Beans, more beans and Christmas

I'm ready to snatch a camera somewhere! There is a luscious green pile of beans on my counter, just waiting to be blanched and freezed. And a pan full of what shall I call it, a rather orangy looking fluid on my stove that is supposed to become apple-orange jelly. The main reason it is still fluid and not jelly is because the photos in my brand new book "Preserves" show clear liquid and mine is still cloudy..... I quess letting it sit there will not make it any clearer so I have to come up with something real clever or just jelly it the way it is. Decisions, decisions.

It definitely smells very christmassy here, and that with the t-shirt and the late september sun shining makes it.....eeeh....weird!
And even more season on my countertop: stoofpeertjes! Yes do translate that please :-D. Small pears, simmer with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, and to make them blush even more add some cherry brandy.

All clear!! Took the plunge and dumped an incredible amount of sugar in the pot and boiled for more than the said 10 minutes (closer to 30 minutes). And tadaaaa, it was all clear and siropy. I got myself a burn to prove it, ouch. Filled 5 little pots of surprisingly red (red? Okay red it is) stuff. It was supposed to be orange but I like this color too.