Those of you who’ve been with me for a while know that I’ve wanted chickens for some time now. Last season on my show, “Bella Figura—The Tradition of Living Beautifully,” I spoke to well-known homesteaders Shaye Elliott of The Elliott Homestead, Angela Reed of Parisienne Farmgirl, Annabel Alsup of House of Tocumen, and Angela Ferraro-Fanning of Axe & Root Homestead, who promised me that chickens are the gateway animal—you start with a few of them, and the next thing you know you’re the owner of a cow, goats, and only time will tell what else. I kept putting off getting the chicks because we were moving, then we were traveling, and we’re still not entirely settled, but lately I’ve been trying to do less mental debating and more living. To stop saying I want to do things, and to start actually doing them.
We can procrastinate our passions into tepid vapors. So much of life is understanding that the circumstances are never perfect for anything. It’s never the perfectly shaped time to have a baby, or write a book, or buy some chickens, because the rest of life doesn’t stop just because we’ve decided to focus on one sliver of it. We have to make room for our desire, and we have to be brave enough to build our lives into what we truly want them to be. I want to walk out and have chickens surround me on my way to the garden. I want to teach my son daily, important chores that give him responsibility, and checking on a flock of chickens, feeding them, and gathering eggs seems a good way to do so.
So this week I’ve been mothering and worrying over our new arrival of baby chicks. We took the plunge, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I’m looking forward to adding fresh eggs raised right here at home to the array of foods I grow and preserve from the garden. I ordered a mix of breeds that should, when the time comes, lay green and blue eggs. Oh my. Doesn’t that just sound like a lovely way to start an omelette?
Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, I thought it’d be fun to share my cranberry jam recipe. I look forward to this time of year when cranberries are in season, and I use them for everything from garland in Christmas decorating to cranberry sauce and, of course, this jam recipe. I made a big batch last year and not only sold some of it, but handed it out to friends and family throughout the season. I like to let them know the jam is made with honey, not refined sugar, and with organic ingredients, which really makes people happy.
Recipe
What you’ll need:
2 pounds cranberries (I prefer organic)
A scant 3/4 cup of honey (I use raw honey)
The juice from two oranges
1/4 cup water
2 1/2 tablespoons low-sugar pectin (I use this one)
What to Do:
Add the cranberries and all the ingredients except the pectin to a large pan. Let the cranberries cook on medium heat until they begin to pop, stirring often.
If you want a smoother jam, at this stage you can add the mixture to a blender. Blend until smooth, then return to the pan. If you don’t mind a bit of fruit pieces in your jam, you can skip the blender.
Add the pectin mixture to the pan while stirring over low to medium heat. Stir frequently, being sure the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. When you can coat the back of a wooden spoon with jam, remove the pan from the heat, and immediately pour the mixture into clean, sterilized jam jars.
Be sure to fill the jars up to the top, leaving only about a 1/2 inch of space. Immediately cap each jar once they’re filled. Turn the jars upside down and store overnight in a warm place (you want them to cool down slowly, not quickly.) As the mixture cools the jars will seal themselves; this is an old method of preserving known as “hot-packing.”
Wishing you and your families a wonderful Thanksgiving!
xoxo,
Dolores