Back to my roots

While in the grocery store the other day, I spotted the best deal of the summer. Sweet red bell peppers 3/$2! I got 6 of the huge lovely peppers and did what I've done a lot of my late July summers...I made Grandma Florence Colwell's recipe for Red Pepper Jelly. Grandma Colwell was my husband's maternal grandmother. She was my best friend for the three years we lived in my hubbies hometown of Irvington, Iowa.

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Sweet Red Pepper Jelly

2 C. ground peppers
1 1/2 C. vinegar
7 C. sugar
1 bottle Certo

Add all ingredients but the Certo. Bring to a good rolling boil, leave for 1 minute. Remove and add Certo. Let sit overnight in flat pan - stir occasionally to keep peppers mixed. Seal in jars.

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I also took liberties with this recipe and added to half the batch some chopped up habaneros and jalepenos. It's hotHotHOT!!! We'll use that as marinade, baster stuff for the grill and sauce for the brave to dip their chicken wings!

Now granted, Grandma C. grew her own and would just leave some of the best green bells on the vine until they got that gorgeous jewel-toned red before she picked them. I'm ashamed to say that my entire garden space is filled with roses, daylilies, lilies and (ahem) weeds. I don't have a single pepper, tomato, head of lettuce, green onion planted anywhere this year. So I have to resort to grocery store goodies. I can just hear Grandma Colwell now...."Child, I can't believe you don't have space for a few tomatoes, peppers....and what?? No turnips, no potatoes, no corn?? How do you plan to feed your family this winter?" But she would be proud that after all these years (she's been gone since the late 70's) that I'm still doing some semblance of canning. After all, she's the one who taught me. Altho some of her methods were too funny for words. I think she got a kick out of telling me things and then seeing my reaction. She had the best sense of humor!

For instance. Here were her sage words of wisdom on making strawberry jam..."Cook the pot of strawberries until they boil over." When I asked "Do they have to boil over??" She said with her cute little grin "They always do!" And they always did!

Oh and speaking of turnips. Here's how she told me to plant turnips, when I commented on how tiny the seeds were and asked her how to plant such dinky seeds. "Well, first you mix the turnip seeds with dirt. Then climb thru the garden fence and spill half of it. Plant what you have left."

I was a 19 year old newly wed when we lived in the same tiny little Iowa town where Grandma Colwell lived. I learned so much about life and laughter from her. You had to keep a sense of humor when you lived in Irvington. Otherwise you'd go crazy from boredom. But you know what? I'd give my eye teeth to be back there with Grandma Colwell, even for just a day. Those times had a wholesome, homey feeling that you just can't find anymore.

Florence Colwell, circa early 1900's


She just got cuter and cuter. I can still see her smile. It was adorable!

Thought for the day...

Some memories are realities, and are better than anything that can ever happen again.

Willa Cather