Colors of Fall

Muffins, bread, banana bread and blackberry jam....that was a lot of work.  Never did I think the wild blackberries that grew next door would yield seven pints of jam.  Really, I was just hoping for a small bowl of berries.  I also cleaned more dishes than I've seen this year, but it was worth it.  I love blackberry jam.  There is something so magnificent about something so sweet and useful with only three ingredients.

(Recipe straight from Sure-Jell)

3 cups of mashed blackberries (don't blend...unless you want syrup)

5.25 cups of sugar

1 packet of fruit pectin

Mix the fruit and sugar and let sit.  Heat pectin and 3/4 cup of water to boiling.  Mix in with fruit and sugar...stir well and pour into containers.  Freezer jam is so easy.  I may never can again.

I love fall.  Some people spring clean, but I fall clean and bake and cook like crazy.  I love the smells in the air...the colors...even the cold and crisp feeling it gives.  I spent parts of my day organizing and I'm ecstatic to clean this week.  And bake.  And bake again.  And put homemade blackberry jam on fresh homemade bread.

We made it.

Sometimes we try just to make it through the day.  Other times we realize we inadvertently made it hard on ourselves.  So was the case today when I realized halfway through the day I had forgotten (and was out of) my thyroid meds and could hardly get up.  Problem is now resolved, but not taking these makes me extremely lethargic, and I don't frequently miss them.

The house is messy, but under the circumstances I am so glad to have made it through the day.  The girls and I were out 3.5 hours doing school shopping of sorts.  When we got back we had some down time and then we were off to a social at the preschool till past 8pm.  We made it.  It was too much for all of us, but we made it.  My girls are on a pretty strict schedule that keeps all of us healthy and happy, so this week will challenge us because there is nothing we can do about the crazy schedule.  At the end of the night, my oldest wanted sleep and my youngest sat in front of the mirror, crying and brushing her hair trying to make it grow longer.  I do not look forward to the teenage years.

I am extremely pleased with one aspect of our day, however.  My extremely picky youngest ate fish.  I can barely get her to eat anything, so this was sensational!  Actually, both my daughters ate fish and are convinced that mommy makes the best fish.  I do, in fact.  At least, I do have the best fish recipe.

Must get sleep.  I hope everyone else is finding a better rhythm to this week than I am.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan (This takes about six minutes!)