Grape Jelly! Yeah, I know that’s not exactly how the saying goes, but today was an exception. Paul brought some “fresh” fruit home for Rhiannon yesterday. He wasn’t really paying attention & just grabbed the first package of grapes he saw. So basically I had two pounds of squishy grapes, with seeds nonetheless, sitting in a bowl on the kitchen counter. They tasted sweet, but were just too darned squishy so I figured they’d just go to the chickens. Then that little light bulb went on in my head & I went to gather jelly-making supplies: pot, fruit masher (really a potato masher, but I’ve used it more for jams / jellies than spuds), pectin, sugar & two small jelly jars.
Instead of throwing away money (i.e. the grapes) I got “free” jelly. We probably just broke even though as it does cost money for the pectin, sugar & electricity to heat the stove. I did end up using an old packet of pectin that was past the expiration date. I hope it sets up. But if it doesn’t……grape syrup on top of pancakes sound darned good to me!
We also got our first round bale of hay yesterday. It’s a lot cheaper to buy it that way but it isn’t as easy to store & you just can’t pull off a flake or two. So we just got one bale of mixed grass. Got looking at it today and I think it’s going to end up in the horse barn for their hay.
I would have kept it here for the goats, but my spoiled divas are too picky & I know that half of it would have ended up stomped into the ground. We’re going to splurge and get them a round bale of Bermuda grass after the holiday. We don’t have a barn to store the goat bale in so Paul is going to set it on end on a couple of pallets & tarp it.
That's all for the 2010 Blog! Hope everyone has a fun (or calm, if that's your preference) New Year's Eve. If you are one to partake in certain alcoholic libations tonight, please designate a driver. I want you to make it home so you can continue visiting my blog & thus inflating my ego.
Don't forget to eat your Black Eyed Peas, make your New Year's Resolutions and watch "The Ball" drop.
And yes, Dad, I'll have a silver coin in my pocket.
See you in 2011!
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