Sugar-Free Blackberry Apple Jam

I leave for college in one week.  That’s it, just one week.

As excited as I am, I’m just as nervous, if not more.  Fortunately, I’ve been too busy lately to sit and contemplate how soon it really is that I’m leaving my home.

I know that this is a new opportunity that I should be embracing, but the thought of never actually living in my house again scares me.  I went through the same feelings two years ago when I headed to college as a freshman, but one of my best friends was going with me and was just as nervous as I was.  This time, I’m on my own.  I’m leaving my family and Kellen and it freakin’ sucks! Luckily, my roommates seem really cool and I know that it will all be okay, it’s just the initial shock that I have to get over.

One of my biggest concerns is the future of my blog.  I love everything about having this blog and being a part of the blogosphere.  I’m so worried that I’m not going to have enough time to blog, or enough money to buy my own ingredients, or that people will think I’m a freak because I’m in the lobby and I’ve just baked something, and now I’m setting it on some crazy-colored material, and now I’m taking 32014 pictures of it… and they’re like “What the hell is wrong with that girl?” What do I do then?!?  So many worries!  Plus, I’m already pressed for finding time to blog and it’s summer!  I don’t know what the future will bring, but I do know that I’m going to keep this blog because I love it and I love you guys. Whether it’s twice a week or once a month, and I hope you can stick with me! 

So, yeah, anyway…I made some jam.  It’s sugar-free and tastes like it’s store-bought, minus all the gross and processed ingredients. Perfect for PB&J’s or just eating by the spoonful… or maybe that’s just me. 😉

Do you guys have any tips on moving and continuing to keep up your blog? Or how about tips for coping with homesickness?!

Sugar-Free Blackberry Apple Jam

3 cups blackberries

1 cup applesauce

1 envelope gelatine

1-2 packets Splenda

1.  Mash blackberries until they turn into mush.

2.  Combine all ingredients in a saucepan until it starts to boil.

3.  Turn the heat down and simmer for 5 minutes.

4.  Let cool until it turns into a gelatin-like jam!

Brown Sugar Blackberry Bundt Cake

I’m baaackk!!

Wowowowow! I had a great family reunion and Stuart’s and Jane’s (Kellen’s brother and now sister) wedding was amazing! Portland is absolutely beautiful and it was such a bummer coming back to such hot and humid weather.  It’s 112 degrees here today, can you believe that?!  It’s hell…literally!

I’m just going to do what I did when I went to New York and let the pictures I took describe the trip because words can’t do it justice. *Warning: This is a picture heavy post.

Chicago: 

Had to do it!  The Bean in Millennium Park.  P.S. My cousin just played there!

Portland:

All of the pictures so far have been taken at Jane’s parents’ beautiful home.

At the coast!

My poor attempt at a heart.

Yakuza Lounge… where I had the BEST burger of my life. Not even exaggerating.

Original Pancake House!

VOODOO!!

Demolished.

Candy seeds?? Awesome!

Completely homemade.

My favorite picture. Such a ridiculously good looking family.

Anyway, like I said, I had an awesome time in Chicago with family and my aunt did a great job setting up and preparing everything for us.  It was so good to see all of my family that I haven’t seen in such a long time!  I couldn’t have asked for a better time in Portland.  The scenery is beautiful and we were so lucky to have been able to see the best of Portland right in Jane’s backyard.  The wedding ceremony was breathtaking, the weather was gorgeous, the food was delicious, and the hospitality was outstanding.  I can’t use enough positive adjectives to describe the time we had.

Buuttt, that was vacation and vacation always ends, so here I am!  I’m happy to be back and baking, though, especially since I have something so yummy to share with you all.  This recipe turned out awesome!  I wasn’t expecting the best of it because it’s one of those “I have too much of something, so I need to get rid of it” kind of recipes.  I had a surplus of blackberries just sitting in the freezer, so I decided that I’d make blackberry budnt cake.  I didn’t have any eggs, so I used flax eggs and the cake came out a little dense, but the taste is phenomenal!  I was pleasantly surprised at how great this tastes.  A+!

Brown Sugar Blackberry Bundt Cake

Adapted from: Baseball Baking and Books

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 & 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 & 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

1 tablespoon flour

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. Preheat your oven to 350 and grease and flour a 9″ bundt pan. 

2. Place blackberries in a small bowl and toss with 1 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp lemon juice.

3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs one at a time; stir in sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir it into the butter mixture until well blended; gently fold in your “floured” blackberries.  Carefully pour or spoon the batter into your prepared bundt pan.
4. Bake the cake for 55 to 60 minutes in a preheated oven. (I took mine out at 50 because a toothpick came out clean, but it could have stayed in a little longer; the center ended up being a little gooey.)  

5. Cool cake (in the pan) on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a cake plate.  

*I added a lemon glaze on top of mine!