Jam Sessions....

YUM!

Last spring, I totally missed Strawberry Season, as it comes so stinkin' early here in Louisiana. I had totally spaced out the fact that strawberries grow for just a short amount of time, and by the time I THOUGHT that they should be in season here....they were long gone.
My kids were forced to eat (gulp!) store bought jam. And they tolerated it. But that's all they did, no devouring with recklessness that I am accustomed to.
This year, I was NOT going to miss Strawberry Season. NOT NOT NOT!
I didn't miss it. First chance I got, I bought 2 flats at a strawberry stand on the way home from New Orleans. We made jam....and promptly gave it all away to friends, neighbors, co-workers, and therapists. I went back and bought another flat thinking that SURELY we would have enough. Nope. We ended up EATING quite a few of the jars that we made from that flat....on top of yogurt, ice cream, in hot oatmeal, and on toast and pb & j sandwiches. My husband managed to somehow consume TWO jars of jam and half a loaf of bread in one sitting on one night. I ventured back to the strawberry stand this week, and picked up 3 flats of berries this time. I weighed them....3 flats is about 37.4 pounds of sweet goodness.

So we've been processing those berries into jam. The whole family. How cute is this? I especially love The Big Apple who swiped my do-rag and wore it on her own head. The Daddy Apple was my berry washer, and jar prep guy. The Middle Apple is an expert at capping and slicing berries. Who would have thought that she would be so gifted with a knife and egg slicer?The Big Apple found her talent in the smashing and measuring department.

The Little Apple helped us by taking a nap....and eating whatever berries anyone would pass to her when she opened her mouth like a baby bird. The word "strawberry" I believe is her first 3-syllable word that she was able to say clearly...unless you want to count "Ah-where-cah" which is how she proununces America while singing "God Bless America"

Anyway...when all is said and done, the jam was jarred and it tastes fantastic, and everyone had a feeling that they had been a part of something. If you are interested in a jar of fresh jam, it will be sold this weekend in Franklin at the Black Bear and Birding Festival

as a fundraiser for a sweet sweet girl (sweeter than jam!) who was accepted to the John Robert Powers Performing Arts Academy in New Orleans. She 13 and is GOING PLACES. We were more than happy to donate some of our jam to her training. Break a leg, Nini!!!!!