Tastes like summer!

This morning Don and I gleefully bit into toasted English muffins spread with butter and freshly made Dewberry Jelly. It was SO delicious, I can't even begin to describe it! We both agreed that Dewberry Jelly is quite possibly our absolutely, hands down, favorite jelly of all time and that I need to make more.

While Don was on vacation last week he helped me pick dewberries along the edges of our field. In fact, he went out again and picked more so I'd have enough to make jelly. I crushed the berries, placed them in cheesecloth and hung them to drip. I got enough juice to make a batch, with a bit left over. I think I'll freeze it and save it to add to the raspberries when they get ripe.

Don was quite disappointed that all his picking efforts resulted in only three and a half pints of jelly. We like it so much that three pints (I'll probably give the half pint to his parents for Christmas) might last a month or two! Looks like we will have to go on another picking foray on Don's next off day! There are plenty of dewberries to be had, without depriving the birds.

What's the difference in dewberries and blackberries? For one, dewberries ripen before blackberries do...usually in late May around here. Dewberries grow close to the ground, unlike blackberries which send out upright "canes". The leaves are also slightly different (dewberry leaves, like blackberry leaves, can be used to make tea). The wild dewberries here in the South have much larger berries than the wild blackberries do and a slightly different taste. In fact, I prefer the taste of dewberries over blackberries.

I always strain the juice and make jelly instead of jam, since I don't like the little seeds. There's no secret recipe either...I just use the recipe in the box of pectin. Dewberry jelly is always the first jelly of the year to be made in my kitchen. Next up will be Wild Plum (if the birds and worms don't get them all), then later in the summer I'll be making Elderberry Jelly. In the early Fall I'll make Kudzu Jelly if the summer isn't to dry to prevent the kudzu from blooming and, hopefully, I can convince Don to hoist me up in the front end loader to pick wild grapes for jelly!

All this discussion of jelly is giving me the urge to have a PB&J right about now. Bon Appetit!

It's cotton picking October!

On my way to the grocery store this morning I noticed that cotton picking as begun around here. We don't grow cotton on our place, but are surrounded by fields of cotton, soybeans and corn. Once all the cotton is picked the local farmers will harvest soybeans (corn was harvested in September).

One year I picked up a twig of cotton that had fallen off a trailer onto our driveway and sent it to a friend in Virginia. She's never seen a cotton field, or raw cotton and was very intrigued. She even shared it with her niece and nephew who took it to school for show and tell. I also sent some to a friend's son in California as he was doing a report on Mississippi and needed some "authentic Mississippi cotton" for his visual display.

Cotton is the third largest crop in Mississippi, with approximately 1.1 million acres planted in cotton each year. By the way, Mississippi has 30, 020, 454.4 acres of land. Obviously Mississippi isn't one big cotton field from Tennessee to the Gulf of Mexico!

The fields are very pretty in summer when the plants are green and even prettier this time of year when the cotton bolls open up fully.  From a distance it looks like there's snow on the fields! On my way home for the grocery store I slowed down to snap the picture above of the field across the road from us. Isn't it pretty?

Peaceful day...

I'm so grateful for today. It was quiet and peaceful...absolutely lovely. While it got a bit warmer than the past few days, there was still a nice breeze and it was very pleasant sitting on the front porch in my rocker while the dogs played in the yard.

While I was sitting there I closed my eyes and listened. All I could hear were the birds chirping and the grasshoppers humming. It was as if I were the only human on earth...glorious! It was definitely the quintessential late summer day.

The farmer came this afternoon and harvested some of the cornfield and I took advantage of the sunshine by hanging clothes on the clothesline. I don't know why, but that's one household chore I love to do.

Last night I baked an apple pie and tonight I've got venison spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove for Don when he gets home from work. The house smelled so good last night...scents of cinnamon and apples and it smells just as good tonight with the aromas of bell peppers, onion, garlic and tomato sauce wafting around me. Mmmmm...

Even though it's dark out I still have the front door open so I can enjoy the fresh cool air and the sound of crickets chirping between Sarah McLachlan songs I have playing.

I hope you're having a pleasant Friday evening as well. Enjoy your weekend!

Another lazy southern Sunday summer afternoon...

Here it is, another lazy southern Sunday summer afternoon and all I want to do is curl up in a box like Murphy's doing! Been listening to John Prine today and feeling really mellow.

It's fairly pleasant out for July in Mississippi...87 degrees and a nice breeze blowing. That breeze makes all the difference, even the mosquitoes lay low and leave me alone when there's a breeze.

I'll probably mosey on down to the pond in a little while and just sit still and listen to the birds singing. Until then I need to head upstairs and work on some quilt blocks I'm making for a block swap. Started them last night and should be able to finish in a couple hours.

Then again, I may just go take a nap. John Prine seems determined to sing me a lullabye!