Goodie Goodie Gumdrop

I made some yummy gumdrops this week; however the first batch was a complete disaster so I thought I’d share a few tips that will help anyone who wants to give this recipe a try!

- four tablespoons is closer to five packets of gelatin – not six

- measure out the gelatin don’t just trust the recipe :)

- use a three-quart (or slightly larger) pan

- to help prevent burning, bring the mixture to a boil and then turn it down to about medium

- line your pans with wax or parchment paper and coat the paper with cooking spray

- pull the chilled cubes out of the pans and place them on a sugared cutting board - don’t cut the gumdrops while they’re in the pan!

Happy Anniversary!

Today is our four-year wedding anniversary.  Can you believe it?  It’s hard enough to believe that we’re already more than halfway through this pregnancy!  It’s fun to look back on all the memories we've had together, but nothing can compare to what’s in store for us.  I married the best person for me and am so happy to have a baby on the way!

Half Baked

Last Monday, we had our “big” 20-week ultrasound appointment.  Luke and I got to watch our little baby for an entire hour.  :)  It was amazing!  The best part of the whole appointment was when the ultrasound tech commented that our baby had a beautiful heart.  Then, later when we met with the doctor, he said the exact same thing!  Luke and I have been praying for a healthy baby with a strong heart and then to hear those words was nothing less than an answered prayer.  To top it off, he or she was measuring right at 20 weeks!  Here are a few pictures of Baby Erickson:

Blackberry Jam

My mother-in-law was so generous when she sent Luke home last Tuesday with a huge box stuffed full of onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, basil, blackberries, potatoes, and more!  We knew we weren’t going to be able to eat it all, so we canned cucumbers and blackberries.  We also chopped up the green peppers and froze them.  Since I am just in love with the blackberry jam, I’ve posted my easy recipe for those canners out there!

2 cups smashed blackberries

2 packets True Lemon

2 Tbsp + ¾ tsp Ball RealFruit Classic Pectin (I used slightly less and it worked just fine)

2 cups sugar

First, prepare your waterbath canner, 3 half pint (8 oz) jars, lids, and rings.  Once you’re done with that, place the blackberries, lemon, and pectin in a 2-quart saucepan and bring the contents to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Add the sugar and then boil for another 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and ladle into clean jars leaving ¼ inch headspace.  Put the lids on and tighten the rings.  Place the jars into the waterbath canner for 10 minutes.  Cool on a towel for about 12 hours.  Yum...

Second Trimester!

Now that we’ve shared the news with just about everyone, I thought it was time to make it official on my blog.  Luke and I are expecting!  Our little baby is due to make his or her grand entrance on February 13^th.  I don’t think it’s possible for us to be any more excited than we are!

Overall, I’ve been feeling pretty well.  I’ve had sporadic nausea and headaches and constant exhaustion and food aversions.  I’m not complaining though; I will gladly take the little discomfort that I’ve had for a little baby.  Luke has truly been a lifesaver picking up my slack around the house and giving me and baby :) time to rest!  I haven’t gained much, if any, weight but my tummy has taken on a new shape.

14 weeks - 08/15/2011

Skin Deep Cosmetics Database

Molly, a friend from work hosted a Norwex party tonight and even though I’m a big fan of their products what I’m most excited to share with you is a website and no it’s not norwex.com (although you can check out all their awesome products there)!  Molly’s sister-in-law provided us with a website that scores products on a scale from 1-10 (low hazard-high hazard) based on the health concerns of the products’ ingredients.  I found a couple products on that website that I use such as Aveda’s Confixor Liquid Gel that have a pretty high rating.  Like me, you may be surprised by what you find.  Check it out for yourself at www.ewg.org/skindeep.

Card Crafting

I recently setup an Etsy site for the Stampin’ Up! cards I’ve been making.  Etsy is similar to eBay, but it’s geared towards buyers and sellers of handmade items.  I haven’t had too much traffic yet, so please check out my storefront and pass the website along to anyone you think may be interested!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ejunkbox?ref=si_shop

The Way Back

Luke and I watched a good movie last weekend called The Way Back that I’d recommend to just about anyone.  It was a 2 hour 15 minute drama based on a true story (see disclaimer below) of World War II Siberian labor camp escapees.  The small group journey from Siberia, through the Gobi Desert, and traverse the Himalayas to find freedom.  Even though many people challenge the book that the movie is based on, The Long Walk as a fraud, I enjoyed the story and the cinematography nonetheless.  For those of you who haven’t tried Netflix yet, I suggest you start your free trial this weekend!

