Summer brings hot lazy days, cold drinks, dragonflies and sunburns. All good things. I know I’ll get flack for saying that a sunburn is good, but come winter I’ll wish I had that warm, tight feeling when my skin has just a tiny bit of pink overlaying the tan.
At work, however, summer is the beginning of another year of residents. The residents descend on the hospital in exactly the same frenzy you see with the new and returning wizards at Hogwarts. Some are sweet, some awkward, some bossy and some are…Slitherins.
It’s not pretty…
This year we also have a new attending doctor. Sort of like a professor of wizardry. He came to us after working for a few years in Hawaii. This won’t be held against him. How could he know? The weird and crazy halls of medicine cannot be compared to the great expanse of soft sandy beaches, the magestic view and fiery lava flow from Kilauea, the haupia pie from Ted’s bakery.
How would he cope? How would he manage to survive outside the hothouse world of the islands?
So I thought. In casual conversation I asked what day he thought he plans to see patients in the clinic. He revealed that he was a little concerned about seeing patients at all. What? Was he shy? Intimidated? Yes, I thought those things. I may have…possibly even asked. Silly me. What was our new doctor afraid of? Said he “Sometimes I let the work stack up until the end of the day. Then I wind up working on it in the evening. I just don’t function well that way. At 5 o’clock, I don’t want to work anymore. I just want a drink. Or several”.
Welcome George. You’re going to fit in all right. You’ll do just fine!
Since I am no longer (and have not been for ages) a bartender, 
I settle for being the Jelly Lady, and make jam.
This recipe was adapted from www.yummly.com
Strawberry Margarita Jam
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6 cups strawberries (crushed)
1/3 cup lime juice
2/3 cup tequila
1/3 cup triple sec
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6 cups sugar
1 packet low sugar pectin
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| 1 | NOTE: Do NOT use a food processor to crush strawberries or you will get puree and jam will not have a good texture. Use a potato masher. |
| 2 | In a large pot, mix together strawberries, lime juice, tequila, and orange liqueur. |
| 3 | Stir in pectin, bring to a boil over high heat. |
| 4 | Stirring constantly. |
| 5 | Boil hard for 1 minute. |
| 6 | Remove from heat and immediately stir in sugar. |
| 7 | Return to a boil and boil one minute. |
| 8 | Remove from heat and stir steadily for 5 minutes. This will keep the fruit mixed evenly throughout the jam. Trust me- I forgot this step and you will notice I have floating fruit. |
| 9 | Ladle into sterilized jars to within 1/4 inch from rim. Wipe rims clean. Apply lids and rings. Tighten to fingertip tight. |
| 10 | Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes. |
It’s never going to replace a drink, or several, in the evening. It’s a very nice jelly, however, and like that very mild sunburn, it’s a pleasant reminder of summer drinks and good times.
*** pie photo is from Ted’s Bakery, a local institution in Haleiwa, HI. My husband became addicted to their pie. As there is not yet a 12 step programs for pie fools, I’ve become adept at making them myself. Watch for the recipe whenever Grumpy next tries to romance me with his laundry washing and car maintenance skills.
OMG! I almost missed this one – have been at the camp for a few days with the grandkids. So glad I looked back. I can’t wait to try making this one. Just happen to have some low sugar pectin in the cupboard. Might have to drive north to get fresh strawberries – they’re getting scarce around this area. Thanks!
You won’t believe this- I’m down to only one jar of this one! I got more strawberries and was going to make more over the weekend, but forgot and experimented with a strawberry-watermelon-lime jam. I was slicing the watermelon and felt kind of sad that all the juice was collecting in the platter, doomed to the drain. Now I’m wondering what I was thinking! Grumpy says it’s good, but I’m kind of afraid to try it.
Update- While the Strawberry Margarita jam was really delicious and worth making, you won’t be seeing a blog about the melon-berry jam! It’s been given a 7 or 8 on 0-10 scale by others. I’ve tasted it, but don’t really care for it. Sorry to anyone who feels otherwise (like you desperate chewing gum creators) Melon Berry is not my kind of combo!
I thank you very much! I think the weekend is a perfect time to whip some up. I just hit the Haymarket again to grab some more myself! Beautiful raspberries as well. The thing about strawberry margarita jam is that to do it right you have to make yourself a margarita first. That will give you something for taste comparison (and put you in the right mindframe as well!). I’d love to hear how it goes. I’m glad you’re stopping by to read and enjoying- the same here with your’s (I am soooo envious- Bessie is gorgeous!)
Sounds delicious! Hopefully will have time to whip up a batch this weekend – it’s prime strawberry picking time up here in Northern Maine – good timing with the recipe
I LOVE reading your blog. You crack me up 