When I told you I quit drinking alcohol I also mentioned giving up wheat, corn, and dairy again. And truly, the only hard one in that bunch seems to be dairy. More specifically half-and-half.

Because despite the churning belly after every sip of cow dairy, despite the eczema, the thing that holds me back from quitting dairy every time is my morning cup of coffee with copious amount of organic half-and-half or skimmed raw cream. 

Try as I have to become a purist and drink my coffee properly like any other good coffee snob (black), I just can't make the leap. So usually when I'm off dairy I give up my morning cup as well and switch to black tea or nettle chai with homemade coconut-almond milk instead. 

But this time around I was convinced to find another way.

So I set to work modifying my coconut-almond milk recipe (creamy in its own right) to be more like half-and-half. No, it won't fool your grandma, but good gracious! If you're off dairy and grieving over your lame mug of watery almond milk-diluted coffee each morning while jealously eyeing your partner's cup, here you go. You're welcome.

Honestly, it's been a game changer for my morning happiness quotient. I can truly say I no longer miss my half-and-half. (And that's saying something.)

Homemade Dairy-free half-and-half

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole almonds 
• 3/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1 pinch hulled cardamom seeds or ground cardamom
• 2 tsp raw honey or maple syrup
• 5 cups hot water

Instructions

Pre-soak (optional)

If you are struggling with digestive troubles or issues with bone and tooth health, pre-soaking your almonds is advisable. If you can't integrate another layer to your morning cup of coffee, skip this step. Seriously.

1. Place almonds in a mason jar with 1 tsp of sea salt. Cover with water and soak overnight (or up to 24 hours) at room temperature.
2. The next day, drain and rinse your almonds. The soaking water will be murky and gross. That's normal. 

Puree

1. Combine all ingredients in the jar of your blender and add 5 cups of not yet boiling but piping hot hot water. (The hot water helps bring the fats into solution and makes the cream, well, creamy.)
2. Allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes if you have not pre-soaked your almonds, or dive right in with the next step if you're short on time or pre-soaked the night before.
3. Puree your mixture on high power for 3 to 4 minutes until it become a uniform frothy mix, free of the slightest chunks or lumps. Puree for another minute or two if you have it in you or if your blender is wimpy.

Strain

1. Pour through a mesh strainer lined with a thin cotton towel or cotton bandana, then bring the corners together and squeeze and twist to extract as much liquid as possible.
2. Twist more. And more. 
3. After extracting as much liquid as possible, return your wrung-out pulp to the blender with 1 to 2 additional cups of hot water and puree again with an additional teaspoon of honey or maple to make a smaller amount of almond-coconut milk to keep your kids from drinking your creamer. (To make this "skim" milk more tasty, you can be generous and add a glug of your first pressing to the jar. Or… not. It's up to you.)
4. Compost solids or freeze or dehydrate for other uses (ideas here).

Enjoy!

Add a splash to your coffee and delight in the pleasures of a creamy cup of goodness. Mmmmm…… That's more like it! 

Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to four days or until it becomes sour.

Psst… I even saved the recipe for you as a PDF! 

Download Homemade dairy-free half and half recipe (1)

When I first heard of live fermented salsa all I could think was: gross.

I mean really. Salsa crossed with sauerkraut just didn't sound like a good idea. Ew. But the idea got stuck in my head and I kept circling back. The more I mulled it over them more I wondered… maybe.

Finally a few friends told me it was the best thing ever, so I had to give it a go.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. The sour of the lacto-fermentation could play well with the natural acidity of the tomatoes and lime and the heat of the peppers. Hmm…it might not be so weird after all.

So we went for it. Just before I left for Maine a couple of years ago Pete made a few quarts. By the time I got home four weeks later there was approximately a tablespoon left, waiting for me at the bottom of an otherwise empty mason jar.

I think he liked it.

One taste and I, too, was hooked. So every year we make a gallon (give or take). It never lasts us long, but at least now I'm sure to get more than a spoonful!

The benefits of probiotic salsa are many. Here are my top 3:

1. Easy! Ridiculously easy. Just chop, salt, and jar it up. Boom.
2. Probiotic. It's gut-healthy, probiotic nourishment. Which – I would attest – everyone needs more of in their lives.
3. Summer-friendly. No need to heat up your kitchen making salsa during steamy tomato season.

Care to make some yourself with the last of the tomatoes? Here's how. (This recipe was my jumping-off point.)

Please note: ingredients and proportions are flexible! Tweak to suit your preferences, but be sure to include all of the salt as that ensures proper fermentation, approximately 1 1/2 tsp per quart.

