my sweet summer boy…

my love.
“What Mom?” “Mmm… Chips!”

temper? what temper?? [a cry for help...]

Before I had a two-year-old, I didn’t know that I had a temper. I really did believe that I was a pretty even-keeled person who kept things under control most of the time! (Well, except for my tears maybe, but hey… I’m a girl!)

But now I know different. I have a temper. And ugly, embarrassing green-monster that comes out when my two-year-old pushes my oh-so-easy-to-push-these-days buttons!

I can’t even believe I’m telling you all this, but unfortunately I’m sure more than a few people have witnessed my ugly green monster by now and it’s time to come clean.

I guess part of me is also hoping to hear that I’m not alone. And even more so, I’m hoping to hear that there’s hope I will one day find my old peaceful-self again!

I can’t even count on one had the times I have to give myself a time-out every day. I snap, I yell, I glare, I want to run away…

And then I cry, I pray, I kneel… and eventually I beg forgiveness from both my Father and my son.

And they both hug me back and freely give that forgiveness, knowing full well that I will fail them again… and loving me anyways.

Why do they forgive? How am I even forgivable, when I fail so often? How do I change, when these old, ugly habits are carved so deeply into my being? Scars that keep ripping open and hurting not only me, but those around me as well??

And so I am coming to you, my readers, my family, my friends… asking… begging… for help. I need your advice, your thoughts, your hugs & your prayers… I need accountability. I need you to push me, to question me, to help me be a better person… a better mom.

Will you do that for me? Will you help me beat this ugly-green-monster before he gets too big to conquer??

 

cinnamon nectarine freezer jam

If you’ve never made freezer jam before, you’ll be amazed at how quick and simple the process is. If you’ve never even tasted freezer jam before… you need to make some. And soon!
Freezer jam is a beautiful taste of summer you can enjoy year-round. Because you use perfect, ripe fruit for freezer jam (as opposed to the slightly-too-ripe-to-enjoy-fresh-but-not-far-gone-enough-to-waste fruit often used to make regular jam!), you reall get to enjoy the true fresh flavor of the fruit!
Raspberry freezer jam tastes like you are popping fresh, juicy raspberries into your mouth. Strawberry freezer jam smells like summer, looks like a beautiful jewel-colored coating on your toast, and tastes like heaven.
This Cinnamon Nectarine Freezer Jam tastes like you are biting into a beautiful fresh peach that you have sprinkled with a touch of cinnamon… I half expect to find juice running down my chin every time I eat it!

Back to those beautiful boxes of peaches and nectarines I got… and the easy-peasy trick I just showed you on how to peel them all

I wanted to make sure I had a good variety of uses from all the fruit, instead of just eating them all over ice cream, or freezing them plain.

I make lots of raspberry, strawberry, blackberry and rhubarb freezer jams each year, but I had never made peach before. We love freezer jam in this family… on everything from toast, to ice cream, to straight out of the jar… so I decided it was time to try it out!

I used my nectarines, but you can use peaches if you’d like… they are completely interchangeable!

Cinnamon Nectarine Freezer Jam Recipe
adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride (& Ball!)

Ingredients:
3 1/3 cups peeled & finely chopped nectarines (or peaches!)
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
4 tablespoons Ball Real-Fruit Instant Pectin*
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Stir together nectarines (or peaches), sugar and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Slowly stir in the pectin, stirring continuously for 3 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon, and then pour the mixture into clean freezer-safe containers, leaving at least 1/2″ of headspace (which allows the freezer jam to expand without overflowing your containers!).

(*If you use a different brand of Instant Pectin, make sure to compare the instructions on the container and adjust accordingly!)

Cover the containers and leave them out out at room-temperature for 30 minutes. Transfer them to the fridge or freezer and enjoy!

(Freezer jam lasts up to 12 months in the freezer!)


What’s your favorite kind of freezer jam?

jalapeño popper grilled cheese

& a Pinterest challenge!

