Thanks JohnDeereGal and Carol, your suggestions are appreciated. I'm really surprised Certo doesn't have a recipe for this. I read where someone else used the regular recipe for jam but increased the amount of berries so I decided to go for it. Of course she was talking about cooked jam, but she said if the recipe called for 3 cups of berries, she added an extra 2 cups (total 5). I usually make a double batch, but decided to try a single first. The Certo recipe calls for 2 cups of berries so I added an extra 1-1/3 cups. I also added just a dash of vanilla extract. I figured the extra berries would be pretty tart. Other than that I followed the freezer jam recipe. I won't know for sure until tomorrow, it needs to set up for 24 hours. BUT...we couldn't wait! Had pancakes for dinner and tried some. YUM! I compared the jam I made to the syrup and the syrup is definitely a bit more tart but the slight vanilla undertone was surprisingly good. Still thin though--tomorrow I hope it thickens just a bit. Thanks again, this will make awesome Christmas gifts! Linda

Sherry's recipe sounds like my recipe for gingersnaps...one of my favorite cookies. I prefer a crisp cookie, but I do like chewy ones also, so I might try Annie's recipe (I KNOW my husband would like them). In any case, I hadn't thought to use crystalized ginger in a gingersnap....why it hadn't occurred to me I have no idea...but I've got some very good home made ginger, and think I'll try some of that in my next batch of 'snaps. I think a crispy cookie with little bits of chewy ginger in it sounds wonderful. I like a Seabreeze. It's a sort of backwards Cape Codder, a Vodka and Grapefruit juice with a splash of Cranberry. But it really has to be freshly squeezed Grapefruit juice and since moving to the Valley, I can't get good,cheap Grapefruit anymore.

LOL Carol, I do have a bridge at the north end..but it's still a trip...I don't know how my hubby commutes daily so far..but he does it and I'm grateful for the ability to stay on my Island. I have purchased at Costco in the past too, and yep it's Canadian.. (BTW, Costco is exactly 33 miles from their gas station to my front door, over 2 bridges, and 45 minutes on a good day. TJ's is another 40 plus minutes on a non existant traffic day down I5.) I was kinda wanting to see if there was a difference from Canadian and NE syrup. I think I need to call my brother, he's supposed to be heading to the NE this fall or winter. I'll beg him to send me some... :o) Yeah that's it...

Chocolate liqueur is very good in coffee, and you can also get Mocha flavored Kahlua, which I like even better. They keep indefinitely at room temperature, although they do not last long at my house. If you are making a recipe that has sugar, water, and cocoa, I find it better to make a simple syrup with just the sugar and water and add the cocoa after the syrup has been made. I omit the salt in those recipes, as I am very salt sensitive, and instead of enhancing the chocolate flavor, I find that the salt only adds a salt flavor. I think it is supposed to balance the bitter flavor of the chocolate/cocoa, but I do not have a problem with that. If you are using it in coffee, the salt will be unnecessary. Lars