Jam Recipe and Syrup Recipe

These recipes are very similar.
Jam Recipe:

4 cups of berry puree (I mashed mine with a potato masher)
sugar to your taste,I used Stevia (about 4 cups) let sit 10 minutes
1 box of Sure Gel added to 3/4 cup water in a small sauce pan. Cook to boil stirring continuously, then stir for 1 more minute. Add to the fruit and stir.
I had already washed my freezer jars and lids so they were ready to ladle in the jam. Let the jam sit for 24 hours on the counter top then freeze. Good for up to 1 year in the freezer.

Syrup
As far as the syrup I am using my strawberries. I have 3 containers of them.
4 cups Stevia or regular sugar
2 Tbl. orange juice
11 3/4 ounce pkg. of pectin
3/4 c. water
Directions:
Clean and wash berries. Place in a bowl and mash with potato masher or slotted spoon, till thoroughly mashed. Stir in sugar or sugar substitute, orange juice until thoroughly mixed; let stand 10 min.
In 1 quart sauce pan over medium heat, heat fruit pectin with water until boiling; boil 1 minute, continue stirring 3 min. to blend well (a few sugar crystals will remain).
Ladle mixture into containers to 1/2 inch from top. Cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours or until set. Freeze to use within one year. For use up to 3 weeks, store in the refrigerator. This is great put into plain homemade yogurt.
Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Table Runner Giveaway

You could win this table runner by visiting this beautiful blog The Lettered Cottage . Layla the talented and beautiful decorator is having the giveaway to celebrate her year anniversary of blogging.
You can visit the talented lady who made this runner at Grace's Etsy Shop . The giveaway ends tomorrow night at Midnight. Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Whatch Working on Wednesday

I am posting this a little late. Hubby and I had brunch together and I must admit I love having him around here lately.  I have already done 4 loads of wash, cleaned up house and made blackberry sugarfree freezer jam for hubby since he is diabetic.

I am going to make some strawberry syrup to have for crepes, waffles or pancakes. I have also been working on moving things around from my craft room to make it our office. Oh boy so many crafts and now I need to fit them in a smaller space. This will be a fun challenge. 

I am also doing research on business names and business information. Along with the other home blessings that have to be done throughout the day. 

Last night as I was putting the little girls to bed I realized that the kiddos only have about 2 weeks left of school. This school year has gone by so fast. I need to start working on plans for fun things for us to do this summer that will be fun and free or little cost. I got the new Family Fun Magazine and they have some fun ideas. So this is one more thing I will be working on throughout the day.

Hope everyone is having a great day I would love to hear what you are all up to today or ideas for the summer. Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition

 This weeks question is:

"We're all here at EM:ME because we're unhappy with our bodies, or our health; there are things that we are trying to change.
But today you must share one thing with everybody that you absolutely love about yourself"

 This is a tough one. I think it would be that I am a grown up but I am still a kid at heart and act like one at times. I love to laugh and have a good time. I also love that I can talk ALOT!  

 Okay not so hard. Hugs, Bobbi Jo 

Sandra DON'T Read (Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake Recipe)

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake
Makes 10-12 Servings

Preheat oven to 350
Ingredients:
2 C. sugar
1 3/4 C. Flour
3/4 C. Hershey's Cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 C. milk
1/2 C. vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1 C. boiling water.
For my little secret that I think makes a difference in the recipe is this:
This is Pero. It is as you can see 100% caffeine free drink. It is like coffee for the LDS folks or people who don't like to get too wired up. Anyway it is made of Malted barley and barley chicory. That's it! It is really good . So I add 2 heaping Tbls. of this to the boiling water.
I guess you could add strong coffee to it if you are a coffee drinker.

Mix all dry ingredients together. Then add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat for 2 min. on med. speed. Stir in the boiling water (w/pero if you chose).
The batter will be thin. Pour in to 13 x 9 pan or two round pans that are floured.
Bake 30 - 35 min. depending on the elivation. Let the cake cool 10 min. before removing from the pan. Let it cool completely before iceing it.
This cake is so moist and yummy it doesn't need iceing on it if you don't want. My dad use to eat it with a little butter on top. It is tasty too!

Peanutbutter Iceing:
16 oz. box or bag of powder sugar or 10x.
Peanutbutter about 1/2 C. or more if you want it more peanutbuttery.
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 to 4 Tbsp. milk add a little at a time while mixing.
If it is too runny add more sugar if too thick add a little more milk.
Then spred on cake.
WARNING: This iceing is great to have frozen like icecream! Don't do it though it is too addictive.
I use this icing on giant chocolate chip cookie and add M & M's too it. Yummy!
This is a family favorite. Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Happy Cinco de Mayo Tuesday

