More Peaches!

We're eating peaches as fast as we can around here.  I've been giving peaches away and a few people have asked me how to freeze them.  This link shows in detail the method I use.  It is easy and inexpensive.  http://www.pickyourown.org/peachesfreezing.htm

Before you can freeze your peaches, you have to peel and slice them.  This leaves a lot of left over peels and pits lying around.  I found a recipe for jelly that you make using these peels and pits.  I love this because you get more out of your peaches this way.  You don't have to decide if you want to use your peaches for freezing or for jelly...you can do both with the same peaches.

Here's the recipe.  This jelly is delicious by the way.  Even though your only using the peels and pits, it is full of delicious, peachy flavor.  And, the jelly is a really pretty color and looks pretty in the jar, so it is great for gifts.

Peach Pit Jelly

Ingredients:

2 quarts of peach peels and pits

1/4 c. lemon juice

7 1/2 c. sugar (yikes!)

1/2 tsp. butter

2 pouches (3 oz each) Pectin

Cover pits and peels with water and boil for 30 minutes.  Refrigerate overnight.  Strain 3 1/2 c. juice from the pits and peels.  

Combine juice and lemon in a large heavy sauce pan.  Stir in sugar.  Add butter.

Bring to a full boil, stirring constantly.  Stir in pectin.

Bring to a full rolling boil for exactly 1 minute.

Remove from the heat.  Skim foam.  Immediately ladle into jars.  Leave about 1/2 inch head space.

Wipe any spilled jelly from jar rims.  Close jars tightly with lids.  Process for 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.  (Basically, you submerge the jars in boiling water for 5 minutes)

Remove from water bath and place on a towel.  Leave to cool for 12 hours.  As they cool, you should start hearing the wonderful "pop" sound that means the jars are sealing.  

Label the jelly and store in a dry, dark, cool place.

Peach Cobbler

We are over-run with peaches this year.  Four years ago, we planted 4 peach trees in our back yard.  We love having peach trees.  Mark, especially, likes to be able to go out in the back yard and find something to eat.  Must be a man thing.  This year, we have so many peaches that we don't know what to do with them. I can't pick them fast enough.  In fact, you are supposed to thin them out before they ripen so that you will have a few big peaches instead of a thousand little peaches.  I tried my best to thin them out, but there were SO many...I picked hundreds of peaches and they still were not adequately thinned out.  So, a lot of the peaches are on the smaller side this year.  But, they are packed with flavor...something you won't find in your grocery store peaches.
In honor of our peach crop this year, I am posting the recipe for my yummy peach cobbler.  It is especially good made with fresh peaches, but can also be made with canned.

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:

1 c. sugar

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

4 cups sliced peeled fresh peaches (canned will work also)

Topping:

1 c. sugar

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/3 c. cold butter

1 egg, beaten

In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour and nutmeg.  Add peaches; stir to coat.  Pour into a greased 11 in. x 7 in x 2 in baking pan.  

For topping, in a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking soda and salt; cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Stir in egg.  Spoon over peaches.  

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden.  

Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Yield:  8-10 servings

Aidan

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about this little boy:

There's not much of this little boy left.  A little boy who used to wake up in the morning and say, "mommy, I want to play all day in the world."  When did he stop saying that?  A little boy who used to ask me a thousand questions a day.  Like, "Is God faster than a rocket?"  "Is God bigger than a giant pickle?"  and "How many people are in the world?  Can you tell me their names?"  "Did God make bad guys?"

A little boy who called his milk, "moo," and said, "lasterday" instead of yesterday.  When did he stop playing with toy trains all day?  When did he stop watching Thomas the Tank Engine?  We got those trains out the other day, he couldn't even remember their names.  He used to know every single one.  

When did he stop needing my help with getting a drink or a snack or taking a bath or getting dressed?  

I miss this little boy.  I wish we could go back in time for a day.  I would kiss those chubby cheeks again and rock him until he fell asleep in my lap.  I would snuggle on the couch with him and his teddy bear, Jackson.  I would give him a big sippy cup full of "moo."  And, we would watch Thomas.  I would answer every single question he could come up with, and love doing it.

I love the young man Aidan is becoming.  He loves to read, and play video games, and go to water parks.  He can swim and ride a bike and a scooter.  He is protective of his sister and loves to play with his friends.  He has traded in his toy guitar for an electric guitar, and he's learning to play.  I love the boy that he is now, but sometimes I miss this little boy.

Mothers

 
  In honor of Mother's Day, my post today is a tribute to mothers.  Maybe it's a little self-serving, since I am a mother--I should probably leave it to all the non-mothers out there to write the tributes, but you really cannot fully understand motherhood until you become a part of it.  Everyone agrees that mothers are selfless and hard working.  Everyone holds the role of motherhood in high esteem.  But, I don't think that those that haven't experienced it TRULY know and understand the sacrifice and the joy that comes with motherhood.

