Black Velvet Apricots

My assistant and I have had another fun and busy day. Having one child is not easy, but in most respects, it's sooooo much easier than two (Jack is at Myth Busters camp). And the amount you can get done, in a sane manner, with just a singleton is shockingly greater: just this morning, we went to the post office, had a successful trip to the framers (three items I've been trying to get framed for ages), went out to lunch and lit a candle at the Cathedral.

Now home to take a load off, Ol is watching TV, and I just made a gorgeous black velvet apricot jam. The black velvet is a new'ish hybrid - 50% apricot, 50% plum (a different percentage breakdown than pluots and apriums)- and I've been purchasing them for the past month or so. My friend, Randy, made a jam with some recently and said it was spectacular, so today, I put up my own small batch: 4 cups chopped black velvets and 1½ cups of sugar. It's absolutely delicious and its hue resembles that of an opulent ruby.