A couple of days ago,

I decided that 

Facebook 

was creating too much strife

in my life.

I decided to

deactivate my account—

at least until 

after the election.

Even though I miss it,

I don’t miss all

of the hatefulness going on. 

I decided that it was time

to devote some of my energy 

to myself!! 

Caring for an invalid Aunt

takes up a lot of my time.

I’d be the first to recommend 

to anyone in this situation 

to care for themself first.

But we rarely 

take our own advice.

Last night,

with my husband’s encouragement,

I decided it was time 

for a nice luxurious soak.

Ahh!!

The soothing properties 

of lavender and hot water

are just what the doctor ordered.

My best advice to you is to

take good care of yourself 

before you commit to caring for others!!

Blessings to all who visit here.

Lynn

Lucky me!!

I received a text

last Friday

from a lifelong friend

who lives in South Carolina.

She said she was coming

to visit her parents 

and asked if I’d like some

PEACHES!!

I responded,

“I’d love a bushel”. 

On Sunday,

she pulled up

in my yard...

with not one, 

but two

baskets of fresh peaches.

There were 

TWO

five gallon buckets full!!

Yesterday morning,

I picked out the ripest peaches,

got a pot of water boiling

and scalded my peaches 

to make them easier to peel.

To scald peaches,

just drop 6 or 8 peaches

in boiling water

for approximately a minute.

I use a slotted spoon to remove

them from the water 

and let them drain

a few minutes before I peel them.

The peels just slide right off.

Next I use a cabbage chopper

to chop the peaches

into a coarse chop.

Before you start cooking your peaches,

you should prepare all

of your ingredients 

because you have to

stir the peaches

the whole time 

you are cooking them.

You should also

have your jars sterilized. 

To do this,

I wash my jars

in the dishwasher,

then place them in my oven

at 220 degrees 

for 10 minutes.

I leave them in the oven

until I am ready 

to fill them.

I put my can  flats (lids)

and rings

in a sauce pan,

covered with water

and boil 

for approximately 10 minutes.

I leave them in the hot water

until I’m ready to use them.

You will need:

4 cups of chopped/diced peaches 

1 package SureJell 

2 Tablespoons Real Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon butter

5 1/2 cups sugar.

Place peaches, lemon juice and SureJell

in a large pot.

A six quart Dutch oven

works well for this.

Bring to a boil,

stirring constantly,

that will not stir down,

on high heat.

Then,

add all of your sugar,

along with the butter,

at one time.

Continue stirring 

until mixture boils again.

Once you get a

full, rolling boil,

keep on boiling and stirring 

for one to two minutes.

Be careful,

and reduce your heat as needed,

because this mixture 

is extremely hot

and will boil over.

Remove from heat

and let sit about

3 minutes.

Then skim off any 

foam that is floating 

around the sides 

and on top of your peaches.

Fill your jars,

leaving a headspace.

I generally fill mine

to the bottom of the ring threads.

Be sure to wipe 

any excess jam off 

the top of your jars

before

putting on your flat 

and your ring.

Process in a boiling water bath

for 15 minutes.

When your jars have finished processing,

remove and place on dry towel.

Do not touch the flats 

or tighten the rings. 

Soon you’ll be rewarded 

with the sound of “pings”

and you’ll know your lids are sealed!!

Today, I’m already ready 

to do it again.

Thank you for visiting me.

Have a blessed day!!

Lynn