Best Laid Plans

I finally resolved some of my blogger issues, at least I have all of my icons back, no to figure out a new background that I like.  That was one of the jobs I wanted to complete this week before going back to school today, along with lots of sewing and reading, or as much as I could possibly do in two days.  None of that happened!  Sunday afternoon one of our neighbors said their figs were ripe and if we wanted some we should get them, she also mentioned that their pears were also ripe.  I love fresh figs, and my DH loves fig preserves along with pear preserves.  So Sunday afternoon in the 90 plus heat we went out to pick figs and pears.  We were a little over zealous in our fig picking, we had a five gallon bucket full of the darn things.  First thing Monday morning I headed out to Kroger to get Sure Jell and some jelly jars, little did I know this was going to be a day long project.  I ended up making 26 jars of fig preserves.  15 of the jars are just regular fig preserves, the others are fig/strawberry, you make those by adding strawberry jello.  I had never made those, but several people had recommended trying the addition of the jello.  I have to admit that they turned out really good.

Some of the finished product.After working on figs all day on Monday, Tuesday it was time to work on the pears.  Again we had gotten carried away with the pears and had not one but two buckets of pears.  I only made 7 jars of pear preserves.  The rest I will can whole baked pears, and pear crisps later in the fall and the winter.  That will be a project for another day, probably tomorrow.  I had to take a break this afternoon after my first day back at school.  Tomorrow is another day.