When I pulled out the spent tomato and ground cherry plants, I found a blanket of ground cherries that were still good—thanks to their protective husks. I decided to make some ground cherry jam.

Because of my recent baking blunders, I made a point to work slowly and deliberately. My mind was craving quiet. Peeling off husks and then cutting each gold orb in half was a slow, quiet process. It was a sensory experience—as it should be in the kitchen, but is often lost in the mad dash to get a meal on the table.

It can be challenging to stay in the moment and lately I’ve noticed that more often than not, I’m mindlessly going about tasks (oftentimes “multitasking” myself into a frenzy). All that leaves my brain fuzzy and my memory fried: What did I do today? Was I really listening? I can find beauty and pleasure in most tasks if I slow down enough. It’s about taking time. So, that’s my goal: living mindfully and thankfully.

Back to the jam: all the quiet and calm helped me cope when it wouldn’t set! Oh, well. Now I’ve got plenty of ice cream topping? Any ideas out there? What to do with runny ground cherry jam?

Previous post on ground cherries here.