Fresh Strawberries

Yesterday we picked the sweetest, most juicy strawberries I've had in a long time. They were even pretty, which makes me wish I had taken pictures to show you. Too late now, since the berries are gone. Yes, we picked berries yesterday and they are all gone today. That tells you how good they were.

I am very careful not to buy too many. This comes from the memory of picking strawberries when I was about 8 or 9 years old. We had so many berries it was ridiculous. We made preserves, froze some and ate lots of homemade strawberry ice cream. We even gave it away, but it seemed to multiply and never run out. We were all very tired of strawberries when it was finally used up.

Fresh strawberry pie was on my mind yesterday, so I made one for dessert last night. We usually have dessert only on weekends, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to use those freshly picked berries in a pie. I am somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to food, therefore there are not pictures of the pie. The taste was absolutely delicious, but the look was less than desirable. The recipe is simple and has few ingredients. I will share it with you and tell you what my mistake was.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

1 pie crust, baked
1 quart fresh strawberries
1 C sugar (I used less since the berries were so good)
3 T cornstarch
1/4 C water
1/2 C whipping cream

directions

1. Cut and remove the top leaves from the strawberries.
2. If the strawberries are large, cut them I half or quarters.
3. Arrange the 1/2 the strawberries in the baked pie shell.
4. Cut the other 1/2 up and put in a sauce pan.
5. Add the sugar and bring to a boil.
6. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with the water and add to the cooking strawberry sauce.
7. Stir the sauce often, and when it becomes thick and clear, remove from the heat.
8. Pour the sauce over the strawberries and place in the refrigerator to chill for several hours or until firm.
9. When ready to serve, whip the cream or use a can of whipped cream to decorate the edges of the pie.
10. For an easy alternative, if you don't have so many strawberries, you can also use a cup of strawberry jam, heat it and add the cornstarch as well.


There was a crust recipe included also, but I did not use it. I opted to use one of those Keebler Ready Crust that you find in the baking aisle. I chose shortbread. My mistake came in not allowing the sauce to cool enough before pouring over the berries in the crust. Cooling is probably not a big deal if you use a regular pie crust, but with shortbread it makes a difference. To make it worse I put that plastic lid on before placing it in the refrigerator. This created a good deal of moisture and slowed down the setting process. The final product was tasty, but did not hold together well when transferred to a plate. I will definitely be making this again, especially since J did not eat any. In fact, I think we will pick more berries next week and purchase rhubarb to add to the sauce. Mmmmm. Doesn't that sound good? So, find some fresh berries and make a tasty treat for your family. Enjoy!

Spring is upon us

I love the change of seasons. The weather here has been awesome which allows for a lot of outdoor time. Last Friday we spent the afternoon at a park with some friends. There were six ladies, a bunch of boys and one little girl. Those boys had a blast running through the woods hunting down frogs and lizards. Being the sweet boys that they are, all treasures were promptly brought back to share with the moms. And for our part, we ooh'd and aah'd over those creatures to let our little men know how proud we were. This little guy in IJ's hand jumped in the laps of at least 3 moms before he was taken back to his home in the woods.

Today was another great day for being outdoors so we headed to the stawberry fields for some berry pickin'.




The berries are sweet and juicy. All I could think of was strawberry pie, so on the way home we stopped to pick-up the ingredients for this yummy treat. I found a super easy recipe that took about 20 minutes. I'll let you know tomorrow how it tastes, and share the recipe.

Who do you trust?

The thought occured to me yesterday that I regularly trust people that I don't know. People in the service industry are generally at the top of the list. We eat food from restaurants, take our car to the repairman, and have dental work done. You get my point right? Well, I don't know any of these people but I've put myself in their care. Not only do I put myself in their hands, but also my children. Sometimes I check them out in advance, sometimes not. This thought was heavy on my mind yesterday as I was hanging about 35 or 40 feet in the air with this bunch of children (and some adults) holding me by a rope.

Here's the story. A wonderful homeschooling friend set up a fun filled day of activities at a local camp. The staff was great! The grounds were amazing, and the trees were really high! These kids you see had to climb a 40 foot tree, maneuver onto a platform and glide down a zip line. They were fearless! They trusted that their parents wouldn't let them do anything that would hurt them. You can watch IJ and JJ enjoying their ride.

So how did I end up 35 feet in the air? Peer pressure and the desire for a little fun. I stepped outside my box when I let them put that harness on and pull me waaaay up in the air. This was not for the zip line, but for a contraption they call a swing. I swung alright, back and forth over and over again. Can you see it? I know you don't believe me, so I made sure there was video.

This experience really got me thinking about trust, who do I trust and why. I trust my husband, my mom, and some close friends. This trust has been built over time because they have shown themselves trustworthy. However, there is no one as trustworthy as my Heavenly Father. The writer tells us in Proverbs 3: 5-6

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

I trusted Clay and Kim, the couple who run the high ropes course, whom I met just hours before they strapped me into that contraption. I even trusted the kids to stop pulling me higher when I said so. We all go through life trusting faceless people and casual acquantances on a regular basis yet hesitate when it's time to trust the one who has proven himself over and over again. So as you go through your day, take a look at who you trust and how that compares to the way you trust the one who should have all your heart.

