Do You Know What that is For?

I learned something new this summer....See that little "camera" on the very left side of the Google Search Bar? Have you ever used it? I had not!

I cannot take credit for learning of this without some help. I love watching U-Tube videos by a lady who goes by "Crazy Lamp Lady", and she is the person who has taught me so very much about buying for resale and what it is I am actually looking at...I picked this up on one of her videos.

Try this at home: find something old that you know is not unique and may have some value. Set it on an uncluttered space. Take your phone and tap that little camera on the search bar. You will get "Google Lens". Tap "Search with your Camera". Then tap the "Open Camera" bar. It will ask you how you want to open it. I have been too lazy to download the app, so I always tap "Only this time". Then take a photo of the item. Google will search for results of your item on Ebay, Etsy, Poshmark, and other places where items are for sale on the internet.

I just searched for my coffee mug, which happens to be a Starbucks Pike Place Market mug. I am being told that it is being sold for anywhere from $30 - $115 on Ebay!

Of course, this just gives you an idea of the worth of the item you are looking at...and possibly tells you what you are looking at if you are not certain. But I find myself using this nifty little tool more and more as the summer and garage sale season is passing by.

Enjoy! Your're Welcome!

Dragonflies

Every year, in the late summer, we get a lot of big green or blue dragonflies darting about

the yard and garden. A few years ago, one got stuck in the deer netting I had put up (which catches dragonflies, but does absolutely nothing to deter Montana deer!) I find these insects so fascinating, and just hated to see this guy in distress. I got a pair of scissors and -very carefully- cut the netting so he could get out.

I swear that for years he would come back around and say hello to me...

I looked up "about Dragonflies" on Google. This is what I found....

Dragonflies are fascinating insects with a rich history and unique characteristics. Here are some interesting facts about dragonflies:

1. Dragonflies are ancient insects that have been around for over 300 million years. They were one of the first winged insects to evolve, even before the dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

2. Dragonfly nymphs live in the water and breathe through their anus. They hunt other aquatic invertebrates and even small fish or tadpoles.

3. Most new dragonfly adults are eaten by predators in the first few days after their emergence.

4. Dragonflies have excellent vision that helps them detect the movement of other flying critters and avoid in-flight collisions.

5. Dragonflies are masters of flight and can fly in all directions, including backward.

6. Male dragonflies fight for territory and have multiple sex organs.

7. Some dragonflies migrate, with some species traveling up to 11,000 miles across oceans and continents.

8. Dragonflies thermoregulate their bodies by adjusting their wings to different angles to capture or reflect sunlight. Dragonflies are winged insects that belong to the group Odonta, which goes back 325 million years. They have large compound eyes, transparent wings with coloured markings, and long bodies. They can fly up to 35 miles an hour and backward, and some species can migrate thousands of miles. They are fearsome predators of other insects, as well as small fish and tadpoles, using their lower jaw or their flying ability to catch their prey. They start their lives in the water, where they hatch from eggs and live as nymphs for up to three years.

Cherry Jelly

Cherry Jelly is a very mild, unassuming jelly. It does not pack the same punch as say, blackberry or raspberry jam and jelly. So I do not make as much of it as I do raspberry and strawberry freezer jam. But it sets up very prettily and is a lovely taste of summer to put into Christmas baskets.

(Disclaimer here--I am not giving you a recipe for Cherry Jelly)

After picking cherries and making Cherry Syrup, (see my Cherry Syrup blog) I still have all this cherry juice left. Fruit juice can easily be frozen until you have "extra" time (which can be a real commodity during the summer months).

Using Sure-Jell, follow the directions for cooked jelly that come in the box. If you want success, do not skimp on sugar. Sure Jell has a Low or No Sugar Needed option on the market if you are interested in trying it. My mom has used it for jams, but not for jelly, so sorry, but I cannot give you an opinion on it.

Follow the directions exactly. Timing is very important with jelly. You do not want to go through all the work of making the fruit juice and all the cost of ingredients, only to have things not jell because you did not time things properly.

Two things I have found that help immensely to make my jelly firm and pretty:

1-Strain the juice of half a lime into the cherry juice when you measure it into the pot. This adds acid that helps the jelly actually ...well...jell.

2- add a bit of butter to the pot before the jelly begins to boil. This will help keep the foaming down. It really does help!

When your jelly has cooked and you turn off the stove, skim the bit of (inevitable) foam off the surface with a spoon. Immediately ladle the hot jelly into small, clean jars. With a wet cloth, wipe the rims and top with hot lids. Screw the lids down tight and set them on the cupboard, with space around each jar, to cool. You will hear the lids pop and seal - a very satisfying sound! Now they can be stored in the pantry until time to gift or eat!