Going sugar-free made me wonder about the jam in our pantry. What did I sweeten with last year? Was it all from this honey/stevia batch or did some sugar-sweetened jam from earlier in the season sneak in? Really, I have no idea. I think it is all honey but if I'm wrong I will derail our progress with the GAPS diet.
So I stood staring at 11 jars of luscious local jam, wondering.
And then I hatched a plan.
On Valentine's Day morning, Lupine and I gathered all of our pantry jam (as for the massive stash of freezer jam... we'll figure that out later). Then we gathered our decoupage supplies for lantern making. Double Valentines, anyone? A candle lantern valentine that arrives cleverly disguised as a jar of homemade strawberry jam.
After a morning busy with scissors and Mod Podge (and the kitchen "decorated" with bits of kite paper and gooey paint brushes) we ended up with almost a dozen Valentines ready to give - to kids friends, grown-up friends, and neighbors. And we got the double bonus of an excuse to craft with cleaning out our jam stash.
We filled a bag with jars and headed out through the neighborhood, visiting friends with gifts along the way. It was a wonderful way for Lupine to enjoy the pleasure of giving and the "sweetness" of creating.
When life gives you sugary jam, make Valentines!
