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Foggy, “drippy” sort of morning with showers later. Very mild temps: mid 60’s today, maybe 70 & rain again tomorrow!

This week was ‘Merry Christmas’ to me - ordered & received the following:

A candy thermometer that is built into a spatula. When making jams that do not have added pectin, instructions tend to be boil until ‘gel point’ is reached - this is about 220°. With the thermometer IN the spatula (removable for cleaning), I can stir while watching for the correct temp & I do not have to worry about the probe point touching the bottom of the pan & giving a false reading. I have a recipe I am going to try it on: Cranberry-Apple Preserves, p. 65 Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving. The recipe is also posted here, with the only change being to bring to a full rolling boil for 2 minutes rather than to 220°:

Cranberry Apple Jam with a Hint of Orange
https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/cranberry-apple-jam-with-a-hint-of-orange/

Didn’t I mention some threads back I was through with canning for 2023? Ha ha ha ....

A casserole carrier - does hot or cold, double-decker, holds 2 9x13 dishes. I am tired of scrounging coolers, boxes, etc. for carrying dishes to family feasts. It will get used the first time next weekend for a family Christmas dinner & should keep my dishes hot for the 2 hour trip.

Book: “Fire Cider, 101 zesty recipes for health-boosting remedies made with apple cider vinegar” by Rosemary Gladstar. This, to me, was thoroughly delightful & more than I expected. It tells the tale of how the community term ‘fire cider’ was trademarked & why this was devastating & a very bad precedent for the herbal community. I looked up the legal case & Rosemary et al won ... the trademark has been removed! There are MANY recipes with 75 contributors, several of whom have written books I own. Of course, there are various contributor-favorite fire cider recipes, but also drinks, salad dressings, sauces, soups, & many other recipes which have fire cider as an ingredient. This book was recommended on the Garden Thread I think - THANKS to whoever recommended it!

Book: “Health Through God’s Pharmacy, Advice & Proven Cures with Medicinal Herbs” by Maria Treben. I heard about this book & “Swedish Bitters” on the Southern Appalachian Herbs blog hosted by Master Herbslist Judson Carroll. It is a ‘classic’ for those using herbs medicinally. Based on Judson’s personal experience combatting the flu with Swedish Bitters, I have found a source for the mixture (11 herbs) & it will be added to my medicinal herb cabinet.

I also got items I ordered for Christmas presents, so except for one great-nephew (15 mos old) that I am still trying to find a present for (non-junk, no clothes, no toys he’ll outgrow, etc), I am ready to enjoy all the ‘non-present’ aspects of Christmas: celebrating the birth of my Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, very precious time with family (first Christmas without dad & a beloved first cousin - the ledge of life is narrow enough, doesn’t take much to knock people off, especially those that are of a more advanced age), and lastly: some good food/feasting at family get-togethers.

Evidently, I am a “canary” ... I’ll have to think about that because I definitely don’t see myself as one.

That thermometer in a spatula sounds perfect for Maple Syrup final boil off, too! Got a link for that?

Secondly, I LOVE ‘Mavis’ from One Hundred Dollars a Month. I need to check in and see how her budget is working out with all of this inflation!

We’ve had our second round of snow - exactly the same pattern as last week - 2” overnight which will most likely be gone by the end of the week, again. However, since my VW doesn’t ‘go in the snow’ Beau is going to drive me around for groceries and such again today. Yay! I love being chauffeured around - and as an added bonus, he even lets me sit in the CAB of the truck versus the truck bed, LOL!

Mom lives and dies by those casserole carriers. Smart move.

Good book choices.

And, no. Definitely NOT a Canary, LOL!