Christmas Gifts

Last year we tried something new for Christmas gifts. We have two sour cherry trees in our backyard and every year we scratch our head and try to figure out what to do with all of the cherries. I make all sorts of pies, cakes, jams and jellies, I freeze some, and make syrup, give them away, and the birds still eat well for a week! So we decided to try and make cherry cordial, (remember in Anne of Green Gables when Anne gave her friend Diana cherry cordial?) The cordial turned out wonderful. The color was beautiful; the flavor was just right, the price less than a dollar per bottle. But the best news is that you don't have to pit all the cherries, so it is a super easy project, compared to all the other things we make with the cherries.

Last year we made about 30 bottles of the liqueur, and we gave them all away in a space of about 2 weeks. As a matter of fact we actually "debated/argued" about who would get them as gifts, because we wanted to give them to so many people! The liqueur was a great hit with friends and family alike, so we decided from then on, we would make as much as possible, so we have enough to pass out all year long.

This year the cherry trees bloomed while James was in China. I was going to take pictures to show him, but when I took my camera out one day, I noted there were hardly any blooms! I thought maybe I was too late and the wind must have blown them away. I kept watching for the berries to appear, but this year I was disappointed. We barely have any cherries! James and Aidan picked some last weekend, and to our dismay they were barely able to fill one bucket. (Usually we can pick a bucket a day and still have leftovers) So, we are still going to make cordial, but we will probably have even less than last year! The hard part will be deciding who will be lucky enough to receive some cordial this year. Hopefully you will be one of the lucky chosen!