It came out very well, so delicious! I used this recipe as a basis but varied it a lot to suit my own taste; I used fresh pumpkin too, so I pureed the end result to make it nice and smooth. Pumpkin butter cannot be canned, has to be refrigerated which is a shame, but then it's so easy to make, a person could really make it anytime they had a hankering for it.
Larry has been busy on projects of his own : stringing lights outside, getting wood for the fireplace, and fixing up some chairs for me to paint as soon as I have time. In the evenings he's been cracking black walnuts he gathered this fall, and picking out the nutmeat. Once he gets that part finished, he gives me the nut pieces to go through and take out any bits of shell remaining. It's amazing how many chunks of shell can be in there even though he's very careful.
I put up lights on this little shelf over the couch today. I think I am done with decorating except for hanging the mistletoe ball. Larry found some mistletoe on our land which was handy since we've had to go afield in past years to find it. He got me some nice holly too. Oh, I still have the evergreens to tie in bunches and hang on the porch as soon as it ever quits raining. We don't expect company for Christmas, but we decorate anyway, just for ourselves because we like it.
It's been raining for the past three days, and in many places the roads are flooded. Since we live on a hill, that's not a problem for us, unless it goes over the road to the highway.
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| Coming down the drive yesterday, in pouring rain. You can see our poor flooded garden on the left. |
Today I have two presentations to prepare for tomorrow, and I am taking a few things over to our booths in Ravenswood. Tomorrow is a storytelling day, and Thursday is two doctor appointments, both follow-ups. The stress test results were excellent, as I expected, so that was good news, but still have to go one more time to the heart doctor to finish up. And a visit to the knee doctor who put the cortisone shot in my knee last month. Boy, that hurt! But my knee has felt so good since then, so I guess I'll have to be tough and get the shot again when needed. Ugh.
After that, perhaps I can get back to the simple life once again. I am surely looking forward to that.
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The simple life is the best, I think. Glad the stress test turned out well.
ReplyDeleteKeeping busy as usual, I see :)
ReplyDeleteSue, I'm curious as to why pumpkin butter can't be canned?
You have been busy.
ReplyDeleteThere is just me this year. Will miss getting to see the kids, & grandkids but I've decorated anyway. I like the smells, the cheerfulness, and the blessings of the season.
Good morning, Quinn!
ReplyDeletePumpkin butter can't be canned for two reasons: one is that it's so dense that it would be hard to get it to the proper internal temperature. The second is the low acidity of the pumpkin.
Both of these seem to me to impact the problems with water bath canning, but I do wonder why not pressure can it. Unless again it's the density? When we make apple butter, we don't process it at all after all the hours of cooking it takes to make it. It's very dense too, but apples have a high acidity and high sugar content.
Brig, I agree. Even with no likely visitors, the beauty and brightness of decorations make it worthwhile. Since I was a child I have loved this time of year, and age hasn't changed me.
ReplyDeleteLooking festive, even outdoors,in the rain.
ReplyDeleteAnd lovely projects going on.
Enjoy! That's the most important thing. Don't stress. Enjoy!
🎄🌲🎼🌲🎄