Makes 1/2 gallon (2 quarts)

6-8 large tomatoes

1 large red onion

1 bunch cilantro

3 cloves garlic

Juice of 1 fresh lime

2 medium hot peppers or to taste

1 tbsp salt

Instructions

1. Chop tomatoes into smallish cubes (the size you'd enjoy balancing on a corn chip or fork-full of taco salad). Transfer these tomato chunks to a mesh strainer and allow the liquid to drain out into a bowl for three or four minutes. (This keeps your salsa from being too soupy.)
2. Meanwhile, finely chop red onion and cilantro and mince garlic.
3. Stem the hot peppers and seed if desired (for a milder heat), then finely chop with sharp knife or food processor. (Gloves are a good idea for this step to protect your fingers from the lingering burn of the peppers, and if using a food processor hold your breath when opening to prevent from don't breathing the vapors.)
4. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine.
5. Transfer to 2 quart-sized jars or a single 1/2 gallon, filling to just past the shoulders. Press all vegetables beneath liquid, then lid with a fermentation top or a non-metallic canning jar lid. 
6. Place jars on a plate or baking tray (they sometimes overflow during fermentation) and allow to sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, tasting throughout the process. You'll notice some separation, with solids floating a bit above a mostly clear liquid. This is normal! After fermentation and when you're pleased with the flavor, transfer jars to refrigerator, and enjoy with every meal. 

A small bonus: a few of you have asked about the lids I use. I was sent a free sample of tops and glass fermentation weights by MasonTops a couple of years back and I really love them. They have generously offered you all a 10% discount code (through the end of October) if you'd like to get some for yourself! Just use code "LUSA10". (Technically I think that qualifies as an afflink since they sent me my lids.) :-) 

How could I resist her request?

To spend the day together picking blueberries was just what I wanted as well.

The weather was agreeable (it's been deliciously cool here for the past couple of weeks, feeling more like autumn than August), making (in my opinion) for the best possible picking weather. So in the morning we packed a picnic, grabbed our baskets, and just the two of us set out to see how many we could gather. 

Nearly 15 pounds later we were thirsty and tired and on our way home, but so satisfied by time well spent, and time spent together.

We'll be making jam soon (from the recipes here). Last night after dinner Lupine made us a blueberry fool, and she's already prepped a batch of dairy-free coconut-blueberry ice cream for tonight. (She modified this recipe with canned coconut milk and lemon juice in place of the buttermilk.) 

As we picked we chatted about books we read when she was little – Peter in Blueberry Land and Blueberries for Sal – and I marveled at how quickly she has grown. How quickly things have changed.

Because when we first came here to pick, both kids used small tin pails, and "kerplink kerplank kerplunk" was heard often from both buckets and giggling voices.

And the faster time accelerates, the harder it is to dig in and make it all slow down.

But this day? On this day time stood still.  

And how grateful I am that I made the time for this.

For her.

For us.

~ : ~ : ~ : ~ 

P.S. The books I mentioned (plus one other harvest-season gem) are below. All three are among our all-time favorites, though it's still hard for me to read the last page of Christopher's Harvest Time without sobbing.

You should be able to request them all from your library.

Links below are afflinks, for those wishing to add them to their home library. (A very small percentage of your purchase helps support our family, our homeschool, and our blueberry jam making supplies. We thank you for that!)

All three books own a permanent spot on our family bookshelf and are enjoyed even now, with my children nearly grown.

There's something about blueberries, don't you think?

That's why once a year we drive an unreasonable distance to pick all that we can at a "local" no-spray farm (not really local because: 1 1/2 hours away). Then we'll fill every corner of our freezer with bags of berries for winter muffins, breads, smoothies, and ice creams.

We almost skipped picking blueberries this year, since this summer has been unreasonably full, but Lupine suggested that not picking blueberries would be unreasonable as well.

I agreed and we'll squeeze it in this weekend.

When we get home we'll spend a day or two making jam from the recipes below. (Lupine is pulling for a double batch of blueberry-basil. I'm sure to make a batch of ginger or lemon balm as well.) 

Read on for some tips on my favorite canning supplies, plus three simple jam recipes and canning instructions – sweetened only with honey – and made as sweet as you like.

A word about supplies…

(A few afflinks follow, though look to see what you can borrow or buy locally or second-hand! With the exception of Weck jars, I buy all of the linked supplies at my natural foods coop and grocery or hardware store.)

Lids

I got in the habit early on of using BPA-free Tattler Lids. Back then all canning jar lids contained BPA. Today they do not, but I'm still not confident that whatever they replaced the BPA with on the metal lids is any safer. While Tattlers are also plastic, I love that don't have any scary mystery lining and are reusable.

