Happy Valentine’s Day!

This is what I made the family for breakfast today — heart shaped pancakes (no form, just spooning the batter on the griddle in the heart shape) with strawberry jam/syrup. Each year when strawberry season comes around, I buy a couple flats of strawberries and make freezer jam. It tastes like fresh strawberries, and what could be better when there’s a foot of snow outside? This is how my Grandmother made it, but I think it may also be the same as the recipe inside the Fruit Jell box. Strawberry Freezer Jam 1 quart strawberries 2 cups crushed berries 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 4 cups sugar 3/4 cups water 1 pouch Fruit Jell pectin

Wash and prepare fruit. Combine fruit, lemon juice and sugar; let stand 10 minutes. Combine water and pectin in small sauce pan. Boil one minute, stirring constantly. Add cooked pectin to fruit mixture and stir for 3 minutes. Ladle into 8 oz jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Screw caps on finger tight. Let jam set 12 hours and put in freezer. Will keep in refrigerator up to 3 weeks. If you double the recipe it will not set firmly and you will have syrup rather than jam, it’s great with pancakes, waffles and french toast!

It makes plain old pancakes:

look and taste much better: