Jam Wedding Favours

I have been researching some ideas for a rustic wedding and I just have to share a gorgeous favour with you. Jam jar favours really bring home the theme of a rustic wedding.  Here are some images and a quick how to.

How to make Jam

Serve in recycled jars or purchase glass jars (125ml).  Add some gingham or hessian to the lid and tie together with a ribbon of your choice.  Attach a label thanking people for coming to your wedding, or have some fun and add sentences like “spread the love.” Remember to add your names and the date of your wedding.  You can use any fruit to make the jam below.  The recipe below will only make 10 cups, so if you have 100 guests, you can either enlist some family members or do it in stages.  The jam will be preserved in the jars.

Ingredients

• 1.4 kg peaches or indigenous fruit
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• 5 cups sugar

Directions

1.  Wash, peel, pit and chop peaches-you want 10 cups.
2.  Place all ingredients in a large glass bowl and let stand for 1 hour.
3.  Transfer to a large stainless or enamel pot.
4.  Bring to a full boil.
5.  Boil for 25 minutes to reach the jelly point-stir often and then constantly as the mixture nears the jell point.
6.  Remove and skim off foam.
7. Place jars in the oven, until they are hot.
8.  Ladle the jam into clean hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head space.
9.  Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
10. Decorate the lid and add the labels when the jar has cooled.
11. Your jam is ready to be presented on the tables at your wedding.

Glass jars: R3.00

Jam ingredients: R400

Sticky paper for labels: R50

Fabric: R50

Your time: free

Total cost for each jam favour @ 100 guests: R8.00

Hope you enjoy making these favours.  Come back soon for more D.I.Y. wedding favour ideas.

Lots of Love

Faye

Save the Whales

I have already signed the petition to put a stop to whale hunting.  It is barbaric, cruel and worst of all completely unnecessary.  They need a huge outcry of people to stop the lifting of the global ban on commercial whale hunting.  Please read the letter and sign the petition.

Dear friends,

A new proposal would lift the global ban on commercial whale hunting. Countries are deciding their positions on it now, so an outcry is needed -- sign to protect the ban and save the whales:

The International Whaling Commission has just unveiled a proposal to legalize commercial whale hunting for the first time in 24 years.

Countries are now deciding their first responses -- and they're watching public reaction closely. New Zealand called its provisions -- which include a legal quota for hunting endangered fin whales -- "offensive," "unacceptable," and "inflammatory." But other key nations are rumoured to be leaning in support of it. They need to hear from us now.

Avaaz has launched an urgent petition to show our leaders their people want to protect whales, not hunt, kill, and sell them. Already, 400,000 people have signed -- and the petition is being sent to the International Whaling Commission each time it reaches another 100,000 signatures. Sign here and forward this message:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/whales_under_threat_5/?vl

A strong international consensus has opposed whaling for decades -- but for just as long, Japan, Norway, and Iceland have continued to hunt whales, ignoring the global ban on whaling or exploiting a loophole by claiming their expeditions were "scientific research." Now they could be rewarded by this "compromise" proposal, in which their commercial whaling would be made legal in exchange for unenforceable promises to slowly reduce their yearly catch.

Worse still, a number of other countries are watching the process closely in hopes of launching their own whaling programs. If Japan, Norway, and Iceland can hunt whales and sell their meat, others will ask "if them, why not us?"

It's time to save the whales -- again. The IWC proposal will be voted up or down by country delegates this June, but their positions are hardening fast -- let's respond massively, right away, everywhere. Click below and forward this message to oppose the legalization of commercial whale hunting:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/whales_under_threat_5/?vl

Forty years ago, whales were on the brink of extinction. But thanks to a global social movement, the world banned commercial whaling in 1986. The ban is one of the environmental movement's great triumphs.

Today, whales still face many threats: not just the whalers' harpoons, but also climate change, destruction of ecosystems by overfishing and pollution, and nets intended for other fish. A renewed wave of commercial whaling could devastate these extraordinarily intelligent and social cousins of humanity. This is no time to move backwards.

With hope,

Ben, Ricken, Paula, Iain, David, Luis, and the whole Avaaz team


SOURCES:

"Whaling plan draws anger from green groups" - BBC, 22 April 2010
http://www.avaaz.org/whaling_green_anger

"IWC whaling proposal 'offensive'" - New Zealand Herald, 23 April 2010
http://www.avaaz.org/whales_offensive

Background on the 1986 international moratorium on whaling:
http://www.avaaz.org/international_whaling_moratorium

Read the actual proposal here (PDF format):
http://www.avaaz.org/whale_proposal


Support the Avaaz community! We're entirely funded by donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way -- donate here.