Strawberries and Homemade Jam Recipe

This last weekend, I made homemade strawberry jam, which I also call the sweetest thing one can make with just 3 ingredients. Doesn't that sound so simple and sweet?

With the summer approaching, strawberries are in season now! You can either buy some from a store (that's what I did) or pick them fresh from a strawebrry field or your garden if you are a gardener. Strawberry jam is so flavorful, delicious, and it's perfect for breakfast and weekend brunch parties!

You will need:

• A large pan
• 1:1 ratio of sugar:fresh strawberries (ex: 1lb sugar, 1lb stawberries)
• 1 lemon

Wash the strawebrries very well and remove the hulls with a knife. Tranfer the berries in a large deep pan. Add sugar on top of the berries. Then, wait bteween 2 hours to 1 day, depending on the ripeness of the fruit and/or simply depending on your patience levels... I could able to wait around 3 hours. With time, strawberries will suck the sugar, melt and release water. Once all the sugar is dissolved, turn on your stove to medium heat. Cook your jam until it reaches the desired consistency. If you like a marmalade, crush the strawberries with a blender. You will also need to spoon out the foams while the jam is cooking. Before you remove it from the stove, squeze in one lemon juice and cook it for 5 more minutes.

"Is it done?" Test: Here is a smart tip to test whether the jam is done: simply transfer a spoon of jam into a small plate. Wait unitl the jam cools down and bend the plate sideways. If the jam doesn't move sideways, it means it is done.  

Phases of Strawberry jam making

The photo above shows the phases of strawberry jam cooking from my kitchen, from start to finish. YUMM! How delicious would this homemade jam willl go with pancakes or on a crusty bread, don't you think?

Pastel Green Gemstone Jewelry



Pastel gemstone necklace by A Cup of Sparkle

Choosing a bright colored summer dress and accessorizing it with pops of soft pastel jewelry is a great way to go. No matter what color of outfit you choose, pastels will go well with it... This icy green pastel necklace is so perfect for summer with its luminous prehnite gemstones combined with shiny sterling silver. This pastel jewelry set is freshly listed in my shop and it is one-of-a kind. 

Geometric large irregular semiprecious stone centers the luminous green beads paired with a short sterling silver chain. The round beads are wire-wrapped and the necklace is finished with a lobster clasp. This set is one of my design faves from my shop - I hope you liked it as well!

To read more about this gemstone necklace and earrings, you can visit my shop by clicking here...

Polka Dot Fabric Jewelry Bags by A Cup of Sparkle

If you have shopped with A Cup of Sparkle Jewelry and Accessories before, you are probably familiar with these fabric jewelry bags. To add the season a little bit more color, I changed the color and design a little. Here is the new handmade jewelry bags in bright orange polka dotted fabric lined with matching orange satin ribbon.

These are perfect to keep your jewelry safe and organized either at home or while you are traveling.  All of the A Cup of Sparkle jewelry bags are made by me and my mom, and comes with any A Cup of Sparkle purchase.You can also find the tutorial on how to make these multifunctional bags in my blog as well as many different styles of jewelry bags.

Have a refreshing long weekend.

After a busy couple of weeks, I am so ready to relax. My hubby, doggy and I are going for a short camping trip this weekend. It is our first time taking our dog to camp with us. I am hoping that he will also enjoy being outside of the city for a while. What about you? Are you doing anything fun this weekend? Hope you have a refreshing one...

I ran 26.2 miles: BMO Vancouver Marathon

Yes, I ran 26.2 miles on May 5th in Vancouver. It was a great experience; both training for it and actually running the entire distance on the race day. My running partner and I have started our training almost 7 months ago. It feels so great to reach our goals after so many after-work runs in South Lake Union and long weekend runs on endless Burke Gilman Trail in Seattle, rain or sunshine...

Remember my first race medallion, here is a photo of it from a 15K run almost one year ago. Since then, I have done three half marathons and some short races but, this is my first full marathon. Now, I can proudly say that "I ran a full marathon"!

The line marked in red on the map is the route. It started at Queen Elizabeth Park, looped around the University of BC, Stanley Park and ended in downtown. The route was absolutely spectacular! Even though I have not done any other marathons before, I cannot imagine a more beautiful place to run than Vancouver.

Here are some more photos from the race day. It was a very hot day! However, the volunteers kept us hydrated with drinks and some spectators even sprinkled water from hoses to cool us. I truly appreciated all their efforts and time.

Thanks to everyone, to my husband, my training partner and all the BMO Vancouver Marathon organizers! It was a long, fun and a rewarding experience that I will always remember.

Have a heart-racing weekend.

What are you all up to this weekend?  I am having a sparkling Saturday and hoping to have a relaxing day on Sunday. I love this logo that fits perfectly for my day as I am running the Lake Sammamish Half Marathon today with my running partner. (wish me luck!). Hope you will be doing something to get your heart racing with enjoyment and excitement this weekend... Have a good one!

Hand Stitched Birds Nest Card Making Tutorial

I tend to keep myself busy making so many variety of crafts and arts but, card making has never been one before. My hubby has been unfortunately sick this last week, so I wanted to make him something special and came up with this hand stitched birds nest card. In case you would like to make this special card for someone in your family, here is the simple tutorial on how to make this hand stitched birds nest card:

Materials: Tread, a branch, needle, beads, paper, scissors, pen, glue or double sided tape

Step 1: Pick a thick paper and one or more thread of your color of choice. I started with an A4 size paper. So, I didn't worry about centering the nest.

Step 2: Start stitching and leave a 1- 2 inches long thread on the surface by keeping the tension on the tread very loose. 

Step 3: Repeat step 2 until you create the base of the nest. Make it into a ball shape like a nest.

Step 4: Once you have the base, continue stitching horizontally. This time you won't be poking the needle to the paper. Move the needle through the base to crowd the nest until you are happy with its look. You can easily switch back and forth with different colors of thread to create a 3-dimensional look. (You don't want to tear the paper. So, it is very important to use the technique in this step)

Step 5: Now, it is time to lay the eggs onto the nest. I used three beads representing myself, my hubby and our puppy Aslan. You could also choose to add number of eggs representing only the children in the family. In this step, you will sew the beads in the center of the nest in a triangle.

 

Step 6: Your nest is complete. You can now accessorize it by adding a branch, leaves, flowers, birds, butterflies... anything you can think of to embellish the card. Use your imagination and personalize it for that special person you will give this card to.

Step 7: Trim the paper to the size you want the card to be. And then, apply a glue or double sided tape to add a paper on the back so that the stitches wont show.

Step 8: Give this card to someone special and make them smile :)

Let me know if you decide to try to make your own nest and if you have any questions. Cheers...