A Solo Canning for the Canned

Earlier last month, I made cherry jam. As Trinh was out of town I made a mess all by myself. I don't know about you, but the cherries available at the store this year were so unbelievably good! Sweet, firm, and juicy - I purchased these while on sale. Not wanting them to go to waste, as I was leaving the following week, I decided to can these beauties - it's pretty simple:


Wash those beauties!

Pit them - I didn't have a cherry pitter, so I cut them in half and forced the pit out - I had very red stained hands as a result!

Throw them in the pot:

6 cups cherries

2 cups sugar

1 tbs. lemon juice

Bring to a boil and reduce heat for 5 min. Add a packet of pectin (liquid or powder) stir in and continue to heat for 2 min. Pour into heat-treated clean jars and give them the standard hot water treatment.

Sweet and good - I like this recipe because some jams and jellies require so much sugar, I try to limit it as much as possible to really let the fruit shine through.

Two Fond Farewells

Its been a few weeks of goodbyes.

Kate is off and settling down in NJ. DC will be a strange place without my sister to hang out with on the weekends.

Additionally, partner-in-crime-and-canning Trinh as also left the area! She's relocated to Buffalo, NY and is planning on going back to school in a while to get her Masters.

I'm still here - still looking for work and hanging in there. And don't worry, still getting into trouble.

Jersey Shore and the Washington Hotel

I'm still not back in DC - I currently up helping my sister find a place to live in New Jersey. Well, not just New Jersey - the Jersey Shore. I'll confess, it's not quite what I expected. It's quite a bit like my hometown, but next to the ocean.

To get up to the shore, I didn't drive - I took a bus up to NYC (and had dinner) before hopping a New Jersey Transit Train down to the Long Branch area. They have trains from DC to the shore, but it was far cheaper for me to go this way and the Vamoose (my DC/NYC bus of choice) has added outlets and Internet. I finished a ton of applications and projects on my way up. I also am almost finished crocheting another scarf.

We've found Kate a new place to live, so we're on to fun things to do up in the area. The beach up here will cost you a small fee during the summer season, but as it is just after Labor Day, it's now open. The weather has been very cooperative and we've been wandering up and down the boardwalk. I'm off to find trouble tomorrow while Kate goes to work. I have a few friends near the area, so hopefully we'll be able to meet up.

I also celebrated my 30th birthday on Wednesday. Yes, I am now old. A small group of friends met up with me the one day I was in town between travels. We went to the W - Washington Hotel Roof Top bar for drinks. Actually - one drink! They were a little pricey and we were all on a budget - but the view was fantastic! It overlooks the Mall and the weather was being agreeable. It was massively busy for a Wednesday, I can only imagine what it would be like on a weekend. It was fun and very different for us. We didn't make reservations, but they are available. Again, pricey - but this was a special occasion and for all you unemployed folk out there - every now and then it's ok to treat yourself. Life doesn't stop just because the paychecks do.