These days I go back and fort between the new BPA-free metal lids and Tattlers and a small set of Weck jars that I have and adore. I figure if I buy a few Wecks each year, I'll soon be able to use these exclusively. (At this point, Weck is your only plastic-free option for home canning.)

The upshot: use what you have or whatever you prefer. 

Pectin

The recipe below calls for Pamona pectin. I call for this specific brand because this is the only pectin I know of that can be used with a honey-sweetened jam. Unlike other pectins, you can reduce the amount of sugar or leave it out all together.

I frequently get comments that someone prefers to make only jam with chia seeds, not pectin. For eating fresh, knock yourself out! It's lovely stuff. But because I like to can my jam to save on freezer space, chia seeds are not an appropriate substitute. 

The upshot: For best results, use only the pectin I recommend in the recipes below.

Other supplies

If you are new to canning, hit the second hand store or a few rummage sales and you're sure to find all of the things you need. Better yet, ask a more experienced friend to come over and show you the ropes! She's sure to bring a case or two of jars to share and be happy to loan you her canning pot for the day.

Jars

All of the jams below were canned in 1/2 pint jars that I picked up at our local grocery store. For really special small batch jams I'll use 1/4 pints as well. Which are adorable. As a small family these small size works for us. Bigger family/bigger jar? Probably. The Pamona's package insert will tell you how long to process if you use a pint jar instead.

Water Bath Canner

I have several of these, all of them gleaned from tag sales or thrift stores. If you're buying second-hand be sure to inspect for major injuries. I did have one spring a leak a few years back when it rusted through. 

Canning Tongs

You can buy big fancy sets of canning accessories. But don't. All of it is just a duplicate of things you already have in your kitchen and honestly don't need with two exceptions: the canning jar funnel and the canning tongs. Tongs are vital. Don't try to wrangle your screaming hot jars out of boiling water without them.

Canning Funnel

Since I'm not crazy about the idea of pouring hot food over a plastic funnel, I upgraded to stainless steel. (These are the sorts of things I ask for for my birthday. Thanks, mom!) This funnel has enjoyed daily use in our house for the past six or seven years. I'd say it was worth paying a few extra dollars for.

The upshot: Use what you have, borrow what you can, choose second-hand, and buy as little as possible – but of the best quality that you can afford. (That's a free life-lesson for you there.) 

Now that we've ironed out all of those details, let's make some jam, shall we?  Jam on.

(The recipes that follow were originally published in 2013.)

You want recipes, I'll give you recipes.

Two weeks ago my sister and I cooked up three small but glorious batches of fancy blueberry jam.

We could have made straight up blueberry, of course.

But why?

There was ginger in the kitchen and lemon balm and basil in the garden. So we had to get all fancy with it.

And we took notes! Just for you.

So here goes: blueberry jam, three ways.

And: please don't make us choose a favorite!

Blueberry-Ginger Jam

Ingredients

10 C whole blueberries or 8 C crushed

1/2 C lemon juice

1 1/2 Tb fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated

2 tsp dry ginger

1 1/4 C honey

1 Tb plus 1 tsp calcium water (from pectin package)

1 Tb plus 1 tsp Pomona's pectin

Process

Combine berries with lemon juice, ginger root, dry ginger, and calcium water from your pectin package.

Heat berries over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Your berries will begin to break down.

Meanwhile, begin heating water in your water bath canner. Wash and drain your jars and sterilize your lids.

Crush berries with a potato masher and heat until they reach a full boil. Remove from heat.

Combine honey with 1 Tb + 1 tsp pectin powder. Stir well to combine.

Add pectin/honey mix to berries and stir well to combine.

Heat jam mixture until it returns to a full boil once more.

Fill your clean jars to within 1" of the top. Wipe jar rim with a clean, wet paper towel.

Screw lids into place and lower carefully into your hot water bath.

Return to a boil and simmer for ten minutes.

Remove to a towel on the counter. If using Tattler lids crank your canning jar bands on tightly now! It will make your Tattlers as fool-proof as metal lids!

Allow your jars to sit undisturbed for 12 hours. (Check after 1 hour for any failed lids by removing rings and testing lid. Transfer any fails to the fridge.)

Makes approximately 9 half-pints of jam.

Blueberry-Basil Jam 

Ingredients

10 C whole blueberries or 8 C crushed

1/2 C lemon juice

1/2 C finely chopped fresh basil leaves

1 C honey

1 Tb plus 1 tsp calcium water (from pectin package)

1 Tb plus 1 tsp Pomona's pectin

Process

Combine berries with lemon juice, basil, and calcium water from your pectin package.

Heat berries over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Your berries will begin to break down.

Meanwhile, begin heating water in your water bath canner. Wash and drain your jars and sterilize your lids.

Crush berries with a potato masher and heat until they reach a full boil. Remove from heat.

