Life is a bowl of berries

The saying is “bowl of cherries“, of course, but I like strawberries best so there you have it. Looking back over my blog I usually write at least one strawberry post each spring, but this year I have not yet found any strawberries that motivated me to write. I’ve eaten a few mediocre berries out of desperation, but most weeks they have looked so pathetic I left them at the store. Very sad indeed.

Lacking edible berries, I used strawberry fabric to line my new purse:

Yes, the outside is the same olive green twill I used for my last purse. That’s the end of that remnant! That’s also the end of my olive green thread, so that new skirt will have to wait until after vacation. I used the same Ottobre pattern as before, although I sized it down oh-so-slightly while making the flap longer so that it lays better.

There are pockets on each end and I added red gingham trim to my phone pocket so that I don’t try to answer my sunglasses. I used the same ribbon to attach a hook for keys inside the purse and added a strawberry button to the outer flap just for fun.

Now, as I was taking these pictures it occurred to me that I have used strawberry fabric in purse making a. . .few. . .times before. Not all of my purses have involved strawberries, but here are the ones that did:

I know Mom made the natural colored purse for me; I used it the summer Larry and I were engaged. I had forgotten about the maroon corduroy purse and now I can’t remember when I used it (Illinois? Iowa?) or whether Mom or I made it.

This isn’t the first purse I made, but it is one of my earlier ones. I remember buying the pattern at the quilt shop in Iowa, although I think most of the fabrics were from JoAnn’s. I stopped using it because at the time I was carrying Bouncy Boy on my hip and he liked to take things out of my purse.

For the life of me I cannot remember why I have two of this design! I didn’t use either one for very long at all. This was another quilt shop pattern sewn from chain store fabric. It’s meant to be worn across the body which makes it quite awkward with a coat; it’s also too flat to hold much of anything.

I think I used a “Big 3″ pattern for this purse, although the applique was my own design. It is lined with more strawberry fabric–surprise! I made it because I wanted to try out the then-popular bamboo handles, which ended up digging into my arm while carrying then-toddler Silly Boy. Also he, like his older brother, enjoyed pulling things out of my purse.

I love my strawberries, oh yes I do!

Berry Breakfast Pizza

While at Sam’s Club last Friday, I bought a box of red raspberries just to see Boy Genius get excited. He didn’t disappoint me, but he requested, for Sunday breakfast, a pizza that used raspberries. Erm, okay. I have breakfast pizza recipes with eggs and meat and cheese. I have fruit pizza recipes, too, but they are better suited for dessert with pastry or shortbread crusts. I thought about winging the whole thing, but first I headed to Google–if someone already invented the wheel, why should I reinvent? I found many more dessert pizzas, but I finally found two recipes that used a yeast dough for the crust. Bingo! Breakfast!

Neither recipe was quite right, but this one was the closest to what I had in mind. However, I decided to tweak the cheese layer with help from another recipe, in part because I doubt either local grocery stocks mascarpone cheese and in part because the only step I wanted left on Sunday morning was washing and arranging the berries. I chose my no-rise pizza crust (half recipe) because I didn’t get a chance to start until after the kids were in bed Saturday night; I used whole wheat flour in place of the cornmeal, melted butter instead of olive oil, and omitted the black pepper. This would be good with any combination of fresh berries; I had strawberries, blueberries, and red raspberries.

Makes 8 servings
Can use vanilla sugar to make sugar and cinnamon.

15″ pizza crust dough
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon
1 cup ricotta cheese
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2-3 cups assorted berries

Preheat oven to 400°. Roll or pat out dough on greased 15″ pizza pan. Brush with melted better and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar. Bake 5-8 minutes.
Meanwhile, cream together cheeses with lemon juice and zest. Spread on baked crust, leaving 1″ border all around, and return to oven for 5 minutes or until set. Cool completely.
Arrange berries over cheese filling and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar. Slice as for pizza and serve.

Happy dipping

I was looking back over my blog this weekend and realizing I always wax poetic about strawberries in the springtime. And this year will be no exception! I’m a bit picky about the quality of my strawberries, but I have found some that I’m willing to eat (and blow the week’s produce budget on berries, but that’s beyond the point). I haven’t been able to buy enough yet to make any of my favorite desserts, so we’ve eaten most of them on our cereal.

I’ve also taken to making a simple chocolate dip of an evening: stir, melt, and enjoy. For just me, I use about 2 tablespoons chocolate chips and a teaspoon or so of butter, then I stir in amaretto a teaspoonful at a time until it reaches dipping consistency. It will thicken as it cools, so you’ll want to devour it right away.

Calendar Confusion

In my backyard this afternoon:

On my dinner table tonight:

If I had false teeth, I might have accidently swallowed them when I rounded the corner at IGA yesterday and happened on a half flat of these lovely strawberries. Aren’t they lovely? The glaze is made from mashed berries cooked with sugar, cornstarch, & orange juice. I’m usually partial to Midwest-grown berries, but these were absolutely delicious in spite of the California label on the box. I sent Larry back today in hopes of getting another box, but unfortunately they were gone. Thankfully I still have more than enough left for my morning granola tomorrow. I might be able to make shortcake or some other summery dessert, even if it’s still snowing outside.

