Sure-gel vs. Pomona Pectin

 So we got our big strawberry haul in (well, two flats) and proceeded to jam at least a flat worth of the delicious berries (that Owen says already taste like jam right off the plant!).  At any rate, we made maybe 18 half pints of the yummy stuff.

 But when I tacked it, somewhat spontaneously (read: without going to the store first) this year, I realized that I had only enough of my favorite Pomona Pectin for about half of what I wanted to do, the other box I had in my pantry was the yellow sure-gel box, that I hadn't used before (in part because of the crazy amounts of sugar that go into it).  SO... in the end both are really quite yummy, both set-up just fine.  I followed the sure-gel recipe to the letter because of all of the threats of failure to set.  The PP I went with maybe 50% over the minimum amount of sugar they suggest.  The results.  Both:  good.  Sure-gel, takes a lot longer to cook enough to get that rolling boil it wants, and requires something like 7c of sugar to 7 c berries, which seems like a lot for already super sweet berries.  Pomona Pectin:  went a little faster, but I didn't boil it forever either, just a nice little boil, about half the amount of sugar, it also gelled just fine.  SO... can you tell which is which?  The slightly darker (longer cooking time I would assume) is the sure gel on the left, the chunkier one is Pomona pectin on the right.  I think in the end I prefer Pomona Pectin still, but both seem to work just fine!

I also have a really scraggly looking lavender plant out back, but it produces the prettiest purple lavender flowers!  Since we got the soda stream, I am trying out new sodas (since in reality I am not a huge soda drinker to begin with, but fizzy waters are so refreshing)

I haven't tried it yet, but how about lavender soda? I'll give it a whirl soon.

So, have I mentioned that I am trying watercolors?  Just fun little things, plus it is great to sit down and create with the kids.  I was toodling around Tammi's blog and she mentioned this great stuff called watercolor ground, so off to the art store I went and we painted these little wood squares that we have been collecting from the discards of the fancy furniture factory near the library.

 Owen, Grace and I all did a few, and had fun creating miniature paintings together on a pretty sunny day outside.  I even have been trying out a few portraits, just of the kids, the faces I know best are easiest to try to do.  Here's a little one of Grace post-first-hair-cut.

If I am feeling brave, I'll take pictures of the larger ones I have tried, they are, of course, not perfect portraits, but they are fun to try.  I think watercolors are attractive because they aren't perfect, they are blendy, splotchy, beautiful in their imperfections and in their variations of color.