    Fathers love and sacrifice for their children.  But, it's different.  It's not politically correct anymore to say it's different, but it is.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying mothers are better, or more important...but it's different.  Motherhood comes with scars.  There are the physical scars...the stretch marks, the c-section scars, the dark circles under your eyes, the gray hairs, those little wrinkles between your eyes.   There are also emotional scars...when you're a mother, it's never just you again.  There is an emotional connection with your child (whether they want it or not) that you can feel...it's almost tangible.  You can cut the cord physically, but never emotionally.  It is like there is a part of you walking around in the world and you want so badly to protect it, love it, make everything okay for it.  You hurt with them, rejoice with them, worry with them (and for them).    You dream for them, and hope and pray.  You fully invest yourself in the well-being of someone else.  That is what is so beautiful about motherhood.  It is a picture of God's love.  It is a glimpse of how God wants us to be.

   Mothers have gone through morning sickness, pregnancy, swollen ankles, labor, delivery, all night feedings, and potty training.  We wake up in the middle of the night and pray for our kids.  Mothers must be experts on discipline, education, nutrition, illness, exercise, and matters of faith.  We rarely sleep, usually eat our toddler's left-overs while doing the dishes, we meet our friends for lunch at McDonald's, when we'd rather go to the sophisticated tea-room.  We go to t-ball games, guitar lessons, ballet recitals and boy scouts...when what we'd love to do more than anything is sit down somewhere quiet.  We teach our kids how to get along with friends and teachers and the grumpy cafeteria monitor. We often have to be the bad guy.  We take away toys and video games; we won't let them watch that movie or this tv show, even though "every other kid gets to do it."  We teach them to dress themselves, tie their shoes, brush their teeth.  We teach them their colors and how to manage money and keep things neat.  We teach them their letters and that God loves them.

     We hold them when they're scared, kiss them when they're hurt, snuggle with them when they're tired and spank them when they misbehave.  We do it all knowing that some day they will walk out our door for good to lead their own life.  All we can hope is that we've raised them well.  As hard as this job is, I know I'll be sad when it's over.  A friend of mine once told me that when you are a mother, the days are long, but the years are short.  It is very true.

   Finally, being a mother reveals to you life's greatest secret.  It is a secret that so few are truly able to understand.  True joy, true love comes when you stop doing what is good for yourself and start doing what is good for others.  That is the joy of motherhood...it is hard and tedious and painful, but it brings so much joy.

Sometimes, when I think about the scars being a mother has left...my stretch marks, my gray hair, the brain cells lost to sleepless nights, I ache for a younger version of myself.  But, if I get some perspective, I can see that they are badges of honor.   I should be proud, not ashamed.  They are reminders, that I have given of myself sacrificially for another human being, and that is the greatest thing we can do in this life.

The Scoop on Aldi

There's been a lot of talk in my circle lately about Aldi, the new grocery store opening up in Saginaw.  In Saginaw there are 2 choices for grocery shopping, Albertson's, which can be expensive or Wal-Mart, which can be painful.  So, the new Aldi going up has stirred up some excitement among those of us that are doomed to do the weekly grocery shopping.
I wasn't really interested at first, because I figured Wal-Mart is always going to be cheaper.  When you're living on one teacher's income, you will endure all sorts of pain and discomfort to save a little money.  But then, all my Facebook friends started posting how much money they were saving at Aldi, so I decided to check it out.

I went to the Aldi in Keller today, since the one in Saginaw is not open yet.  Getting there was a nightmare.  There was some kind of construction or accident when getting on  to 35 and traffic was backed up forever. It took us 40 minutes to drive the 8 miles to Aldi.  This is important because Ella started screaming in the back seat, "I want to get out of here!  I'm stuck!  Help!" about 10 minutes into this trip.  I immediately started thinking, "I should have just gone to Wal-Mart; this is stupid."  I strategically plan grocery shopping trips around when Ella is in a good mood, because it can be a nightmare to take her if she's not happy...so things were not looking good for Aldi.

When we first got to Aldi, I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it looked.  The building was nice and new.  The parking lot was clean and EMPTY.  I got to park right up front...this never happens at Wal-Mart.  I was starting to feel a little better about this idea.

The first thing you need to know, is you need to bring a quarter to get your shopping cart.  They are all locked up at the front of the store.  You put your quarter in, and you can unlock your cart.  When you return your cart at the end of your shopping trip you get your quarter back.  It's really easy and not nearly the hassle that it sounds like.  I lucked out because someone had just finished with her cart and let me have it.  So, I didn't even have to use my quarter.

That brings me to the carts...I LOVE the carts.  They are nice and wide...and in the front of the cart, there is enough room for 2 children to sit.  As all mothers know, this is genius.  If you have 2 kids in a traditional shopping cart, you have to put one in the front and one inside the cart...using up precious space for groceries, and running the risk of little feet squashing the bread and smashing the eggs.  I love, love, love the carts.  I only had one child with me, so I buckled her in, and put my purse in the open spot, leaving lots of space for groceries in the cart.

