Grapevine

-
The kids and I are doing something new this week... a home-economics experiment, if you will...

We're making our own raisins.

For those of you at home with a food dehydrator, you're saying, "So what, that's no big deal." However, we have no appliance to help us with this little project. We're just letting nature take its course.

It is grape season here and so, as per some of my prior posts, the delightful orbs of deliciousness are in plenty all over the city. I bought up about five pounds of seedless green grapes yesterday, took them off the stems, cleaned them properly, and put them in a big pan.

Next? Stick them out in the sun to dry out naturally.

This will not be a fast process. We started it today and the grapes were in the direct sunlight baking for about 6-8 hours. Some of them are starting to dry out and turn color slightly, but I think we still have several days 'til we can start topping our bran cereals with plump, delicious and relatively healthy (non-sugared) raisins.

If you want to get technical, we're not actually making 'raisins', we're making 'sultanas', seeing as we're starting with green grapes. I should go out and buy some purple grapes and see what happens to those.

I'll try to keep you updated on the progress of this little experiment... interesting or non-interesting as it may be. Yes, it's kind of like watching grass grow or paint dry. But at least it's a fun little activity to keep us from getting bored. And it's something the kids and I can do together which is always definitely a good thing.

~lk

Comments

Kim G. said…
Sorry to hear about your tough days recently. A good bowl of bran and sultanas will be a nice treat. :)

Seriously, I'll be praying for you. I know how that kind of streass can wear on you and get you down. Take care of yourself!
10:36 PM
Kim G. said…
Sorry - that was supposed to be "stress".
10:37 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On Compassion

-
The tension has really ratcheted up in the last couple of weeks.     It seems like people are on edge. Extra nervous.     Almost on the verge of panicking. Is it COVID? Is it the election? Is it the constant uncertainty that we’ve all been under for months and months and months… and months?     So many of us thought that SURELY by the holidays we would have returned to ANY KIND of normal – old normal, new normal, abnormal… something.     But no.     Here we are.     It’s in this unsettled state of existence that my heart has started hurting.  It’s started hurting so much for all the broken people out there.  Yes, there’s been a lot of breaking going on.  Broken hearts, broken lives, you name it, things are breaking.  And there is pain and suffering going on.  And people who are broken need to be seen and heard and understood.   I think what’s needed most right now is some g...
Read more

On Thanksgiving

-
I read an article this afternoon titled, “You have permission to not be thankful this Thanksgiving”.     The author’s point was that no one should have to force themselves to be grateful just because a date on the calendar prescribes that we should be thankful.     She even brought in to her argument the fact that “the original Thanksgiving” (think Pilgrims and Native Americans) was a horrible affair sans turkey or any feelings of thanks or of giving or of compassion and humanity.     True enough, I suppose. I would never argue that someone should be forced to be thankful.     I would never say that someone should be compelled to give thanks for things that they don’t have or for things which have been ripped from their grasp.     Forced joy is not joy.     I get that.   However, if I’m going to argue about anything, I would choose to argue passionately about one thing in this regard.  And here's the reason:   I ...
Read more

Thoughts on Election Day

-
                It’s election day here in America.     A day of red, white, and blue.     Many people have already cast their vote, but others are waiting in lines at polling places, eager to fulfill their civic duty. It’s a day that’s supposed to be a celebration of democracy.     It’s supposed to be a day when we exercise our right to choose leadership for our country that will represent us and help to guarantee that our voices are heard.     It is a day that women and people of color have fought for the right to participate in.     Fought for the right to be included.     It’s a day that’s supposed to bring us together in unity as a nation with hope for a future that will bring us the promises our forefathers, white, male and slave owners they may have been, founded this nation to bring to reality.                ...
Read more