Tuesday, April 30, 2013

OH MY, OH MY, STRAWBERRY PIE...





Flowers and ivy..$$ Store
Little felt bird basket..Tuesday Morning



HAPPY MAY DAY TO ONE AND ALL...


"The word May is a perfumed word...
It means youth, love, song, and all that is beautiful in life."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow







Now, on to the heart of the matter...

Last week I promised you the recipe for this sumptuous strawberry confection...



Recipe came from Betty Crocker's cookbook, circa 1959. A wedding present.



Strawberry Mousse Pie

1 baked pie shell (recipe below)

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1/3 cup cold water

3/4 to 1 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of berries)

3 egg yolks

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Dash of salt

2 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, crushed (about 1 1/2 cups after crushing)

Dried egg whites equivalent to 3 fresh eggs

OR

1 cup whipping cream

1.  Prepare baked pastry shell; set aside to cool.  In a small saucepan stir gelatin into cold water.  Let stand one minute.  Add sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice and salt.  Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil; remove from heat.  Transfer gelatin mixture to a medium bowl; stir in crushed strawberries.  Cover and chill until mixture mounds when spooned, stirring occasionally.

2.  In a medium mixing bowl prepare and beat dried egg white product to stiff peaks according to package directions, - or - whip the cream to soft peaks.  With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, gently fold egg or cream mixture into strawberry mixture.  Spoon filling into cooled crust.  Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or until filling is firm.  Garnish with halved strawberries or mint leaves.




Got this recipe from a very good cook that I used to work with.  It is so easy and will melt in your mouth... It is truly Pie Crust 101 for Dummies. Just ask someone who has tried to make a decent crust for her whole life!!


2 cups of flour

1 cup Crisco butter flavor shortening (Use the cube form, as one cube is exactly 1 cup)

1 teaspoon salt

Put into food processor on the highest setting

Pulse exactly 10 times or until shortening forms the size of peas

Take 1/4 cup of flour and 1/3 cup cold water, mixed into a paste in a cup.

Pour through tube with processor running on lowest speed until mixture forms ball and pulls away from sides.  Do not over mix.

Pour out onto floured board and divide into two equal size mounds.  Put in plastic bags and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.

Roll out on floured board to fit a 9" pie plate. Put remaining mound in freezer for later use.

Prick sides and bottom of crust with fork, line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or rice or beans.

Bake in preheated oven, 450 degrees, for 8 minutes.

Remove from oven and take out weights and parchment paper.

Return to oven and bake for 5 minutes more or until it's as brown as you want it.

Cool crust and pour in filling.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until fully set.

Serve with whipped cream dollop if desired.





I've made this pie, both ways, with the whipping cream and the egg whites.

I, personally, like the taste and texture with the whipped cream. It's a little heavier and more creamy...the egg whites are a little lighter and fluffier, but they are equally as good.





This might make up your mind which one to use.

  My first go round was the whipping cream..we both loved it.

The second time, I misread the recipe and thought it called for whipping cream AND egg whites both.  When I got groceries, I forgot the egg whites so sent The Captain back to pick some up.

I thought he'd had a heart attack when he returned.  The price for one can..a whopping $19.95.

When I re-read the recipe, I decided that I had to use the egg whites, not only for the price but because they are healthier. But I ask you, in a dessert such as this, does that really matter?

After we tasted the pie, The Captain felt a lot better!  I know you will too, whichever you choose.

Enjoy!!





We are taking a short little R&R trip in the motor home so will be away from the computer for a short while..See you later.

...Judy...





Am sharing with the following parties...















Sunday, April 28, 2013

SATURDAY, STRAWBERRIES, AND SUNSHINE...







The beginning of a simple and beautiful weekend...





Up with the chickens...






The sun was warm and welcoming shining through the budding branches of the crape myrtle tree...






A fast trip to the newly opened Farmer's Market...






For a bouquet of colorful, old-fashioned flowers for the kitchen table...






And a basket full of sweet strawberries...






Dug in the dirt for awhile...






Took a trip down to Home Depot for some gardening supplies...
Not these pictured--I wish.. 






Grabbed an early dinner...






Baked a very delightful strawberry pie with some melt-in-your-mouth crust...recipe to follow, for both, in next post...


Finally...





Took a minute to reflect on this simple, beautiful Saturday...and

how

  we

     just

          knew...






...Judy...







Sharing all this simple sunshine with:











Wednesday, April 24, 2013

BRAGGING RIGHTS...





Our daughter, Tami, at three months old


Every parent has bragging rights.  That is just a given.  Whether it be an overload of photographs (please be forewarned) or a few well chosen words that are repeated over and over again, this strange phenomenon is definitely a part of the human behavior.


Over the years there are many special occasions when bragging is appropriate, such as...









First Grade




One of the many sports she played and excelled in




Her first car that she bought and paid for herself




Her senior graduation




Her first official job




A Happy 21st Birthday present!!




Tami and Tim on their wedding day




The new addition to their family, Jake




Their little family...





...through the...





...passing years




These are just a sampling of our special bragging rights.  There certainly were many more, like...first steps, first laugh, first words, good report cards and wise choice of friends, to name a few.








I hope that we took the time and made the effort to let her know how much she is loved and appreciated over the years.






This past Tuesday was another one of those big bragging right days.  Tami was one of the honorees for the 2013 Outstanding Volunteer of Santa Cruz County.

We were able to attend the celebration of these remarkable and caring individuals.




Tami, pictured with Santa Cruz County Supervisor, Bruce McPherson. His grandfather, Dr. McPherson, delivered me way back when. Small world!



Tami works for the Soquel Elementary School District.  In addition to her regular job, she volunteers many hours in the classrooms, reading to the children, and also is part of a forum that is geared to resolving student bullying in schools, and mentoring at risk students.




At PetSmart with a potential adoptive family



She spends afternoons at the animal shelter where she walks dogs, has coordinated times and set-ups for dog adoption events at the local pet stores, and fosters dogs in her home.





She also volunteers for a local program called The Teen Kitchen Project.  This is a program that takes local school students, ages 13 through 17, and teaches them how to prepare and cook healthy meals for cancer patients going through chemotherapy.  Tami delivers the meals and she, personally, provides flowers so that they may have a little beauty in their lives.  She also has been known to take a client out for a movie when they feel the need to escape some of the hard times they are going through.




This beautiful little pup is an actual breast cancer survivor



Some of you know that Tami, herself, is an almost ten year cancer survivor and walks every year in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, raising money for breast cancer research.






I know, Tami, we have always tried to support you in everything you do and hope that we have succeeded in those endeavors.


You are not only an outstanding citizen in your community but, in addition, you are a wonderful daughter, wife and mother.  We love you and we are so very proud of the woman you have become.


...Dad and Mom...



Jake and Tami


I'm sharing today with the following parties: