Got up this morning and made a test batch of savory corn muffins, since I've been asked to bring some to a wedding next weekend and I want them to be perfect. Surprisingly, these were! I made them with creamed corn and black smoked sea salt for a nice light smoky flavor. Half had jalapeno, half didn't, and all were topped with just a bit of shredded Tillamook cheese for a nice look. Keith and I ate a few of them straight from the oven, spread with the marionberry jam for yesterday (we had to open one jar to test it before giving the others away, after all). The jam was perfect, ripe berry flavor and a thick buttery consistency, and it went so beautifully with the savory corn. One of the best breakfasts I've had in awhile.
Then we finally got around to cleaning the house, which took all day because we were lazy about it. We've now got five loads of laundry in the wash (yikes, but it includes bedding and couch slipcovers) and I really should be making lavender creme brulee for tomorrow, and lavender jelly for gifts later, but eff it, I need more jars and don't feel like shopping for them at the moment. What I really want is a nice cool bath to finish reading my book in.
Dinner tonight is flaxseed tortilla chips dipped in the rest of the currant salsa, which we added more corn and black beans to this morning to make it sturdier. We've been watching the "Blue Planet: Seas of Life" documentary series on Netflix and thoroughly enjoying it, and I expect we'll finish it tonight. Probably not too exciting, but we should rest up anyway... Elizabeth arrives tomorrow and it's always a whirlwind of good times whenever she's around here!
By the way, this morning I spoke with my grandmother, who was surprised that I'd made jam yesterday and said she'd never made homemade jam before. She made it sound a lot more impressive than it actually is. Just to prove how easy it is to make things yourself (and wind up with a far superior product than the crap at the store), here's a recipe for that marionberry jam in the above picture I took this morning. You can also use blackberries and/or raspberries for this in any quantity; just make sure you've got equal parts fruit and sugar, so it preserves safely. (I know it sounds like a lot of sugar, but remember you're only eating a little at a time.)
MARIONBERRY JAM
2 c marionberries
1 c blackberries
3 c sugar
Juice of one lemon
Puree berries in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a saucepan and stir in sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into the consistency of melted ice cream. Transfer to sterilized jars, leaving about 1/4" headroom, and seal. Process the jars in boiling water for about 10 minutes and let cool at room temperature. The jam will thicken considerably as it cools.
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