Strawberry Day

When the Lord grants you a perfectly beautiful day in the midst of a cold summer, you seize it.

And, when a friend gives you the green light on local strawberry picking the same day, you grab a basket!

And, when the berry bushes offer up 21 pounds of plump, gorgeous, delicious strawberries, you nab your apron off the hook for a Strawberry Day!

We made a scrumptious cake, two loaves of moist strawberry-banana bread, three quarts of mouthwatering ice cream, a strawberry and tomato caprese salad to serve alongside BLTs…

and jam.

Lots and lots of jam.

Thank you Lord for…

strawberry days
sunshine that parts rainclouds
glittering jars on pantry shelves
pudgy hands stained in sweet juices
cool breezes on warm days
delighted giggles
berry-smeared smiles
good earth
my quaint, little kitchen that does all I need it to
a husband’s helping hands
brother-and-sister play
clean water
another bag of sugar
crisp chorus of popping lids
time to soak it all in.

Happy 4th Birthday, Bunny Girl!

May the Lord grant all your greatest wishes. You are proof that He has granted mine.

Simplicity Parenting

Apparently, it’s its own movement. But, I went a little less extreme and just read the book.

And, what a book! I won’t say too much more except: read it. Right now. If you have kids. If you work with kids. If you think you might someday want kids. If there are kids in your life. If you mentor someone who has kids. Just read it.

Now, I will come clean and say that a lot of what is espoused in this volume is stuff my parents embraced while raising me, not to mention things that I have intentionally drawn into my own parenting journey. So, maybe it was a bit of preaching to the choir. But, this choir member feels very validated, inspired, and challenged.

If you want to treasure and honor the childhoods of the children in your life, try simplicity on for size. Kim John Payne will get you started.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

I couldn’t, and I mean could not find rhubarb anywhere. All spring. I mean, I drew up my monthly menus for April, thinking I’d snag some for muffins, but no. April came and went. No rhubarb. Then, to my increasing chagrin, the same thing happened in May.

By mid-June, I’d written off rhubarb entirely and resigned myself to a year without it.

Wednesday, hunting for bell peppers with the kids, lo and behold, what should I stumble upon but a bin full of rhubarb! Very red, perfectly ripe rhubarb. I snatched up a pound quicker than blinking, and I hurried over to match it with a pound of strawberries.

“What do you want me to make?” I asked my husband when he got home and I’d showed him my horde.

He arced an eyebrow with a suspicious little smirk. “Um, pie? What else would you make with strawberries and rhubarb?"

Touche, my love. What else, indeed?

Smitten Kitchen has a fantastic Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie recipe. The best I’ve ever tasted. With one caveat: I changed the crust. If you want to figure out my top-secret recipe that I inherited from my grandmother and never give out to anyone? You can read Smitten Kitchen’s recipe, only (here’s the secret part, so pretend I’m whispering this bit) use shortening in place of half of the butter and up the sugar to two tablespoons. Oh, and give the crust a healthy dusting of sugar, too, while you’re at it.

I only wish I knew when I’d be able to lay my hands on another batch of rhubarb!