witch

please excuse my terrible canva skills.

Interlude: Strawberry Stain, Part 2

Erica, Free

I have an idea. Caitlyn asked our landlord if we could install cameras on the front and back door to keep an eye on Todd. She thinks he was messing with our back door the other night, or at least someone was. 

I’m glad for this new development. First of all, because whether it was Todd or some other person running around testing doors at night, we should have a camera. Second, because I’ve been pushing for this since Todd started messing with me. Third, because it gives me an in. 

A few months ago, I bought a book of scrapbook paper for a crafting project. I didn’t need the whole book, but I had a coupon and figured it would come in handy. When I saw the cameras on my way home the other day, I thought a thank you note would be the perfect opportunity. 

There is a strawberry-printed sheet of paper, but I thought that was a little on the nose. I selected one with a nice, subtle floral print on one side and an almost wallpaper-y polka dot print on the other and set about making the card.

Here’s how I make homemade cards out of scrapbook paper:

  1. Select the appropriate paper: would I have liked to use the strawberry paper? Yes. But, the more I think about it, the absence of strawberries is kind of the point. 
  2. Draw/write out the design for the front of the card on plain, white paper: I just use printer paper, but you can use thicker paper if you don’t want the scrapbook paper showing through. This really helps the design pop on a busy print.
  3. Cut out the design: I used an xacto blade to get as close to the design as I could. Sometimes, I just use scissors and then add scrapbooking stickers to the edges where the white paper shows through.
  4. Glue or tape your design to the front of the card: I have some double-sided tape from my previous endeavor that works great. 
  5. Cut out a rectangle of white (or another solid color) paper that fits nicely on the inside of your card. Write your message on it.
  6. Glue or tape your message to the inside of your card: If you’re using glue, make sure you leave the card open so the glue can dry without gluing the card together!
  7. Send your elevated homemade card to your recipient!

Easy enough!

Stay tuned for next time when I teach you how to put a simple curse in your homemade card! (only works for beings already born with magical powers.) (And no, I’m not going to curse my landlord’s firstborn child or anything like that. I’m pretty sure his kids are my age. And that’s just not how I roll.

-Erica

My Own Neglected Obligations. Well, One particular obligation

Ella, Free, Uncategorized

Erica’s attention to the most important aspects of her life has made me think of the people I have been neglecting, namely Erica’s mother. 

Erica has a good enough handle on her emotions to at least keep them out of her cooking and crafting while she focuses on her health. Jane will poke and prod her to be honest in therapy and with her doctor. She doesn’t need me for that. The person who needs me now is Kirsten. 

Erica doesn’t talk about her mom much around me. I always assumed that was because her mother’s unyielding perfectionism contrasted with my encouragement of her not fearing mistakes and treating them as a learning experience. I should have known that’s because her mom doesn’t like me. I wasn’t able to help Erica’s mother the way that I have helped Erica. As happens every few generations, I was barred from contact with her during her childhood and respected her parents’ wishes. When I tried to reconnect with her in her early adulthood, I was rebuffed. 

But now I have an opportunity to mend that relationship. Erica’s mom broke her shoulder and needs surgery. The long recovery time and limited activity will also mean she needs company, which I am able and happy to offer. I’ve talked to both Erica and her mother and everyone agrees that since I have no real job or obligations outside of my descendants, it makes sense for me to go keep Erica’s mother company. But like anything healing, whether surgical or a strained relationship, this requires utmost care. 

-Ella

Making Jam Is Easy, Canning is the Hard Part

Ella, Free

Oh, summer, with its oppressive heat and humidity also brings an abundance of fresh fruit. Stone fruits and berries are all in season and relatively cheap. Unfortunately, the temptation to buy large quantities is in conflict with these fragile fruits’ limited shelf life. One way to preserve these tasty fruits for later in the year is to make jam.

I know it might seem daunting, but making jam is actually quite easy. Canning is the hard part, and if you have enough room in your freezer for a few containers of jam in choice flavors, it is completely unnecessary. Homemade jam is perfect on toast, ice cream, or oatmeal. All it requires is fruit, a little lemon juice, a pot, and maybe some sugar or spices if you’re up for it.

Just take that extra fruit that you bought, but forgot to eat, cut it up, and throw it in a pot. I recommend starting with at least a pint of fruit. This can be all the same fruit, like those peaches you were going to eat with lunch every day and then didn’t or the hodgepodge of berries you impulse-bought on your last grocery trip. Rinse the fruit and cut it into bite-sized chunks if necessary. Add a little lemon juice to help break down the fruit and cut some of the sweetness. This quantity will vary depending on your tastes, but I usually use a tablespoon per pint of fruit. Bring the fruit slowly to a simmer, stirring constantly. The fruit will begin to break down and thicken as the water boils off.

Taste as you go and add sugar, ginger, cinnamon, or whatever you feel is necessary. When the jam has reached its desired thickness, remove from the heat and allow to cool. Transfer the cooled jam to a freezer-safe container and store until ready to use. Depending on the amount of fruit you use, the amount of jam you get could be very small. It’ll still be enough jam to use on a few pieces of toast or on some vanilla ice cream.

Now to the big questions:

  1. Why would I stand over a boiling pot of fruit for an hour in the middle of summer? Well, it might make you feel cooler when you step away from the stove. And sometimes we have to put in a little effort in order to waste less. If it’s ungodly hot out, you can always freeze the fruit before it turns and make jam later.
  2. Why would I spend all this time making jam when it’s so easy to buy? Like I said, I’m talking about solutions for fruit that’s about to go bad. You can’t get that at the grocery store. And sometimes it’s a nice break from the troubles of reality to stir a boiling pot of fruit and not think of the rest of the world for a while.

 -Ella