Escape to a Simpler Place and Time- A Summer’s Day
It’s July in our village, and it’s very hot! Slow living becomes a necessity in this heat! Today, I am harvesting some of our lavender to make some easy and pretty decorative candles, I’m also going to pick some plums from our own tree to make some homemade plum jam.
Would you like to escape to a simpler place and time? Maybe just for a nice relaxing holiday, or maybe to leave the ‘rat race’ for good.
We are an English couple living in a rural village in the foothills of the Balkan mountains - a place where time seems to have stood still.
We make videos about life here with an emphasis on Slow living and Cottagecore:
A return to the land, home cooked food from scratch, rustic interiors, Self-sufficiency, local customs and traditions, and the beautiful countryside around our home.
Perhaps your dream has been to take early retirement? Or to afford your own small farm or homestead? Or maybe you just want to take a relaxing holiday in a beautiful sunny location.
We have been able to realise our own dreams of doing all of the above. We have created this channel to provide help, advice and information for anyone wishing to do the same, and to celebrate this beautiful location.
Our valley is the perfect place to relax. Enjoy the beautiful surroundings and the sunny climate, and let the fast pace of the modern world fade away. Indulge in home cooked traditional food and wines in rustic surroundings. delight in the colourful customs and celebrations that are still alive here. Maybe rediscover ‘old’skills like wine making, canning, Animal husbandry, or just how to cook a traditional dish on the log-fueled ‘petchka’.
#VillageLife
#Cottagecore
#SlowLiving
#HomeSteading
#Simplelife
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How to Make Plumb Jam
Ingredients
2 kg (4 ½ pounds) plums 1 ½ kg (3 ⅓ pounds) granulated sugar 1 ½ tablespoon (30 ml) lemon juice
1. Sterilise the jars and lids you are going to use.
2. Place 2 small plates or saucers in the freezer
3. Wash the plums and remove any blemishes. Cut the fruit in half, remove the stone and cut the pieces in half again.
4. Add the quartered plums to a wide saucepan.
5. Gently cook on a low heat until the juice starts to run and the fruit is softened.Be careful not to burn the fruit. If it looks like there isn’t enough juice then add the lemon juice at this point. You may need to add a little water also. 
6. Bring the fruit to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook with the lid on until the fruit is soft. Then, add the sugar and lemon juice (if not already added) and stir until the sugar dissolves.
7. Bring the fruit to a rolling boil, stirring frequently at this point, scraping the bottom of the pan.
8. After about 5 minutes, start to check for setting point by placing a teaspoon of the hot jam on one of the frozen plates. push it gently with your fingertip. If it wrinkles, even slightly, it is ready.
9. If the jam doesn’t set, turn the heat down, and continue to cook.
10. If you want to, you can remove the pan from the heat and liquidise the jam - though the fruit does tend to melt quite easily. Take off the heat to do this.
11. If your jam has any scum, remove it with a spoon.
12. Alternatively, add a knob of butter and stir to remove the scum.
13. When ready, ladle the Plum Jam into hot, sterilised jars and seal with the lids. After cooling, wipe the jars to remove any spills, label with the date and jam variety and store in a cool, dark place. The jam will still be liquid at this point. It should keep for about a year. After opening a jar keep in the refrigerator.
Note
Do not be tempted to reduce the amount of sugar as it is the sugar that helps to preserve the jam.
Lemon juice not only balances the sweetness of the sugar, but it also contains acid and pectin which help to set the jam.
If the jam doesn’t set - it is still delicious! I have use mine in sauce for pork,, over ice cream, yoghurt, and on scones. 
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Music
- honeysuckle - by honeypot - courtesy of iMovie
- hard to say goodbye - by washed out - courtesy of iMovie
- romantic, piano, Solo - from pond, five music  www.pond5.com/
Canva images :
Lavender By
TanyaKurt from pixabay
Jam by
KatarzynaBialasiewicz from Getty images
Video footage
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28 авг 2024