My favorite breakfast

Homemade granola with fresh strawberries. . .it doesn’t get ANY better than this in the morning!

The rest of the year I top my granola with other fresh fruit or, more likely, dried cranberries. It’s still good, just not good. I practically lived for this combination during the early summer of 2004 when I was battling morning sickness with lost boy #4, hooked up to a PICC line, and not hungry for much of anything.

I like to try different granola recipes, but my standby is Ann’s Granola By the Pound, as posted to Loopers however many years ago it’s been. I sometimes vary the dry ingredients based on what I have on hand, but I think the only real change is that I’ve gradually decreased the brown sugar to where I only use a heaping spoonful or two.

    4 pounds rolled oats                                           
    1 pound brown sugar                                            
    12 ounces wheat germ                                           
    8-10 ounces coconut                                            
    1-2 pounds nuts or seeds                                       
    1 1/2 cups vegetable oil                                       
    1 1/2 cups honey                                               
    2 tablespoons vanilla extract                                  

Mix all the dry ingredients. Mix all the wet ingredients (can heat slightly to make mixing easier). Mix it all together. Bake in 2 greased roaster pans at 375° for 30-60 minutes, stirring often. Let cool, stirring often.

Well, it IS my favorite fruit. . .

You Are a Strawberry

You are friendly, outgoing, and well liked by many people.You are popular, but there’s nothing you ordinary or average about you.You a very interesting person, and you have many facets to your personality. Sometimes you feel very conflicted. Your different sides of your personality pull at you. You are a very sensual and passionate person. You are fiery… you can’t help it. In general, you keep your passionate side under wraps. You are only wild in private.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

You’re never too old. . .

for a care package from your mommy! N will be 5 this Saturday, so cards & boxes have been arriving all week. I knew what my parents were sending him, but the outer box seemed much too large. I opened it. . .and underneath his little wrapped package was a gift bag marked to me, ‘just because’!

My mom knows me well~we are both messy cooks who always need an apron, and she made this one from a cookie-themed fabric that suits us both. The strawberry candle is perfect for my kitchen decor.

It’s amazing how much the day improves with an unexpected kind gesture!

Strawberry Heaven

I love strawberries. I always have. I eat them plain or dressed up with one of many strawberry recipes. My kitchen is decked with their sweet red likenesses.

And most springs, I don’t get to eat many of them. I’m no gardener. I like to go to the U-pick farm, but it’s too far for a quick berry fix and I have too many helpers to pick for any length of time. Farmers’ markets always sell out before I get there. And the local groceries mostly carry the kind of California strawberries that are big on size and short on flavor. No matter how tempting they might look, I leave them at the store knowing I will be disappointed by the very first bite.

Ah, but this year my taste buds have been in heaven! For several weeks I have been able to get some lovely Florida strawberries at Fareway. They may not be quite the same as homegrown Midwestern strawberries, but they are a beautiful shade of red all the way through and they taste delicious. I think I’ll cry when they are no longer available. . .

Taste of Springtime

Tonight our friends Larry & Brenda (and 2 of their sons) joined us for dinner. We had a lot of fun visiting while the kids played. . .and it was a good excuse to try a new cheesecake recipe as well. I used one from Taste of Home (2005) and it was a definite hit.

Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake

Crust: 

1 1/4 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/2 cup cold butter

Filling:

4 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

4 eggs, lightly beaten (oops! I forgot to beat my eggs )

1 tablespoon lemon juice (I used fresh, since I had a lemon for the peel)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup pureed fresh strawberries, divided

8-10 drops red food coloring, optional (I omitted for a paler, natural berry color)

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and lemon peel; cut in butter until crumbly. Pat dough onto the bottom and 1″ up the sides of a greased 9″ springform pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour and cream until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat in lemon juice and vanilla just until blended. Pour 2 1/2 cups batter into a bowl; set aside.

Stir 3/4 cup pureed strawberries (and food coloring if desired) into remaining batter. Pour into crust. Place pan on a double thickness of heavy duty foil (about 16″ square). Securely wrap foil around pan. Place in a large baking pan. Add 1″ hot water to larger pan. Bake for 35 minutes.

Carefully pour reserved batter over bottom layer. Spoon remaining pureed berries over batter. Carefully cut through top layer only with a knife to swirl. Bake 40-50 minutes longer or until center is almost set. Remove pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

And now in the morning, it’s back to work for Larry and back to school for the kids and I. I think we’ll use the leftover whipping cream to try making butter, having read about butter making day in Little House in the Big Woods last week.

A boy after my own heart!

Yesterday the grocery had strawberries that looked surprisingly red and tasty, so I bought some. Mr. I, who usually ’comments’ on all the groceries as they go into my cart, didn’t seem to notice. After all, he probably doesn’t remember strawberries from last year.

I served the strawberries for dinner last night. He wasn’t going to touch them, but I talked him into a bite and the next thing I knew he was asking for more. And more.

 This morning, C fixed a fruit salad for breakfast and included strawberries. I picked through his serving and ate all his berries first, then asked for more~ignoring the apples and bananas he usually loves.

I is a smart boy, if you ask me. Granted, he doesn’t like chocolate. . .but that just leaves more for his mommy!