PUMP UP THE JAM!!!!

After my awesome score of canning jars, I am excited to start canning. I started with strawberry jam and have blackberry jam to try as well. Here is a step by step of my process....


Here are all of the jars, lids, pectin, etc.

All of the pots on the stove...we have the pot that the jars are being sterilized in, the pot that the lids and seals are being sterilized in and the water bath canner...uh oh where am I going to cook the jam???? I finally turned on the jenn aire and put the griddle on it and moved the pot that the jars are in to be on top of it to keep it very hot.

 This is the 4 1/2 pounds of strawberries when they are cut and waiting to be mashed.

Mashed and ready to go.

Once there is room on the stove, they make it into the pot.

Here's the tons of sugar and pectin and lemon juice ready to be mixed with the strawberries.

All mixed together and cooking away.

Here is the aftermath of filling the jars.

The jars right out of their hot bath.

The pic of all the jars. WOW there was much more jam than I thought there would be.

When Aunt Lisa visited, we finally tried some and boy it was YUMMY!!!!!!

Game Room Updates

So, I haven't posted in a while on the updates for this room. Mainly because there haven't been many updates and frankly because I was pissed and depressed that we haven't had any progress on getting the room finished. We have painted all of the walls and all that is left as far as painting are the touch ups. We still need to get the tile and electrical finished, but are having people come out today to get estimates...

One day until Florida

Well tomorrow we leave for Florida, super YAY!!!!  There is so much to get done between now and then, but I wanted to take some last pics of the room before we left. Nothing much has been done since the last update, just some clean up. The tiles had to be ordered, so that kind of put us in a holding pattern. We have them in, but nothing got done this week. The tiles are black and will have a red grout in them. (actually we use normal grout and this is a red sealer color that goes over top) Hopefully it will get done ASAP when we get back. we decided to paint the top of the drink ledge and the top of the bench in Stone Mason Grey. We are still unsure as to what color to paint the walls....any suggestions????????

View of the mudroom part coming out of the house...

 Sorry this is sideways, can't get it to go straight...

 View to the garage from the mud room part....

 View from the front door....

 Here is the tile that took us FOREVER to find, apparently black tile is not that common....

Poor Sophie

Kierstin has been using her sewing machine and has decided that Sophie needs to be her guinea pig. Dallas is very thankful that he isn't!!!

Sophie says PLEASE sissy, I love you. I don't wanna be the guinea pig.....

Fine, I'll just take it off myself....

 Kierstin tied the fabric onto her arm to keep her distracted from the bow on her ear. Needless to say, Sophie untied the bow. :-)

These are these of the puppies after the torture session....

Dallas wants to know why she is bothering him, she has Sophie to bother....

 Sophie is curled up so tight on Dallas, it's like she's afraid of something or someone....

woops!!!

I found some additional pics that show the progress of the room, so they are totally out of order...drat!

The interior walls are done...

 Looking down on the drink ledge...

 Looking down on the bench...

 Carpet sample...

Carpet...

Well, YAY the carpet is in and looks cool with the paint!!!!

The carpet is red with black flecks in it and goes very well with the paint, the edge isn't finished because the guy is waiting for the tile to be installed and then he will come back and finish it off.

Painting Day

While I had to take a quilting class on a Saturday, Steve and Kierstin kept themselves busy by painting the bottom of the bench and the bottom of the drink ledge. When I got home all that needed to be done was another coat. :-) The colors we chose for this were Onyx Black and Candy Apple.

This is the bottom of the drink ledge...

 Here is the bottom of the bench....

 Getting ready for a second coat (she doesn't look very sure does she???)

 Steve looks a little worried about her painting....

 Steve showing Kierstin how he painted the black on...she is studying intently....

 Such a good painter...

 Studying some more...hope she passes the test....

We had to get the painting done that Saturday because carpet was being installed on Sunday. :-)