On 5/4/2015 11:29 AM, The Cook wrote:
On Mon, 04 May 2015 10:38:50 -0500, George Shirley
wrote:

On 5/4/2015 8:26 AM, Boron Elgar wrote:
On Sun, 03 May 2015 21:14:35 -0500, George Shirley
wrote:

On 5/3/2015 7:32 PM, Boron Elgar wrote:
On Sun, 03 May 2015 18:20:31 -0500, George Shirley
wrote:



i am finishing up the last jars of freezer
jam from last year and making room in the
freezer for more (hope!).


songbird

All the years I've been preserving our own food I've never made freezer
jam. I guess it's just so easy for me to make canned jellies and jams
and a lot at one time. In addition both freezers stay full of prepared
meals, meats, and frozen veggies.


Freezer jam is ideal for use with sweeteners such as Splenda, which
comes in handy for a diabetic. And it is great for strawberries, too.
Never found another fruit that is it better for, however.

Boron

I've been diabetic since being diagnosed in the early nineties and have
made jams, jellies, and preserves with Splenda many times. Very good
recipes in the U of GA book, "So Easy to Preserve." Plus more recipes at
the Splenda site. None were freezer types. I would maybe some day make
freezer jam but it would have to be after we have eaten everything in 25
cubic feet of freezers. G

I have an upright, a chest and two fridges' worth of freezer. How they
are all at capacity all the time is beyond me.

I will check out the cooked jam recipes for Splenda. Thanks for the
info on that. I will try using it again, but my success with it in
other than freezer jam has been zip.

I shoot 45 units of Levemir every morning, lasts up to 24 hours with me.
Started years ago with 70/30 insulin, shooting four times a day, much
easier with the new long term insulins. Probably could shoot less if I
can get my weight down some more. Used to weigh 272 lbs at 5'8" tall and
am currently at 196 and have shrunk to 5'6" and nearing 76 years. I'm
trying but it sure is hard to give up all the good stuff.

I was on diet and exercise for a long time, but am on metformin now. I
am glad I can keep it at that for now. My dad, several of his
siblings, 2 of my 3 siblings....genetic predisposition curse, I tell
ya.

Same here, Dad was diabetic the last ten years of his life, only family
member other than me that had it. Must have come from the white side of
the family, his Dad was full blood Choctaw and died of a heart attack at
56. His mother was full blood, blue eyed blonde white woman, died at 89
of old age. My mothers family was half blood Cherokee on both parents
side, Mom passed at 89 too. Both my great grandmother's died at 89,
makes me wonder. I will be 76 in September, so far outlived my Dad,
Grandad, Great granddad's on both sides. Thank you modern medicine. Now
if they could only find a way to reverse the problems I've got from
multiple strokes, 42 micro strokes, four major. The major strokes came
in twos, have a stroke, thirty minutes later another one strikes. I
believe they were caused by a medicine I was taking at the time but the
doc who prescribed it croaked and his wife destroyed his records. Can't
sue the pharmaceutical company without proof. Dang! I could have been a
wealthy old guy with a little brain that still worked. Would have made
my wife happy anyway. G

What the heck! I've still got most of my brain, a lovely wife, two kids,
five grands, six great grands, and lots of "married into family" young
people who are wonderful too.

And I can still garden, need to get another garden seat with wheels
though, the old plastic one is wearing out. We're harvesting yellow
summer squash almost daily now. Still have a bunch shredded for bread in
freezer along with several bags of potential squash casserole's in
there. Sweet chile's are coming along nicely, the corn is finally up as
are the crowder peas. Lima and green beans are climbing above the
netting and blooming like crazy and we will be picking cucumbers by the
end of the week. Can't get much better than that.

I wonder if state law allows for bodies being composted rather than
buried. Hmmm, could always be cremated and add the nice body minerals to
the fruit trees. That would be nice.

The question is, does anyone track what you do with the ashes after
you get them? My husband and his sister dumped both of this parents'
ashes down the well. It is not a well that is in use nor has been for
over 50 years.

I've always planned to be cremated and have said I would prefer they
scatter my ashes on salt water. The Gulf of Mexico is about fifty miles
from where we live now so it would be easy. My best friend said he would
do it for me and I was suspicious. Asked how he would do it, said he
would flush me down the toilet and, eventually, my ashes would get to
the Gulf. Said it would save on gas and there would be no problems with
the law. I decided to have the US Navy do it as they will and do it
right, ie. scatter the ashes from a warship instead of off the trash
barge. G Reckon they could just add me to the garden too. I don't
think anyone follows where the ashes go.

Friend of mine died young many years ago. Was cremated and his wife
keeps the urn beside her bed and says good night to him every night
according to their son. I just wonder if her new husband minds.
Particularly since she didn't wait very long before remarrying.

Just got in from the garden, need to harvest sweet chiles and squash
again. The figs are getting bigger all the time and I do believe I am
seeing baby beans. Turned the soaker hoses on for awhile although it is
supposed to rain tomorrow. Raised beds with Mel's Mix get dry quickly.