A Fresh Start - After a Long Delay

So....after a long spell of not writing, I think the little voice in my head nagging me to get back at it finally pushed hard enough. 

Life on the ranch is a story that is worth telling. The pure rawness of life on the prairie is experienced by fewer and fewer people as time passes. I have become friends with a great number of people that live all across the country and it always makes me pause at their curiosity of my life on the plains. 

I hope my blog shows a peek into family agriculture, raising children through chores, rodeo and open spaces, my career in higher education, and my sometimes phantom husband that keeps the track of four blonde women and six hundred cows. 

When I think of my life as a ranch wife, I often think of Juneberry pie, Chokecherry jelly, and a clothesline full of sheets. This is a corny way of looking at it, but all of those things remind me of my grandma and I try very hard to keep her memory alive this way. 

Speaking of chokecherries, they are starting to become ripe right now. My first batch of jelly is on the stove as I type out these words. Canning season has officially begun. By the end of fall, my goal is to put up 150 jars of a variety of jellies, salsa, soup, sauce, and pickles. Depending on the year depends on my success. We start every year with the hope of a great canning season! Stay tuned. 

I hope to share funny stories of life, shameless photos of my girls and basset hound as well as the many four-legged animals that occupy my zip code. There is beauty in every location, but I hope you love the view from my front porch. 

With my blog, I will also share some of my favorite recipes. I hope you find them enjoyable. They are certainly cowboy approved from my north location. Since I am canning tonight, here is the recipe of one of my favorites. 

Chokecherry Jelly - A favorite farm treat! 

Ingredients

• 3.5 cups chokecherry juice
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon butter or margarine
• 1 pkg dry pectin 1.75 oz
• 4 1/2 cups of sugar

Instructions

• Cover chokecherries with water and boil for 10 minutes.
• Strain through a food press to extract the juice. 
• Pour juices in kettle.
• Add pectin, stir.
• Bring to a boil, add sugar.
• Put in a teaspoon of butter to keep from boiling over!!! 
• Boil and stir for 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat, skim.
• Ladle into sterilized jars and seal. 
• Process in hot water bath for 5 minutes.
• Cool undisturbed for 24 hours.