Instagram App on iPod

I've been playing with an App on my iPod called Instagram.  Here are some of my pictures that I've edited using the App.  :)  11-1-11 I decided to add my original photos as well.  :)  The originals are above the edited ones.  The originals are as I photographed them originally (get it, Originals)  :)  I do not enhance any of my photos normally.  I just thought this App was cool and wanted to show what it could do.  I think my original photos are pretty impressive just the way they are.  They show God's Creation and That doesn't need improvement.  :)

"Treasures"

I found a bunch of these bricks on our property today while I was exploring. 

I discovered a spot near one of our swamps where previous owners discarded lots of metal and glass.  The metal was all rusted, but some of the glass was still in good condition.  Here's some stuff that we found today.

Autumn Olives

My Mom and I picked a bunch of Autumn Olives today.  I'm going to make some jam out of them.  They are really good just to eat.  They taste like currants.  Yummy!

Open House

We had our Open House party today.  It was a beautiful day!  I ended up making 15 apple pies.  We had around 50 people show up.  I wish we would have had more time to talk to each one a little longer, but I think everyone enjoyed their visit.  We feel really blessed to have this wonderful home, but even more blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family to share it with!  God must really love us to bless us as He has!  We are very thankful!

Here are the apples I picked for pies

 5 pies worth of apples peeled, cored, and sliced

4 pies about ready to go into the oven

15 finished pies ready for company

 Ben getting a plate of snacks

 Some sweet cards and gifts from our dear friends and family

Flowering Quince Jam

Today I made Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles) Jam.  I discovered that we had flowering quince on our new property a while ago and saw that some of the bushes had fruit on them.  The first time I picked one of the fruits, I cut it in half, which was very hard to do because they are so hard.  I wasn't sure what it was at that point.  I tasted a little of it, but didn't like it.  It was really bitter.  Then I did some googling and found out that it was the fruit of a flowering quince bush.  It's not exactly like a regular quince I guess, but I did find a recipe for using it to make jam. 

http://straightfromthefarm.net/2009/12/05/quince-jam/

It's so pretty and tastes good too.  It has a bright citrusy flavor and is almost like a marmalade. 

Here is a picture of all the fruit I picked.  They are small, about the size of a golf ball and I had to core them.  Even though I didn't have that many, I did have enough to make half a batch of the jam.

Here is a picture of the minced quince, (ooh, that's fun to say, Minced Quince) simmering to soften the fruit.

Mmm, it's getting prettier.  Now there is sugar mixed in with the minced quince.  :)  It's boiling and thickening.

I had to get a closeup of the pretty minced quince glistening.  :)   Aaah, there's just nothing like pretty glistening minced quince.  :)

Here's the jam in pretty jars.  Pretty Glistening Minced Quince Jam.  (I do so like it Sam I Am)

I know you must be tired of listening
      to me go on about the glistening
But don't you agree that the minced quince is pretty
      glistening on the knife?  (I know I'm so witty)  :)