When I got inside the store, I was impressed with how bright and clean it was.  My favorite part was that the aisles were really wide.  All the prices were clearly marked.  The store was quiet.  There are only about 4 aisles, and they are wide and short, so you can quickly get what you need.  This is important...remember Ella?  She had still not recovered from the car ride.  She wanted in the cart, then out of the cart, then back in...then she wanted a snack and a drink...then she didn't want them anymore....then out of the cart, then back in....I was getting a little frustrated, so I was extremely grateful that there weren't 1,000 different aisles to go down searching for what I needed.

The store doesn't carry name brands...well, only a few.  I did see Pringles there.  That is fine with me, because we usually buy store brands anyway.  I was impressed with the variety of meats.  They had chicken, beef, pork, and several kinds of fish.  The variety of produce was okay...they have all the basics, but not as much as a traditional grocery store.  What they did have appeared fresh.

I got everything I came for...about a week's worth of groceries, in around 30 minutes.  I was amazed at how fast it went because of the lay out of the store.  Just about the time that Ella laid down in the middle of an aisle and refused to move, I was done shopping and ready to go home.  I walked to the checkout and she eventually got up and followed me.

The checkout is interesting.  There were only 2 lanes open, and 3 people in front of me.  I was a little worried at first.  Once Ella got up off the floor, she declared, "I'm better now."  But, I knew that wouldn't last if we had to wait a long time.  Thankfully, the check out went very fast.  They don't bag the groceries. They put everything back into your cart.  You can bag it if you want to, but you don't have to.  I paid 40 cents for four of their nice big bags and bagged the groceries once I got to the car.  Four bags held everything nicely...as opposed to about 40 wal-mart bags.  I think I'll use some old sheets, and make my own bags for the future.  It was really nice to only unload 4 big sturdy bags when we got home.

So, did I save money???  YES!  It cost $80.45 for a little over a week's worth of groceries.  My last 4 trips to Wal-Mart had all been over $100, for a comparable amount of groceries.  I could have made an extra 25 cents off the deal, but since someone had given me the cart, I decided to pay it forward and pass the cart onto someone else.

Here were some of the best deals:
12 oz bag garden salad---39 cents!  Yep, 39 cents each!
10lb. bag of potatoes...1.99
frozen pizza...2.29
whole frying chicken 3.50 (usually almost $5 at Wally world)
strawberries...99 cents
3 lb. bag of chicken breasts 5.49 (almost $7 for the same size at Wal-Mart)

So, what are the downsides?
I couldn't find dried cranberries, so I'll have to go to Wal-Mart to get those.  I possibly could have found them, if Ella hadn't been acting like a 2 year old, so not sure if this is a real downside or not.

No name brands...I know that is important to some people.

Not a lot of toiletries...I'll go to Wal-Mart to buy shampoo, makeup, etc.  I'm okay with that though, because I don't have to buy those items very often.

Most of the produce is packaged...for example, I couldn't buy just one zuchinni...they came in packages of 3.  But, it was only 1.29 for 3, so that's not a huge problem.  The apples were bagged up also...so if you only needed a couple, too bad. This is only a minor annoyance to me, but worth noting I think.

One more thing worth mentioning...everyone that worked there was super nice and cheerful.  They seemed happy to be there.  I'll definitely be going back, and look forward to the one opening in town.  It could easily shave $40 to $50 a month off our grocery bill.  Dave Ramsey would be so proud!

Apple-Cranberry Pork Chops

This is a really easy dinner that my family loves:

Ingredients:
4 boneless pork loin chops
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 1/3 c. apple juice
1 small apple sliced and peeled
1/4 c. dried cranberries (you can also use dried cherries)
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. cold water

Rub pork chops with thyme and salt.  In a skillet, cook pork in oil 3-4 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear.  Remove from skillet and keep warm.

In the same skillet, combine the apple juice, apple, cranberries and onion.  Bring to a boil.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth.  Stir into skillet.

Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.  Spoon sauce over pork chops.

Overheard at the Park Today

I took Ella to the park today.  She is talking non-stop these days.  Here are a few tidbits from her while we were at the park today:

"The park is nice.  Thanks mommy!"
"I like this swing.  The best swing ever."
"More power! More power!"
"What's that?  A plane!  I'm scared of that plane.  It bites me."
"I'm flying in the sky.  Tweet tweet!  I'm a bird."
"Look!  A tree!  It's beautiful mommy."
"The tree!  It's wiggling!  I'm wiggling too!"
"We're home!  We made it."
"I'm free!"  (when I unbuckled her from the stroller)
"We're home!  Thanks stroller, good job!"