More Violets

I've been giving away those little jars of violet jelly because they're just so unusual. When I give one away, the recipient says, "Oh, violet jelly. Thanks! Wait...REAL violets?" And then I launch into a description, and it's really fun to share such an unexpected thing with people!

So today I made a second batch and used it as a teachable moment with the 9 year old to discuss pH and litmus tests. I'm totally geeking out about that one little step in the process - adding the lemon juice and letting the violet water change color. For some reason, that makes me happy. Chemistry in everyday life!

I also made a batch of mascarpone cheese and used half of it to make strawberry-raspberry soup. I put the mascarpone in a blender with half a cup of orange juice, a half-pint of raspberries and a quart of strawberries and about 3 T. honey. Once blended, I chilled it until dinnertime and served garnished with a few berries. Sometimes we do this when it's too warm to cook; tonight we also had shrimp cocktail and bread. No cooking involved.