Relaxing weekend?

Well, I told myself I was going to relax this weekend after my busy July 4th in La Crosse. But instead of relaxing, I went a little crazy in the kitchen.

On Friday night, I stayed up until midnight making apricot jam. I loaded up on apricots at our local grocery store. Apricot jam is my husband's favorite, so I wanted to learn how to make it at home.

It was surprisingly easy to make -- now that I have a little practice. I placed the apricots in boiling water for 30 seconds to loosen up the peels. Then I plunged the fruit in a bowl of ice-water to stop them from cooking. The peels came off easily, and the apricots were ripe and easy to cut and mash. I used a recipe from the "175 Best Jams, Jellies, Marmalades and Other Soft Spreads" book, which I received as a promotional freebie at work.

The jam looks great, although I have to admit I haven't tasted it yet. We're still finishing up a jar of the peach jam I made last weekend. My husband is loving the peach jam; he actually likes that it's a little softer than the jam you buy in the store.

Of course, to go along with all this homemade jam, I made my favorite white dinner rolls. They look great right out of the oven.

I was on my feet all day on Saturday, working in the kitchen. But it was one of the best weekends I've had in a while. I'm at peace at home.