Sarah, from Emerging Mummy challenged us to a Pinterest challenge this weekend. Basically, it’s as it sounds… DO something that you have pinned, instead of just looking at it!!

If you don’t know what Pinterest is… Oh My Goodness! It is an addicting, wonderful way to create a virtual “pinboard” of all of your internet finds! You can pin just about anything… recipes you want to try, decorating tips for your house you want to remember, gift ideas for you or others, anything! Seriously addicting. Check it out!

I knew immediately what I would do for the challenge, as I have been eyeing this recipe forEVER!

Jalapeño Poppers are one of my favorite guilty pleasures… especially in the form of my Jalapeño Popper Dip! This sandwich is now a very close second. So good I can hardly stand it.

(It’s taking all of my will-power not to go make another one right now!!)

Check out the original recipe, that I found on Pinterest, over at Closet Cooking!

Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe
adapted from Closet Cooking

(This recipe makes one sandwich… adjust accordingly!)

Ingredients:
2 jalapeño peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
2 slices sourdough bread
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup pepperjack & cheddar cheeses, shredded (one or both!)
1 tablespoon tortilla chips, crumbled

Directions:
Place the peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet with the cut side facing down. Place the baking sheet on the top shelf in the oven and broil until the outer layer of the skin has blackened, about 8-10 minutes.

Place the peppers in a ziploc bag, seal and let them cool until you can handle them, about 10 minutes. Remove the skins from the peppers. The skins should easily “pinch” off.
Spread one side of each slice of bread with 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Place these slices, butter-side down, on a cutting board. Spread 1 tablespoon of cream cheese on the non-butter-side of each slice of bread.
Sprinkle the tablespoon of crushed tortilla chips on one slice, and layer the jalapeño peppers on top of that, covering the whole bread slice.
Preheat a skillet large enough for the sandwich to medium heat. When hot, place the piled on slice of bread, butter-side down, into the skillet. Pile on the shredded cheese, and place the second slice of bread, butter-side up, on top of that.
Grill for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is all melted.

peeling peaches… a step-by-step photo tutorial!

Do you ever feel like making a few peach pies, or canning or freezing that beautiful box of organic peaches you just got a great deal on, but just can’t seem to get in the mood to try and peel all of those peaches?

Well, here’s a trick for peeling them quickly and easily!

(Yes, I know these are nectarines, not peaches…
but I had both and these looked so much prettier!)

This is something I learned years ago from my Grandma, while I helped her can peaches, and it works great on peaches, tomatoes, nectarines & plums!

Here’s my kitchen set-up when I am going to peel a bunch of peaches. This time I am going to dice them and freeze them to use later. I found some gorgeous organic peaches and nectarines at Costco this week, so I grabbed 3 boxes, and just may go back for more!

You need a pot (big enough to hold a few peaches submerged in boiling water), a big bowl full of ice water, a slotted spoon or tongs, knives and a cutting board!

(Did you notice that I have a towel under my cutting board? Well, it’s there for 2 reasons… 1st to keep the board from sliding around as I chop and 2nd, to catch all the overflow juices!)

Wash your peaches and score a small X into the bottom of each one with a paring knife.

Place 2 or 3 peaches at a time into the boiling water, and let them boil for 30-60 seconds, until the skin at the “X” starts to curl up.

Quickly take them out of the boiling water and place them into your ice-water bath to cool them down so you can peel them (and to stop the cooking process!).

Take them out of the cold water once they are cool enough to handle and with your fingers, pull back the skin. It will come of very easily, sometimes even in one piece!

Chop your fruit however you would like… I like to dice mine, just because that’s how I usually use it!

And there you go!

Next time you need to peel a bunch of peaches or nectarines for peach pie, blueberry nectarine crumb bars, cinnamon nectarine freezer jam… or for canning or freezing, try this trick!

Check back next week for some great recipes, like the ones mentioned above, using all this beautiful fruit!!