Two Words

Why and Wow.

Why did I have to go and try Nutella for the first time the week before I have to wear a bathing suit in public?

Big mistake. Huge.

Have you ever had it? It's a chocolate/hazelnut spread. It's the peanut butter of Europe. I picked it up on a whim at the store thinking it might be a good snack for the little flower. There are 180 calories in two tablespoons. Good for her, bad for me.

I was so smitten I googled it. Among other things I learned that Nutella's Facebook page ranks third in number of fans, behind Barack Obama (holla!) and Coca-Cola.

But, as good as Nutella is...let me tell you, you Have. Not. Lived. until you've had homemade strawberry jam:

I used a Barefoot Contessa recipe using green apples instead of pectin and blueberries for color.

It's somewhat runny, but chunky and positively SUBLIME. I could never go back to store bought jelly/jam again. This pot, probably about four pints of strawberries, made four jars. 

I bought the jars, water bath, and utensil kit at Target. I was a little intimidated when it came to sterilizing everything but it really wasn't that difficult. You can easily find directions online, I used this and this for guidance. I'm hoping I can make another batch or two in the coming days. I would love to eventually get a pressure canner, but for now...baby steps.

What a treat it will be to pop a jar open this Winter and have a little taste of Summer. That is if these jars last that long.

Wow!