Surviving Kidney Cancer

As some of you already know last Monday, January 24^th my dad was diagnosed with kidney cancer and had a blood clot that was traveling to his heart.  Thankfully we live near some of the best hospitals in the country and he was immediately admitted to St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, MN.  The next day it was determined that the cancer had spread from his right kidney up the vena cava (main blood vessel to the heart) and into his heart.  It had also begun spreading to his left kidney.  After multiple tests and a biopsy, the doctors concluded that he had renal cell carcinoma kidney cancer.  However the doctors did not find any cancer cells in the brain or bones – hallelujah!  The following Friday my dad made it through a very risky 12-hour surgery to remove his right kidney, the blood clot, the cancer in his heart, and repair all affected blood vessels.  The doctors were successful and the cancer is completely gone!  Right now he's recovering quite well and expected to come home tomorrow or Monday.  He should be back to "normal" in 6-8 weeks.

I really appreciate everyone’s support and prayers over the last 2 weeks.  I’m very lucky to have you all in my life!  Thank you to all my friends and family!

Paradise found on Providenciales

We’re officially back to reality and the weather sure helped with that.  When we left Providenciales on Friday it was 81 degrees and when we arrived in Minneapolis it was -6 degrees!   However, I can’t complain because Luke and I couldn’t have asked for a better 7-day vacation.  Here are some pictures from our trip:

I took this picture while at Leeward Beach on Sunday.  Look at the awesome blue hues in the sky and water!

This beautiful pink hibiscus flower was in full bloom when we arrived at our villa.

Luke swam out to Smith’s Reef for some snorkeling.

Here is a little Curly Tail Lizard perched on a rock.  This type of lizard is native only to the islands of the Caribbean.

This is just one of many red cushion stars we saw.

What an amazing sunset!  You can even see Turtle Rock on the right side of the horizon.

If you ever go to Providenciales, you have to go to Taylor Bay beach - it was my favorite!

There are several different types of plants on Providenciales.  Here is a picture of me by a Sea Grape plant on Taylor Bay beach.

Grace Bay beach is the most popular stretch of sand as it borders most of the resorts.  Even though it is the most popular beach, it isn’t overcrowded.  We stayed there until just after sunset, which created these soft pastel colors.

That's me hiking the bluffs on the southwest side of the island.

Thanks to our camera’s self-timer, we were able to get this picture of us at Pirate’s Cove.

I found all these little shells washed up on the beach.

Luke and I stopped by this mangrove habitat on our way back to our villa from Pirate’s Cove and Osprey Rock.  These Red Mangroves are found directly in coastal waters and are important for water quality control, shoreline stabilization from hurricane winds and waves, and they provide a sanctuary for marine life.

Thanks for the memorable vacation, Luke.  I love you!

Adios 2010!

Happy New Year everyone!  We spent our New Year’s Eve with the Erickson’s and enjoyed every minute of it.  However, Luke and I couldn’t help but look forward to 2011.  One of the first things on our calendar for 2011 is our vacation to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands.  The official countdown has begun – only 12 days until we say “adios” to Minnesota!

Merry Christmas!

Wow!  It's almost been a month since my last post and what do I have to show for it?  How about two of my favorite pictures from Christmas with my family...

Me and Brandie

Troy

So very thankful

Luke and I had a very busy Thanksgiving and it all started on Wednesday with a 16-hour round trip to Illinois.  My dad and Luke made the trip to help my brother Troy move home from college.  While they were doing that my mom and I made 2 pumpkin pies, 2 coconut cream pies, whipped cream, and more than a dozen dinner rolls!  Little did I know that the following day my sister Brandie would be flying in from New York to celebrate the holiday with us.  What an awesome surprise!  It’s so true that time flies when you’re having fun because before we knew it we were on the road again to spend Saturday with the Erickson side… and by Sunday we needed a siesta!  Tonight, Luke and I decorated the house for Christmas and I’m once again reminded of everything that I have to be thankful for… a loving husband, an awesome family, good health, my job, and a God who will always take care of us!  Amen!

Real Life

Below is a link to the first video of many in a series called "Real Life".  The videos document the true ongoing story of one man's unexpected encounter with drugs in south east Kentucky.  I've enjoyed it so far and you may too!

Real Life by MadBadVoodo