Me Time

What a busy girl I was this weekend!  Mark was away on a boys only weekend to Priest Lake so I had the whole weekend to myself.  I started off volunteering at the county fair on Friday as a demonstrator in the wool department.  We were in the goat barn (can I tell you how cute pygmy goats are!) and demonstrated spinning, weaving, and knitting.  I only knit and crochet, but Tina graciously taught me how to spin yarn with a drop spindle and I am addicted!  I also got to play with the drum carder that Paradise Fibers lent to the demonstration and took the fiber I carded home to keep practicing my spinning.

Saturday was my canning-o-rama.  I made Raspberry Vinegar which is resting for a few weeks in my basement.  I can't wait to make my own Raspberry Vinaigrette with it.  I also made some Nectarine Chutney.  It is so yummy, but I have to say it was a lot of work for only a few pints. Finally, I made some Nectarine and Raspberry Preserves.  It made the most beautiful color both in the pot boiling up...

and in the jar. 

It is the perfect blend of sweet and tart.  Can't you just hear the chorus of lids snapping as they seal shut?  Music to my ears!

I have to say I have fallen in love all over again with my Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving!  The vinegar and chutney recipes both came from that book and I have plans to use some other recipes for my over abundant Concord grapes and tomatillos.  I would recommend this book to anyone you loves to preserve their bounty, whether jamming, canning, or freezing, it has it all including some items that frankly scare me. 

Speaking of my grapes.  Somewhere in the middle of all this canning I found the time to bake my first focaccia bread.  I found this great recipe for a Concord Grape Focaccia.  So good and just a little sweet.

Sunday it was back to the fair to volunteer as a demonstrator for a few more hours.  My fellow volunteers on both days are some of the neatest people and I am sure I will visit with them again soon.  It was so much fun to share my love of all things fiber with fair-goers as well.  We got a lot of gawkers and even more questions.  I will definitely be doing this again next year!

Of course, I also enjoyed some of the finer girly things in life while Mark was gone.  I rented a couple chick flicks, drank a couple glasses of good wine, and got a pedicure.  Ah, me time....