Custom Covered Mattes

Project #8 Covered Matte Boards
First we bought mattes to fit in an 11x14 frame at the dollar store.

We then purchased 11x14 frames from the thrift store since we would be spray painting them anyway. Spray paint frames the color that works for you, we chose white.

Next, we gathered scrapbook papers to match our girl's bedrooms. Meredith went for the colorful look since her girls have a colorful room and I went with the Shabby Chic look for Brynley's room.

Cut/tear scrapbook papers to various sizes and piece together on matte board using Mod Podge. You can also paint the Mod Podge over the paper if you would like a slightly shiny texture.

Finished mattes before frames are added.

Finally, put mattes in frames and you're ready to add your favorite pictures. We will be using black and white photos in ours.

Best.Salsa.Ever.

This salsa has become a tradition while we are working. It's pretty good for you (besides the chips) so we don't feel too bad when our lunches mostly consist of this!

Recipe - Courtesy of Cheri Harrison

1 large slightly firm avocado

1 large tomato

1 can Shoepeg Corn drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Dressing:

1 Italian dry dressing mix

2 Tbls. Olive Oil

3 Tbls. water

Dice tomatoes and avocado fairly small, add beans and corn. Mix dressing in separate bowl and combine with other ingredients, chill. Serve with tortilla chips or just use a spoon!

Raspberry Jam

Project #7 Homemade Raspberry Jam - Canned
We started out with 12 pounds of fresh raspberries, yum!

Next we washed all berries and jars, leaving jars on the heated dry cycle in the dishwasher. When canning jam, it must be poured into hot jars!

Measure out berries before they are mashed (something we learned by mistake!) and mash with a potato masher.

Our recipe calls for fresh lemon zest, lemon juice, water, pectin and sugar.

After follwoing cooking directions, stiring constantly, remove pot from heat and scrape foam from the top.

Using a funnel for canning, pour raspberry jam into hot jars.

Process jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. (If you have a pressure canner, it can be used as a boiling water canner)

The finished product - 12 pounds of raspberries yields about 24 half pints of jam

Pears

Project #6 Canning/bottling/preserving pears

We started with two 36-38 lb cases of Utah pears. Yum! I (Mer) have done pears before. Molly had not so we needed to do pears so she could decide if it was worth the trouble.

Peel pears using a fruit/vegetable peeler. They skin cannot be blanched off like peaches or tomatoes. Bummer.

Cut in half and remove core.

Pack in quart bottles and add syrup (we use extra light) to 1/2 inch head space. Process for 30 minutes in a water bath or steam canner. BTW, I love my steam canner. A friend at church convinced me to buy one. It uses way less water than a water bath canner so it heats up faster and does not create as much heat in the kitchen. Process times are the same as for water bath.

Yummy pears still bubbly hot!

We were going to run out of jars after 20 quarts and still had lot of pears left. We decided to make baby food and pear butter. Cut, quarter, and cook until soft.

Run through a blender and then press through a sieve to remove skins and excess bulk.

At this point you have baby food. We freeze in ice cube trays. Each cube is 1 ounce. We each made 8 cups of baby food. I have more ready to freeze in the fridge.

Now, on to the pear butter. (2 qts pulp, 4 c. sugar, 1/4 c OJ, nutmeg). Cook and stir until thick and "mounds in a spoon."

"Just keep stirring, just keep stirring, just keep stirring, stirring stirring stirring..."

PSA: No one tells you that this stirring and thickening part can take 2 hours or that your kitchen will look like this picture of my microwave or that you will get splatter burns on your arms. And your ear. And your toes. Moving on...

My half of the haul. Molly took hers home already. 10 quarts of bottled pears, 2 1/2 pints pear butter, and 8 cups pear baby food. Oh, I kept the extra 1/2 pint of pear butter since I get to clean my kitchen. Goodness; it is a sticky mess!

For lunch: Corn chips with homemade salsa, quacomole and pinto beans and peanut butter pie.

Eek!

Project #5 Eek Halloween sign found project here

Purchase 3 opening frame (this one is cheap from the $ store...)

Enlarge letters E E K in various fonts. Use newspaper for printing

Eek sign ready for your Halloween Tabloux. Funny story. I told Molly now that we had our EEK sign done, we had to get our Halloween Tabloux ready. "Oh crap. What's a tabloux? Do I need one?" hehehe...I explained it was her displays of holiday crud. Always a good laugh or two when I am with my sister!