Daily Choices, Lack or Abundance?

This past week we've had snow, hail, and rain so cold it was almost freezing. Being a lover of sunshine, heat, and soft breezes, my first reaction was dismay. I had to give myself a bit of a shake and remember that how I feel each day is my choice just as how you feel it yours. I meditated for a few moments and concentrated on the blessings such weather bring to our aquifer, replacing water we humans drained in past months. It took a bit of work, for I truly love hot weather, however the effort was worthwhile. My dismay turned into gratitude for the abundance of water we will have this summer.

Choices are available in ways we don't always comprehend. For example, there are many recipes that have high fructose corn syrup as one of the ingredients. When we really enjoy some particular dish but don't want to ingest corn syrup we have choices to make. One person might decide to simply not eat that item and view that as a lack of some kind. Another could choose to eat whatever it is, knowing that corn syrup is not healthy. My choice is to substitute honey and enjoy the abundance provided by our buzzing friends.

As bees buzz around blossoms of every kind, they pollinate the tree, bush, flower, or plant and then return to their hive where they produce honey. The specifics of where they were pollinating before producing honey determines the type of nectar they create. From working in blackberries they will give us honey of a darker color and a mild blackberry taste. You will find honey on the grocers shelf with labels such as clover, alfalfa, apple, peach and just about every kind of flowering plant around. If you are preparing a dish requiring as little added flavor as possible, using clover honey is always a good option. When I stir up a new batch of honey mustard salad dressing, I like to use a different type of honey than in the previous recipe.

Try substituting honey for high fructose corn syrup in your favorite recipes. You just might amaze yourself and your family with the subtle taste differences as you experiment. Here is one recipe you can try as soon as fresh, organic fruit of any kind arrives at your farmer's market.

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Freezer Strawberry Jam

3 1/4 cups crushed berries
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup honey

Place exact mount of crushed berries and lemon juice in a large bowl. Gradually stir 1 box of pectin into berry mixture and set aside for about 30 minutes, stirring about every 5 minutes.

In another bowl, measure exact amount of sugar and set aside.

Pour honey into fruit mixture and mix well.

Stir sugar in gradually and continue stirring until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy.

Pour jam into clean, dry plastic containers, wipe tops and place lids on tops. Set aside until jam sets, up to 24 hours. Place containers in freezer.

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When I choose joy, or at least contentment, instead of dismay my blood pressure drops and my spirits lift. Always, the choice is mine just as it is yours. What will you choose today? I hope it will be joy and happiness rather than dismay or anger.