole berries.
4. In the meantime, take your BRAND NEW lids (don't ever reuse lids that you may have used on other jars before as the seal will probably not work properly and you will have spoiled all your hard work!) and put them in a small pot with some water. Heat the water on the stove but don't bring it to a boil.
5. Dump crushed berries into a large stainless steel stock pot. You don't want it any more than 1/4 full of berries because it will bubble up a lot.
6. Open the Certo Light package and dump into a cereal bowl sized container. There are many pectin products out there but I prefer using Certo Light. It uses something like 40% less sugar than the other Certo pectins (regular and liquid varieites). I'm not a huge fan of sugar to begin with but I'd much rather have that than the pectins that are made with artificial sweeteners.
Mix this with 1/4 cup of the sugar and dump into crushed berries. Stir well. Turn on the heat to almost maximum. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Once it's boiling, add the remaining 4 1/4 cups of sugar. It's helpful to have this measured out beforehand.
7. Return mixture to a full rolling boil (where the bubbling cannot be stirred down). At this point, I turn it down to medium and STAND BACK! hahaha :)
It starts bubbling pretty fierce so make sure you turn it down to medium.
8. Remove from heat and stir and skim the foam of the top for 4-5 minutes. This prevents "floating fruit" from occurring in the jam where all the fruit floats to the top in the jars and leaves the jelly part on the bottom. It also makes your jam look much prettier if the foam isn't in it :)
9. Now it's time for the fun part! Take your jars (using oven mitts!) out of the oven. Place your clean canning funnel into one and start filling! I like to use a ladle for this. A canning funnel is really a must. They're really cheap and make your canning life so much easier!
Go ahead a try making some jam! It's really easy, you're not getting near the amount of sugar as many store-bought jams (or preservatives, colors, etc.) and it really does taste better :) I'm not sure how many jars I made but I lost count at 35 :) I should be good for a few months with that amount!
p.s. Just a tip - All these directions are on the paper insert inside the Certo packages. Also, Certo recommends that you neither decrease or double the recipe because that could result in an undesirable consistency.
This is what you will need to make your own delicious jam:
9-10 cups hulled and washed fresh strawberries
1 pkg Certo Light pectin crystals (available in most grocery stores around the sugar)
4 1/2 cups white sugar
250 mL or 500 mL glass mason jars with rings
5-8 canning lids (usually found around the mason jars)
potato masher
measuring cup
Large stock pot
wooden spoon
ladle
canning funnel
1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. Wash mason jars thoroughly with soap and water and place in preheated oven. This is to sterilize the jars. They need to be in the oven for 10 minutes and then you can shut the oven off and leave them in there while you're making the jam.
I use 500 mL jars and I usually get 4-5 jars worth of jam but if you were to use the 250 mL size, you'd get around 8-9 jars worth.
2. Wash strawberries thoroughly in a colander or in your sink. The berries we picked were so nice and clean already that there wasn't a whole lot of work in this step for me :)
3. Crush strawberries one layer at a time. I do this in a large 8-cup measuring cup but you could do it in any container and just dump each layer into a measuring cup after you've crushed them. You need 6 cups of crushed berries which is about 9-10 cups of whole berries.
4. In the meantime, take your BRAND NEW lids (don't ever reuse lids that you may have used on other jars before as the seal will probably not work properly and you will have spoiled all your hard work!) and put them in a small pot with some water. Heat the water on the stove but don't bring it to a boil.
5. Dump crushed berries into a large stainless steel stock pot. You don't want it any more than 1/4 full of berries because it will bubble up a lot.
6. Open the Certo Light package and dump into a cereal bowl sized container. There are many pectin products out there but I prefer using Certo Light. It uses something like 40% less sugar than the other Certo pectins (regular and liquid varieites). I'm not a huge fan of sugar to begin with but I'd much rather have that than the pectins that are made with artificial sweeteners.
Mix this with 1/4 cup of the sugar and dump into crushed berries. Stir well. Turn on the heat to almost maximum. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Once it's boiling, add the remaining 4 1/4 cups of sugar. It's helpful to have this measured out beforehand.
7. Return mixture to a full rolling boil (where the bubbling cannot be stirred down). At this point, I turn it down to medium and STAND BACK! hahaha :)
It starts bubbling pretty fierce so make sure you turn it down to medium.
8. Remove from heat and stir and skim the foam of the top for 4-5 minutes. This prevents "floating fruit" from occurring in the jam where all the fruit floats to the top in the jars and leaves the jelly part on the bottom. It also makes your jam look much prettier if the foam isn't in it :)
This is what it will start to look like after you've been "skimming" for a while
9. Now it's time for the fun part! Take your jars (using oven mitts!) out of the oven. Place your clean canning funnel into one and start filling! I like to use a ladle for this. A canning funnel is really a must. They're really cheap and make your canning life so much easier!
10. Once you have filled your jars to 3/4"-1" below the top, put on a lid and screw a ring on. Make sure any drips are wiped off your jar. As the jars cool, the lids will make a popping sound as the heat seals the jars. They will keep for a long time in a cold storage or pantry and once they're open, they need to be refrigerated.
Go ahead a try making some jam! It's really easy, you're not getting near the amount of sugar as many store-bought jams (or preservatives, colors, etc.) and it really does taste better :) I'm not sure how many jars I made but I lost count at 35 :) I should be good for a few months with that amount!
p.s. Just a tip - All these directions are on the paper insert inside the Certo packages. Also, Certo recommends that you neither decrease or double the recipe because that could result in an undesirable consistency.
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