Kindness Brings a Warm Heart

Pear season is here and I will be making pear butter tomorrow.  The funny thing about the pears I'll be using is, 3 or 4 years ago I bought 3 pear trees.  Not having enough room for all of them I gave one to my neighbor.  Now the tree I gave away has bloomed every year full to the point of bending and possibly breaking with pears.  The 2 trees I planted have not born even 1 blossom.  Oh well I have a good neighbor who is willing to share and because of that, I will be making pear butter tomorrow.

This is why being neighborly is always a good thing.  When times are hard as they are now, one simple kindness can turn into another kindness.  In this case we have been blessed with pears.  This may seem like a little thing to you but to me in the cold winter months this pear butter will bring a warm feeling to my heart.

The recipe I use for the pear butter can be found in the Ball Blue Book of Preserving.  Many good recipes can be found in it and they are easy to follow.  Besides this book I also use the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving and a Gooseberry Patch cookbook, Mom's Favorite Recipes, the sixth printing July, 2005.  This is the pasta sauce recipe I make every year.  This year I made approximately 80 quart jars.  We use this for everything from pasta to pizza.  I have to tell you something I found while canning, it becomes addictive.  Once I got over the fear of poisoning us, I couldn't stop canning.  The more I canned the more I wanted to can but at some point during the summer months that enthusiasm subsides and you long for the winter months where you can just enjoy the bounty of the summer.

Remember if you decide to start homesteading, try to curb the enthusiasm just a bit.  Not that you shouldn't be enthusiastic, just jumping all in can become overwhelming.  Starting slowly lets you get your feet wet and you develop the skills you need for each task in a much calmer and enjoyable atmosphere.

Have a safe and blessed day.