A Book in My Pantry

I have been blessed to learn first hand the power of teaching a child to read. It is a life-changing event that many Americans take for granted. Statistics indicate that the more education our children have the higher their life income will be while reducing the likelyhood they will participate in illegal activities. Greg Mortenson and his organization work to stop war by building schools. The pen is truely mightier than the sword!

In Stones Into Schools, Greg Mortenson describes how his organization strives to build schools in some of the hardest to reach communities so the young women there can learn to read thereby bringing about the biggest potential change. He quotes The Girl Effect which states "If you teach a boy, you educate an individual; but if you teach a girl, you educate a community." So he builds schools for girls in this war-torn region in order to defeat the extremist Taliban jihad teachings that misinterpret the peaceful philosophy of the Koran which turns children into warriors.

Greg Mortenson states it eloquently:…" the mind of a child is like the surface of the lake beside the school – and because they know that trying to contain the flames that are lit by literacy can be as futile as dropping a stone onto the surface of that lake and attempting to hold back the ripples with one’s hands."

If you have time to read only one inspiring book this summer, read this one. Then take some action! You don’t have to donate to his project (but you might consider doing so), but what I truly hope is that you do something to promote literacy and education in your own neighborhood!

RASPBERRY JAM

RASPBERRY JAM

I don't spend ALL my time playing at the lake, sometimes I play in the kitchen! Making raspberry jam is such a long process, but I love to eat my PB&J every day and this is my favorite jam!  First I have to grow those raspberries. We put nets over these to protect them from the birds and also water them thoroughly once a week.

I pick berries every morning, but we only get a small bowl each day so I freeze them until there are enough for a batch of jam.  One thing about using frozen raspberries is that they crumble easily so I don't have to crush them.  The jam turns out just about the perfect consistency that way.  I measure all my ingredients following the directions in the box of Sure Jell to make cooked jam.

During the whole process, I wear rubber gloves. That way I can wash my hands in HOT water, stir without worrying about getting hot jam splashed on me, put the jars in boiling water without getting burned, etc.

I always process my canned jam in a boiling water bath

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I was only kidding about it being long and hard to make jam. Especially since we grow our own berries, the end product is worth the effort! I know I'm eating as close to nature as possible too! I can be convinced to share some of this deliciousness with you.  It can be shipped, delivered or you can come and get it! I'm sure it tastes great on things besides PB&J sandwiches...how about on biscuits, toast or ice cream?

Knitting

I don't always have baked goods or canned produce in my pantry - sometimes I have some lovely knitted items! I usually have a couple of projects in my knitting baskets.  Knitted dishcloths are really great for washing dishes.  This pattern is nice and bumpy for scrubbing and since they are made of cotton yarn they rinse and dry quickly after each use.  There are lots of colors to choose from-below is an orange/green cloth and a cream with polkdot. These can be easily and inexpensively mailed to you if you want one or two or three...

JoPapa is getting a set of picnic green mulitcolored table place mats for Father's Day surprise. One of our favorite places to "eat out" is on our back deck and these place mats will come in handy the rest of this summer and fall! I could make a set for you too.  What color would you like to order?

Another project I am blessed to work on is The Wanda Allen Prayer Shawl Ministry through the Bolivar United Methodist Church. Several women of the church meet once a month to knit, pray and visit.  Each color signifies a different meaning. The yellow one I am making is to bring cheerfulness, energy, joy and confidence. When we get a quantity of donated Prayer Shawls we have them dedicated during our worship service.  Several recipients of these prayer shawls have expressed gratitude for the comfort these prayer-infused shawls bring to them.  If you know of someone who would appreciate a prayer shawl, let me know!

As always, I can be convinced to share my creations, baked goods, or canned produce with you - for a price. :-)