Happy Cinco de Mayo! We are having a Mexican dinner tonight and Gabby made a pinata at school that we will be breaking after dinner. She made and painted it herself. I think she did a great job it is very festive! She was really bummed that there was no candy in it so she called her dad he stopped and bought a bag to put in it.
Tuesday was a little more productive for me. I haven't taken any of the allergy meds that makes me sleep all day. My face is still red and swollen. My hearing is still gone in the right ear but managing with the left one working.
I did 5 loads of wash, folded and put them away, unloaded dishwasher and reloaded breakfast dishes, made laundry detergent, started dinner and cut out all the coupons from my Sunday papers and put them in their places in my coupon folder. Written down it doesn't seem like very much but it took me most of the day to get that done. I think I still have a bit of a hangover from the medication.
The Biggest Loser is on tonight. I am looking forward to seeing this one. I haven't been exercising other than walking around but, I am eating good other than the Perfectly Chocolate, Chocolate cake I made last night with peanut butter frosting. It is a Hershey recipe and boy is it the best and moistest cake I have ever had. It is my very favorite! Sorry Coco. I feel pretty good for the way my body has been acting. So it is all good.
Hope you all have a wonderful evening. Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Another Award

I was given this

The Premio Dardos Award

Sandra over at In This Small House was the sweetie who gave me this award. Thank you so much.
The Premio Dardos Award is for bloggers who distinguish themselves for showing cultural values, ethics, great and fun writing skills, as well as individual values through their creative writing. The rules of the award:

1. To accept and who the distinct image. 2. Show the link to the blog from which you were given the award 3. Choose 10 blogs to give the Premio Dardos Award to. 4. Let the nominees know about their award.
There are so many people who deserve this award.
1. Susan Between Naps on The Porch
2. Jennifer Diamonds, Fur and Laundry
3. Laurie Create Your Own Experience
4. Cami Creating Myself
5. Sandra Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
6. Bobbie Jo Just me- Bobbie Jo
7. Jen Lipstick and Laundry
8. Heather Nobody-But-Yourself
9. Rhonda-Jean Down-To-Earth
10. Susan Southern Daydreamer
I could have just gone and gone on with the names I wouldn't follow you if I didn't love you!
Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Where Have I been?

Thursday night Faith had her first play for drama club it was called "A Twist of The Tongue". It was really cute and all the kiddos did a super job singing and dancing, but I was most impressed with the tongue twisting talent of my Faith. Of course I took pictures although I am a little short so there are people sitting in front of me in most of them. Faith is the one in the front (yellow top shirt w/ purple underneath and hair down.)
The Kazoo number they played.
This is Faith with the talk show host doing her tongue twisting. Then after opening night. I bought Faith some flowers. She did such a good job and was very tired when we got home.
Friday Coco and I got a late start on doing our OAMC due to helping Dallas get his clothing for prom. Pictures to come of that later. So when we got home we started the cooking but didn't finish on Friday so I finished up the dishes without her on Saturday. This is what we made:
Chicken Pockets, Mexican Stroganoff, French Bread Pizza, Calzones, Chili Verde, Spaghetti, Wild Rice Chicken, Balkan Meatballs, Marinated Flank Steak, Chicken Broccoli, Linguine a' la Anne, Chili Hamburgers,Baked Eggs and Poulet de Fance.
Friday was also Alan and my 22nd Anniversary. We didn't spend it together due to him being out of town but we will be celebrating this week.
On Saturday night Alan got home and he went to see Faith in her play then they went out to dinner and a movie. She has been asking for some special her only time with daddy. While they were gone I was on the computer and my right eye got itchy and so I did what most people would do I scratched. BIG mistake! It kept itching and I go upstairs and my eye starts to swell up. So I took some Beneydril (sp?) and was out. I am guessing I had an alergic reaction to something but not sure what. Faith and Alan got home from their date. Alan said that my eye looked really bad. Thanks! So Sunday morning I wake up and looked similar to this
I feel sorry for this lady and I hope people don't think I am horrible for comparing my allergic reaction to her plastic surgeries. My eyes look like I went way overboard with plastic surgery as did this lady. The only thing was my right eye was swollen shut, my hands swollen and from feet to knee also swollen with bumps that itch! I know attractive! I kept taking my medication and being swollen and feeling like I couldn't even lift myself out of bed to go potty. This morning I wake up less swollen but still scary, no hearing in my right ear and left with a drug hangover from medicine that isn't supposed to make you sleepy. I am such a wimp! Alan went and got me a prescription for my ears filled so hopefully this will help out. I was so bad off that my hands were swollen that I could type on the computer although the spelling could have been really funny. I didn't even get my coupons cut out of the papers yesterday.
This is where I have been and what I have been up to. I am hoping to catch up on all the great blogs that I follow but I am not sure my eyes will stay open for it. he he
Have a great Monday evening! Hug,s Bobbi Jo

Happy Pink Saturday!

Today is Pink Saturday I wanted to share a few of my Pinks with you. This is one of Mary Englebreit pens I have. I love her art work!

This is my fun flamingo Bob. (Meredith I thought of you!)

Who couldn't be happy even playing in dirt with these cute gardening tools? Hubby says that the house is slowly turning Pink. he he

I have more things to share with you of the past 3 days but I will do that later. Off to get some things done. Talk to you later. Have a wonderfully Pink Saturday!

Hugs, Bobbi Jo

Giveaway on Mormon Mommy Writers

 

This is Jenni and the gloves aren't they beautiful (her and the gloves).

If you go over to Mormon Mommy Writers you can have a chance to win these Day gloves.

These are Hand Tatted, 1930's Women's day gloves, from England. 

 I think these are just so lady like I would love to win these.

  Hugs, Bobbi Jo