Patio Gardening

Upon retiring, nearly 3 years ago, my mom became interested in gardening. She has helped some friends who purchased a 20 acre farm, is working at a local gardening co-op and is also working diligently on a



church charity garden. I have said for several years that I would love to have a garden, however since we live in an apartment I didn't really think it was possible. Not enough space or light were the general reasons. Well, mom proved me wrong. Last year during her visit she and the boys planted vegetables in pots and my little men grew tomatoes (red and yellow), red and yellow bell peppers, and organic salad greens. This was so much easier than I ever imagined. So during this years trip she bought an upside down patio garden for the boys to grow their vegetables as well as planting more items in the pots. I am so excited to see the bounty.



So, what have we planted this year? In the upside down planter we have beefsteak tomatoes, homestead tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, green bell peppers and yellow straight neck squash. On top are the herbs, basil and rosemary. I plan to add at least 2 more herbs. This planter is great because it allows you to plant a variety of vegetables in a small space and it looks really pretty. Mom purchased it from Sam's Club.


In the first pot is lemon balm, which I chose because it smells absolutely wonderful. I didn't know at the time that it shouldn't be planted with anything else because it spreads alot. I'm looking forward to using it for tea. The next 2 pots contain green bean plants. Each pot has 3 plants, so I'm hoping we have a great yield. The last two are organic salad greens. These seeds were donated by a friend of my mom's who runs a gardening co-op back home. I will keep you posted on how our patio garden is going. If you have some tips for me please let me know. I'm just developing my green thumb and learning in the process.

Great Visit

You know what they say, all good things must come to an end. Mom was here for 2 wonderful weeks. We were able to do quite a bit while she was here. Shopping is always high priority, so we did a little of that. On her first Saturday evening we went to an outdoor concert where we enjoyed singing along to some wonderful music. On her birthday we went to my friend Jane's house. We also did a little house shopping. Did I mention that Mom is falling in love with this wonderful southern city? I would be beyond ecstatic if she decides to make the move. One of my favorite activities was our trip to a local historical site where we watched rifle and cooking demonstrations set during the 1845 Mexican-American conflict.

The ladies of the sites cooking guild were preparing lunch while we watched. Spinach salad, asparagus stew with bacon and fresh bread were on the menu. Everything was made authentically over an open fire in the cookhouse. I spoke with the ladies extensively and learned when they meet to practice recipes. I was invited to watch them at their twice monthly meetings, and perhaps join the guild in the future when a spot opens up.

Here are the boys outside the cookhouse. Below is a gentleman doing some woodworking. I never did find out what he was making, but he sure did have some sharp tools. This was a really great local treasure. It just further solidifies my belief that learning happens all the time...even when you're on spring break. I will share more about Moms visit in the next post.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mothers birthday. Age has never been a big deal in our family. Getting older means you're still alive and that there is still work to be done. God has blessed my mom to reach 67 years of age and to be in good health. I'm happy she's here with us to celebrate.

Mom enjoys spending time with my friend Jane, so we went to her house for lunch today. I love eating at Jane's house. We were treated to a tasty traditional Korean soup whose name I cannot spell, but it was wonderful. Of course there was gim bop, which is rice and seaweed, vegetable pancakes and the most wonderful red pepper sauce that we ate with leaves of nappa cabbage. We were very happy indeed at the end of this meal. Jane is a wonderful friend and homeschooling mama whom I love dearly. Thanks for lunch Jane!

We had a family celebration this evening, going out to dinner and returning home to sing happy birthday and enjoy dessert. Ok, I know this post is not supposed to be about my food, but these cupcakes turned out really well. I gave mom my cupcake book and told her to pick what she wanted. She chose Banana Split cupcakes. These are very moist and flavorful, packed with lots of fruit flavor. There's banana, pineapple, strawberry and chocolate. How could you possible go wrong? And did I mention that they are also vegan? Just be sure not to salivate all over your computer.

Currently the birthday girl is having an Uno tournament with her grandsons and looking forward to another week in the sunny south-east.

She's Here!

My mom has come for a visit! Can you tell I'm excited? I love my mother so much. She is one of my best friends and we have so much in common. She arrived yesterday and will be with us for two whole weeks. IJ and JJ have been counting down for the past two weeks and are thrilled that Granny is finally here.

Mom and I both enjoy cooking so you can guess what we did today. Dinner was delicious, nutritious and shared with good company. We had roasted root vegetables, a mixture of collard, mustard and turnip greens and cornbread. I used to think I didn't like root vegetables, but I've changed my mind. These were absolutely wonderful! We included butternut squash, rutabega, turnips, onions and beets. This is wonderfully easy to make.

Roasted Root Vegetables
2 beets
1 rutabega
1 butternut squash
1-2 small turnips
1 large onion

Wrap beets individually in foil - do not peel or cut
Place in 400 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hour (depending upon size)

Peel and cut vegetables into 2 inch chunks.
Place all vegetables together in large mixing bowl.
Drizzle with 2 T of olive oil
Season with salt and pepper to taste
Mix to coat all vegetables

When beets are nearly done, place other vegetables on a foil lined cookie sheet and place in oven for 35-45 minutes, until tender when pierced with fork.

When beets are done, allow them to cool slightly before peeling and cutting into wedges. Do not mix the beets in with other vegetables as they will transfer their color and everthing will be "beet red". Enjoy!