In a few hours I am to be 28.
Tomorrow is my birthday, and it seems like for the first time I have no desire to party, celebrate, or to mark the occasion in any way.
Unfortunately, at least one party is planned and I will have cake and wishes tomorrow at work. The marvelous lab baker had probably baked a delicious chocolate cake for me and I get a present and the boss will ask me what do I wish for myself and how do I sum this past year.
Well, it's been a long one. And a hard one. And it's end was kinda crappy. So I guess I'm wishing myself to have a better year. A year where things will go smoothly, with no one dying or finding out they have some incurable disease. With more vacations, and hiking, and art. More sports. Definitely with more reading. Maybe with some more writing.
[In a different life, earlier ones, I used to write. I don't think I can anymore.]
Trying to get past this day and get closer to our vacation (a point for optimism) I found myself doing a lot of things "I should" do. One of these things was making jams from old fruits left in the refrigerator- god forbids if I throw out fruits that have not rotten completely. The good thing that came out of it was this amazing plum jam, and the easiest way to make jam I had ever tried.
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Spiced Plum Jam / Marmalade / Confiture / Whatever, it's delicious~
Adapted from "Food in Jars"
1 Kg pitted plums (I used the long, dusty kind)
1 cup sugar
2 whole cloves
- Pit the plums, and leave them, with the sugar, in a heavy pot suitable for oven use over night.
- The next day, heat up your oven to 350F / 260C / 10 and put the whole pot in. Cook for ~2hrs, mix occasionally (every 30min is good).
- The thing is ready when the liquid seems jelly like, and the fruit has "lost it" (check the link for pictures) into the jam.
- You can puree it if you like you jam even, but I just got it all into a jar. It's heavenly.
