Adventures in Canning.

I couldn't take it anymore, I had to try and can. I have to wait 24 hours and see if it sets, but as of now sadly the jam is still syrup.

well lets begin.

First I cut the berries

 Then we chopped a bit

She was so excited to help

mixed with the pectin

While that boiled, I sterilized my jars

you can see it in full boil here

Then poured it into the jars

while I did that, little miss was busy with the spoon!

Then in goes the jars 

Boiled to seal and preserve 

The final product Sam got to name!

 Heres to hoping it will be a jam not a syrup:(

Summer!

I'm way to wedding'd out to even start the wedding photos. So today I blog about summer. While its supposed to be a relaxing vacation, I still find myself busier than ever. The head doesn't help either. Having and AI disease, the heat exasperates it and causes what I like to call flare ups. My body aches and I get over exhausted and end up spending the day in bed if I over heat. So I'm really trying to stay cool. No AC in either car stinks though, because driving anywhere just wipes me out. If I remain indoors, or in the shade ( if cool enough) I do okay.

Anyhow, speaking of busy. Sam started his summer school this week. He is enrolled in the Nevada Virtual Academy and they have different classes the kids can take throuout the summer. This weeks theme is art. He is learning all about the different types of art, ( expressionism etc...) Then they submit some artwork and it gets displayed the next day to the whole class ( about 250 kids). He loves it. He gets to do it in his jammies which he thinks is awesome!

You cant tell, but the teacher is speaking through the mic. 

 here the teacher was telling him to relax his eyes! 

Next week is another theme...cant wait to see what it is.

Now also this summer I have decided to give canning a try, Im super nervous and have NO clue what I'm doing. Im hoping to find some friends to do it with me too. But to make things easier I got a great party to host and here are some things that were included.

Im hoping to make some Jams and Tomato sauces to start, we tend to use those things in our house the most. I know its cheaper to buy the already pre made jellies and sauces, but if I can make my own and know what goes in it and where the food came from ( local farm!) it would be even better. And if I get good. Yummy gifts!

Some useful information on GMOs

What about the politics behind it? Did you know that corporations like Monsanto have a patent on those GM seeds, and if your plant cross pollinates with it on purpose or not, Monsanto then owns your plant, if your livestock ingests that seed ( or plant), Monsanto then owns your livestock. How close do you think we are to Monsanto saying that if YOU ingest that seed they own you? Its not to far off. How can it be OK to patent life? Did you know that it was intentionally left out of the constitution on moral grounds? Think about it.... I can go on and on, but really, the only way for you to really know the truth is to read it for yourself. Or watch it! There are some great documentaries, and even research articles on this subject. Oh the power of Google!

Recent polls across the world have consistently shown that, if they had a choice, 90% of people would actively seek to avoid GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in their food.

Unfortunately, GMOs are taking over our farmland so quickly, it is virtually impossible to avoid eating GM foods... unless you know what to look for:

HOW TO AVOID GMO FOODS:

1. Look at the stickers on fruit - there is a PLU code with either 4 or 5 numbers. If your fruit's label has 4 numbers, it is conventionally grown. 5 numbers starting with a 9 means it was organically grown, and 5 numbers starting with an 8 means GMO.

2. Buy local & talk to your farmers - this is the best way to ensure you're eating real foods. It's estimated that up to 85% of pre-packaged and processed foods contain GMOs, so buying fresh from the farm is a great way to avoid that.

3. Avoid the Top Four GMO Crops of Soy, Corn, Canola and Cottonseed - most blended oils in North America contain canola and cottonseed. Replacing these with 100% extra virgin olive oil is a safe alternative.

4. Encourage your favorite food providers to label their food GMO-free. We don't need the government to force companies to label their foods, and we're seeing more and more that we as consumers have tremendous power, and if enough of us ask for GMO-free labels, and support the companies that use them, we'll see a huge increase in labeling. And we're already starting to see this.

Get to know the companies that are labeling their foods GMO-free.

5. Buy Organically Grown Food - For now, the organic certification process is a relatively safe bet to ensure your food is free of GMOs, although this may not be the case in the future. Help support global sustainability by purchasing certified organically grown food.

6. Conventional Sugar - Over 90% of this year's sugar beet harvest will be Monsanto's GM Roundup-Ready Sugar Beet. That means if you are using sugar, or eating anything with sugar in it, you're eating GMOs. Alternatives to sugar are listed here.

7. Grow your own food - Plant a garden using heirloom seeds! (thanks to Amy31415 on YouTube for pointing out this important tip!)

(taken from http://bytestyle.tv/content/top-6-ways-identify-avoid-gmo-foods I encourage you to click this link and read more! I bet there are things you eat everyday that you didn't know were GM. )