Strawberry-Rhubarb Citrus Jam and a Pole Vaulting Teenager

My kitchen has been shut down for the last couple of days. We had the final push for the remodel and I am happy to say things are almost done. I spent all day Tuesday on my hands and knees scrubbing my white tiled floor getting it ready for a reseal. I am not looking for sympathy here, but needless to say that wasn't a good thing to do for a girl who has to participate in a triathlon in a couple of weeks. I am sore where I didn't even know muscles existed!

Once again rhubarb mysteriously showed up on my doorstep! Rhubarb has a short shelf life so I had to work around the kitchen mess to create some Strawberry-Rhubarb Citrus Jam. I have to say it was a welcome break from the remodel.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Citrus Jam

2 cups crushed strawberries
2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 package powdered pectin
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon extract
4 1/2 cups sugar

(1) Combine strawberries, rhubarb, powdered pectin and lemon juice in a large pot. (2) Bring to a boil and stir frequently. (3) Add sugar, stirring until dissolved and return to a boil. Boil 4 minutes, stirring constantly. (4) Remove from heat and skim foam. Add lemon extract. (5) Put jam into hot jars leaving 1/4-inch head space. Adjust caps and process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. (6) ENJOY!

This jam is sweet, tangy and unique. The combination of strawberries and rhubarb really work to create a wonderful jam. You can use Splenda in place of the sugar without much change in the taste of the jam. The only thing that you will miss is the calories which is OK because bathing suit season is upon us. You want to jazz up a boring peanut butter and jelly sandwich use Strawberry-Rhubarb Citrus Jam.

Peanut Butter and Strawberry-Rhubarb Citrus Jam Sandwich

2 slices of thick bread
Peanut Butter, your choice
Strawberry-Rhubarb Citrus Jam
1/2 banana, sliced thin

(1) Spread both slices of bread with a heaping amount of peanut butter and Strawberry-Rhubarb Citrus Jam. Top with banana slices. (2) ENJOY!

This sandwich is delicious. It is perfect for a lunch, a snack, a hike, a boat ride, or a picnic. You will not be disappointed with the tangy tart fresh taste of the jam.

Now, back to the remodel. After spending all day scrubbing my tile floor they came yesterday morning to seal it. That means nobody on the floor for twenty four hours. I have a very open kitchen to the rest of my house and two dogs and one teenage son (17 years old) who still lives at home. So after the floor was sealed, honey and myself went to great pains to block the entire kitchen from anybody (or dog) making the mistake and walking on the floor. I am here to tell you that our kitchen was as secure as Fort Knox! I have one very smart dog and one dog that is scared of her own shadow. My scared puppy ran and hid when we starting securing the entrances to our kitchen. My smart dog was curious but we said "no" and he accepted that and kept his distance for the entire twenty four hour dry period.

Now, on to my son Luke! Luke had left for school before the sealing took place. After the sealing, I was on my way to meet my husband (Kenny) at Ikea to pick up some new decorations for our kitchen.

So, Kenny says to me, "Do you think we should text Luke and tell him about the kitchen and not to walk on the floor?"

I responded, "No, he will know not to walk on the floor!" I mean come on! Every entrance to our kitchen has gates, couches, chairs or tables blocking the way!"

While we were at Ikea my cell phone rang. It was Luke saying he was home from school. When I told him not to walk in the kitchen my statement was met with a long bout of silence.

"You are standing on the kitchen floor right now, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I won't do it again," Luke says.

"Luke, didn't you see the entire kitchen was blocked off?"

"Sorry."

Sometimes the frustration level with teenagers will lead you to want to pull your hair out or drink! It just so happens that our Ikea is right by Kenny's favorite pizza, Unos. So, after Luke's "misstep" we decided to split a pizza and a pitcher of beer. By the time we were finished with our meal and beer we were prepared for any damage Luke had done to the kitchen floor. No harm done, everything was fine!

This morning we started to put our kitchen back together. I spend most of the time shaking my head about Luke finding his way into a kitchen that was as secure as Fort Knox. He literally had to pole vault over tables and chairs! To take a word from his vocabulary, "WHATEVER!"

Have a great day and a fun holiday weekend.