What can I say? It looks like I'm about to blog about my garden but... nope!! No sensical, orderly blogging will come to me (and, trust me, I've been trying); so, I will blog where my thoughts seem to want to go. And, what I really want to say is that, although amazing and wonderful things have been happening around here, life is just not perfect!!
Do you ever feel like you're trying to do the old circus act of keeping a bunch of plates spinning at the top of thin poles all at once? Well, I'm pretty talented at getting a bunch of them going but, eventually - crash!! Er, the crash would be my house. My garden. My exercising. My prayer time. (whooops!!) And my blogging. Things are not quite right with the world but, happily, I've made it through all the excitement and life is turning back into the wonderful humdrum that I love! I mean, can I hear an 'Amen!' from the choir, here?! Anyone know what I'm talking about or do you all have it perfectly together at all times? ;)
So, life not being perfect, these are pics from last year's garden because, sadly, none of my delphiniums made it through the winter. I've got some new pots of them but haven't had a chance to put them in the ground, yet. And, oh - the lilacs, this year WERE perfect and the roses INCREDIBLE!
But this post is about strawberry picking.... strawberry picking, last year!!
(last year's flowers!)
(Last year's strawberries!)
When I first moved to Vermont, our church used to put on a spectacular 'strawberry supper' for about 200 people. A group of us would go out early the morning before and pick and pick and pick and pick and pick and eat quite a bit, too - that might be why it took so long to fill all those flats!
Well, we don't do the suppers anymore and this was the first time that the boys had ever gone picking. We picked one flat with the intention of making our own strawberry jam!
Keep pickiiiinnnngggg....
Well, three of us picked while Toby sampled and supervised!
And there was the most horrific and gruesome accident while we were there!! =O
(Those of you with sensitive sensibilities may want to look away for a moment!)
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(Yup! I'm the mother of three boys!!)
(um, a grasshopper from last year!)
Well, we made jam but saved some strawberries out for strawberry shortcake. I made homemade biscuits for the first time and discovered that they're ridiculously easy to make!
As for the jam, after two attempts at boiling, adding pectin and lots more sugar, we have lovely, runny ice cream topping!! (They make wonderfully sticky and oozing PB&Js, too!!!) And, actually, I think that the reason my psyche insisted that I write this post is because it is trying to tell me something.
It is trying to tell me that those jars of strawberry goop from last year would work just as well on shortcake this year, too!!
Perfect!!! =)
xo
Hi Katy,
ReplyDeleteNew or old the pics are beautiful! When I was 15ish I picked strawberries at a farm where they hire kids to pick the crop, I only picked a couple days, but we ate sooo many, I didn't eat them again for years:-)
Your wonderfully runny strawberry goop, reminds me I have some of that in plum, delicious:-)
I hope you find the balance your looking for :-)
Hugs,
Bella
Such beautiful flowers and photos! I adore foxglove. Sadly, mine did not do well this year so it's especially nice to view yours. I made strawberry jam for the first time last week. The recipe I tried did not use pectin, but rather diced up granny smith apples which naturally has pectin. I wasn't expecting it to thicken, but to my delight it did and we've been enjoying some each morning on our toast. And here's my "Amen!" to life returning to the pace we have come to know and love. Have a lovely weekend Katy.
ReplyDeleteLovely summer post Kathy......enjoy summer darling......love Ria...x !
ReplyDelete"AMEN"
ReplyDelete-x-x-x-
Great pictures of this year's strawberries and last year's flowers. I know the feeling of getting involved into too many new projects and feeling like nothing gets done but it is also great when you decide what is important and focus on that. I love your pictures and your thoughts! Enjoy a great Sunday.
ReplyDeletePenny
Hi Katy,
ReplyDeleteI am sitting behind my laptop rosy cheeked and all (been in the garden all weekend), reading your lovely post! You have such an eloquent way of writing. It's like being there with you in the garden and on your strawberry patch! Can you just grow your strawberries like that? We had to put nets over them, because otherwise the birds would eat them! Looks like fun picking strawberries with the children or part of the Parish :-). The accident looks horrible, glad the patient survived and will hopefully be picking strawberries again this year :-)!
Love the photo of the wild flowers. Just pinned it :-).
Thank you for your sweet comment too. I always look forward to your comment very much! Somehow they are special to me... Glad you like classic cars too. Whenever I see them I simply have to have a look. It's probably the romance behind it. A bygone era, stylish ladies, hats, scarves, gloves, elegant men, picknicks with beautiful baskets, somewhere in the countryside on a sunny spot near a lake that is surrounded by old trees, but otherwise only flowers......:-) Ahh....a girl can dream :-) I already know what sort of dress I would wear...... :-). BUT....back to reality once more! Have to get up a 5.30 this morning. Of to bed in half an hour!
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Love, Madelief x
Forgot to say that your holiday in California sounds good...to be sailing...just lovely! x
ReplyDeleteI love the 'Amen' at the end of life filled hymn. Have a great week:)
ReplyDeleteMmmm - fresh strawberries! It's always so wonderful when the farmer's markets start happening and you can buy fresh produce. I say 'buy' as I don't grow vegetables in the garden. Just flowers. I like buying from the market where everything is clean and prepped and there are no weeds to pull. ;)
ReplyDeleteHope you are having a most wonderful summer my friend. Try not to spin too many plates at once. LOL!
xo Catherine
Oh Katy, your pictures are soooooooo beautiful........I looooooooove strawberries!!!! And I also make jam very often! And your flowers look magical........the same flowers we have here, where I walk every day with my dog Sheila........I´ll take a picture soon ;). Thank you so much, for sharing all this summer feelings and have a wonderful weekend,
ReplyDeletewith love, Jade
Katy darling, your writing and photos took me straight into your garden. I can smell the sweet scent of the berries. I don't use pectin in my jams, instead I always add a teaspoon or two of Arrowroot to thicken my jam (it does what pectin should do and fails at times) and leaves no taste behind which I like. Sometimes, I follow my Aunt Millie's recipe, she always added 1/4 of a cup of rose water and if needed a teaspoon more of Arrowroot. The rose water evaporates pretty quickly leaving a delicate rose scent mingled with the sweet taste of the berries...Oh!! I am peckish now for scone and jam :) Your boys look so dapper and have grown so much. I missed your blog-posts and you my lovely friend.
ReplyDeleteSending you love & hugs
Duchess