Grape Jelly at School!!

Every year, my school sells homemade grape jelly at our Fall Festival.  The grapes are picked from our courtyard trellises, and made into jelly by one of our retired teachers.

THIS YEAR, since I'm on the courtyard committee, I decided to help with the picking/jelly-ing.  My teacher friend (and fellow courtyard committee member) Betty, Sue (the retired teacher) and I reserved the "cooking lab" at the community center (attached to the school), and spent approximately two hours picking, and four hours "jelly-ing".

It was a BUMPER CROP this year, and we ended up with SEVENTY jars of jelly to sell at the fundraiser.  HARD work, but really fun when the other "conspirators" are such a HOOT!!!

Since I wasn't able to find any wild plums while foraging the ditches of Southwestern Iowa, this will be my ONLY jelly making this year.  It was a lot of work, so I guess I'm okay with that!

Here's hoping YOU were able to reap the benefits of an AWESOME harvest of something recently too!!!

Little Log House Pioneer Village

Saturday, July 25th, Duane and I spent part of the day at the Little Log House Pioneer Village near Hastings, Minnesota.  The village, a collection of vintage buildings from all over Minnesota, and covering many different time periods, is only open once a year.  Duane had wanted to go for several years.  I didn't even know it existed until he suggested trying to go this year.

Glad we did...it was a HOOT!!!

 We went to Porky's when it was on University Avenue 

in St. Paul!!!  Fun place!

 

 St. Boniface Church

Serving the BEST (and only) Jalapeno cheese curds I've ever had!!!!

 Jail from the village of Hampton, Minnesota!

Here's hoping YOU discovered a COOL slice of the past somewhere recently too!!!