Rose Petal Jam and 5 Minute Artisan Bread

At the end of the blooming season before our first freeze, I gather some rose petals to make a few jars of Rose Petal Jam.
I garden organically, no pesticides and natural fertilizer, so the blossoms are completely edible. There is no color added to the jam, its color is the result of the petals you choose. The most fragrant roses make the most flavorful jam.I used a mix of David Austin English pink roses, and several blooms from the Don Juan (deep red) climbers that grow over the arched gate at the entrance to the main rose garden.


Usually the jam is a very delicate pink, but this time (because of the red Don Juan petals), the color was much more intense ~ a little deeper than usual.( If you like the hand crafted serving board in these photos, you will want to go by Thibeault's "The Vancouver Island Gallery" to see the gorgeous hand-crafted wood offerings to learn more. )

The process is very simple ~ just the washed rose petals, lemon juice, water and sugar, and pectin (to assist in thickening).Since this jam will be used up and given away, I don't process it for longer storage. It is kept in the refrigerator or freezer and is best used within a couple of weeks.


I wish I could share the intense fragrance and delicate flavor of homemade Rose Petal Jam, it is absolutely heavenly.


It makes a fine spread for scones, biscuits, muffins, waffles or pancakes, etc. as well as your favorite bread ~ in this case the Five-Minute a Day Artisan bread.The sweetness of the jam contrasts and complements the tart, sour flavor of the bread beautifully.


The recipes for making Rose Petal Jam are all very similar, some like to add herbs such as lavender, lemon verbena or thyme, or grated lemon or orange peel, even a splash of vanilla or rum, but I prefer it plain. You can find many recipes for Rose Petal Jam or Jelly on the internet;THIS one is a favorite. Note the pretty color that is produced by using all pink petals ~ that is my favorite; but this time I had more reds than pinks so the red is more predominant in this batch.


Thank you for stopping by today, I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Please stop on by at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday andHow Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday to see all participants this week.

Pink Saturday ~ Breast Cancer Awareness Month

It's Pink Saturday ~ and Breast Cancer Awareness Month.



Recently our son was visiting. We visited a few nearby towns, including a favorite historic town not far from home, which overflows with photo opportunities.







From across the stree I spotted this dress. Upon closer inspection we realized the bodice was comprised of Breast Cancer Awareness ribbons. *heart*

Such a clever attention-getter for the local annual

Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon.

Please visit our host Beverly at her wonderful blog, How Sweet the Sound, to see all the participants in this weeks Pink Saturday event!

Thank you for hosting us so graciously Beverly.

And thank YOU for stopping by to visit today.

I would love it if you would leave me a comment so I can come visit your blog. Have a great weekend everyone!

Pink Saturday ~ Pink in the September Garden

~ Welcome to Pink Saturday ~

The gardens will be put to sleep for the winter soon, so I'm savoring some of the last of this years blooms. I hope you enjoy them too!

Pink Phlox

Pink Hollyhocks

Pink David Austin rose ~ "Mary Rosa"

Thank you Beverly for hosting us once again this week, please stop by her blog, How Sweet the Sound to see all of the other participants for this Pink Saturday.

Thank you for stopping by today ~ I would LOVE it if you would leave me a comment.

Happy Pink Saturday, friends!

Pink Saturday ~ David Austin English Roses

Welcome ~

It's time for another PINK Saturday!

I'm featuring roses today because soon

the last of this years crop of roses will be spent ~

So I take every opportunity to spend time in the rose gardens enjoying their perfume and beauty.

I always cut some to share with others, and make some casual bouquets to place around the house, too.

Windows open to catch a warm breeze, and roses on the table ;

I'm not quite ready to let summer go just yet.


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To see a list of all of the wonderful bloggers who are participating please check Beverly's beautiful blog



How Sweet the Sound.


Thank you for hosting us Beverly!

Pink ! Roses and Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

In spring we had a rose-themed celebration ~ because it was a little early in the season for my roses I chose the old fashioned David Austin rose "Mary Rosa", which is the earliest of bloomers in my rose gardens.

Mary Rosa is an incredibly prolific bloomer, giving an gorgeous show with two or three flushes of blooms throughout the entire summer. The pink blossoms fill the air with the delightful scent of honey and almonds ~ absolutely heavenly!

Interestingly Mary Rose (also his sister's name) was named after King Henry VIII's flagship of the same name, when it was recovered after sinking 400 years earlier.

I garden organically, no sprays or pesticides, so the petals are completely edible.

Strawberry - Rose Frozen yogurt

Showered with rose petals to carry out the theme

I use the electric ice cream maker all year round for all sorts of frozen desserts, not only ice cream but sorbets, gelatos, custards, and often for frozen yogurt. I appreciate being able to control the quality of the ingredients ~ and custom flavors you can't find anywhere else. :)

I always keep the canister in the freezer so fresh, frozen treats can be enjoyed within minutes. Helpful Tip~ get an extra canister, it really comes in handy if you want to serve two kinds of frozen desserts, and if you store it in the freezer there is no waiting for a canister to freeze.

Someone in my family has sugar issues, so this time I sweetened the frozen yogurt with Splenda (TM) , it turned out creamy and delicious.

If you would like a printable copy of the recipe you can find it on my recipe blog by clicking HERE.

With great thanks to our host Beverly for hosting

Pink Saturday, on her blog

"How Sweet the Sound"

Thank you for visiting me today ~ I welcome your comments.