Combine honey with 1 Tb + 1 tsp pectin powder. Stir well to combine.

Add pectin/honey mix to berries and stir well to combine.

Heat jam mixture until it returns to a full boil once more.

Fill your clean jars to within 1" of the top. Wipe jar rim with a clean, wet paper towel.

Screw lids into place and lower carefully into your hot water bath.

Return to a boil and simmer for ten minutes.

Remove to a towel on the counter. If using Tattler lids crank your canning jar bands on tightly now! It will make your Tattlers as fool-proof as metal lids!

Allow your jars to sit undisturbed for 12 hours. (Check after 1 hour for any failed lids by removing rings and testing lid. Transfer any fails to the fridge.)

Makes approximately 9 half-pints of jam.

Blueberry-Lemon Balm Jam

Ingredients

10 C whole blueberries or 8 C crushed

1/2 C lemon juice

1/2 C finely chopped fresh lemon balm leaves

1 1/2 C honey

1 Tb plus 1 tsp calcium water (from pectin package)

1 Tb plus 1 tsp Pomona's pectin

Process

Combine berries with lemon juice, lemon balm, and calcium water from your pectin package.

Heat berries over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Your berries will begin to break down.

Meanwhile, begin heating water in your water bath canner. Wash and drain your jars and sterilize your lids.

Crush berries with a potato masher and heat until they reach a full boil. Remove from heat.

Combine honey with 1 Tb + 1 tsp pectin powder. Stir well to combine.

Add pectin/honey mix to berries and stir well to combine.

Heat jam mixture until it returns to a full boil once more.

Fill your clean jars to within 1" of the top. Wipe jar rim with a clean, wet paper towel.

Screw lids into place and lower carefully into your hot water bath.

Return to a boil and simmer for ten minutes.

Remove to a towel on the counter. If using Tattler lids crank your canning jar bands on tightly now! It will make your Tattlers as fool-proof as metal lids!

Allow your jars to sit undisturbed for 12 hours. (Check after 1 hour for any failed lids by removing rings and testing lid. Transfer any fails to the fridge.)

Makes approximately 9 half-pints of jam.

Stick with me for a moment while I explain our backwards celebration habits.

On account of my spring birthday and Pete's June birthday, we celebrate Father's Day on Mother's Day and Mother's Day on Father's Day to keep from back-to-back celebrations for one person that loose their oomph on the second day. This, of course, can get confusing when we're out and about in the world and my kids say things like, "Well, since today is Mother's Day…". That only adds to the fun, and now our friends and family have begun to pick up on our strange habits and often wish Pete a happy Faux-thers Day on Mother's Day, and the other way round on Father's Day.

We like to keep everyone guessing.

So yesterday, on Faux-Mother's Day, I got to pick the agenda. A quiet day at home and some herb planting were the only thing on my list, but when I noticed the temperature on the thermometer never climbed above 65 F, I thought it was a perfect day to pick strawberries. Before the next few days of rain and the berries get a little soft and bland, and while the air was delightfully cool.

Have I mentioned that the heat makes me wilt? It's true. So sometimes I'm kind of a baby about picking berries. I whine and get grumpy and wondering why I live somewhere with such unreasonable weather.

And then I remember that I live in Wisconsin and I try to get over myself.

But yesterday? 65 F. My dream day in June. Hallelujah! 

I asked me family if they were interested in heading to the strawberry farm to pick and everyone was enthusiastic, so we grabbed our baskets and loaded into the car.

My kids are eager to pick berries because it's tasty and fun. Sometimes. Other times is drudgery but they know I won't buy berries out of season and you have to help pick to earn the freedom to pull a bag of frozen berries from the deep freeze. Suddenly, everyone wants to help! Works for me.

And as I already mentioned: the weather! The weather was perfect, so it was an easy sell.

We drove the 15 minutes or so to a nearby organic berry farm and headed into the fields. None of us wilted as we picked, and everyone harvested more than they had in years before. (You could argue that half of them now eat more than they did in years past, but let me have my fantasy for a moment first.)

We drove home dreaming of smoothies and ice cream, shortcake and jam, and all of the other treats we will make with this glorious haul of berries. Mostly, though, I reflected on how thankful I am to live in a community where organic veggies and fruits are normal. Where we are normal. Honestly, it was what drew us here in the first place over a decade ago, and it's what has kept us here to raise our kids.

With that, I have an unreasonable tower of strawberry flats on my table that request my attention. It's time to fill the freezer!

Need a recipe? Here's my honey-sweetened strawberry jam. It's our go-to.

A postscript for local friends – I can't say enough good things about Mary's Berries. Great easy picking and glorious flavorful berries. Hop to it!