Garden

With the rains that we have gotten this past week the garden has really grown.  It won't be long before we will have cucumbers, beans, zucchini... and I can't wait!  We have been enjoying lettuce, onions, and radishes.

I am trying my sweet potatoes in big containers this year.  Have two of them so will see how it goes.

It looks like it will be a good year for the raspberries.

This morning before breakfast I went out and put straw around the cucumbers, potatoes, and tomatoes.  

When I came in enjoyed a tasty strawberry smoothie!

It is nice to have some fresh flowers in the house again.  This is a little bouquet that I picked for the kitchen table.

One of the roses on my mini rosebush this morning.  It started to sprinkle just as I was finishing up in the garden.

I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvelous works.

Psalm 9:1 

~Cheryl~

Strawberries

Was able to get a couple of boxes of strawberries this past weekend.

I was so ready for fresh, I love have them in the freezer for winter, but to have fresh ones...

So have been making a few goodies with these.

Angel Food Sparkle Cake

I saw this recipe on Pioneer Women.  You could use an angel food cake mix or your favorite angel food recipe.  I used a recipe that I have had for years.  Its a nice surprise when you serve the cake as there are strawberries inside. You cut about an inch off the top of your cake, set aside, then make a trench by cutting around the edge and middle and pulling the cake out of the trench.  Make sure that you don't cut all the way to the bottom.

You can see how the trench is cut.  The filling is very easy...one cup boiling water and a package of strawberry jello dissolved in the water then just slice up some berries into the jello.

Fill up the trench with the berry mixture.  Put top piece back on and frost with homemade whip cream and decorate with some berries.

Made this cake for our church potluck dinner on Sunday.  Was able to sneak a picture of what it looks like inside before it was gone.

Other strawberry treats...

Strawberry Pie

Strawberries and bananas in left over glaze from the pie, I just thin it a little with some water so it won't set up completely.  This is one of my DH favorites, so he will be happy to see this for supper tonight!

Strawberry Glaze for Pie

3/4 c. sugar

2 Tblsp. cornstarch

1 & 1/2 c. water

1 ~ 3oz. package strawberry jello

Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and water in a saucepan and blend together.  Cook over medium heat until the mixture starts to get clear in color and comes to a boil.  Take off heat and stir in jello.  Pour over sliced strawberries in a baked pie shell.  Cool in refrigerator until set.  Serve with whip cream or icecream.

Have one more box to use in smoothies, salads, pie, fresh eating....

~Cheryl~

 

 

Butter Sponge Cake

Sunday at church we are having our monthly potluck.  I made an Angel Food Cake (will post that later) so what to do with all of those egg yolks...

Butter Sponge Cake with Creamy Pineapple Frosting.

Ready to be frosted!

This recipe made two loaf pans. I love old dishes, this plate was my moms.

Ready for tasting...just a corner.

Butter Sponge Cake

11 egg yolks

2c. sifted sugar

1c. milk,scalded

1 tsp. wanilla

2~ 1/4 c. sifted cake flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. melted butter

Beat together egg yolks and sugar until light-colored and fluffy.  Add milk and vanilla.

Sift together flour and baking powder. Add to egg yolk mixture. Fold in butter.

Bake in 2 greased (I floured just the bottoms) 8" square baking pans (I used 2 5x9 bread pans) in 350F oven 30 to 40 minutes.  Cool on racks.

Creamy Pineapple Frosting

Cream together 1/4 c. butter and 1/4 c. shortening.  Gradually add 3c. sifted confectioners sugar; beat until light and fluffy.  Blend in 1 (8~1/2 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained, 1/8 tsp. salt, 1/4tsp. vanilla.

~Cheryl~

Updates

School has been out for a week, I am enjoying being home again.

  This past month on Mothers Day we attended the dedication of our four new adopted grandchildren.  It was a precious time. 

They are a precious gift from God, so excited to see what the Lord has in store for each of them.

Our grandsons have been great big brothers!

Time goes by so fast it seems like yesterday that the grandsons were little.  

Took a picture of the hand prints that were put into the cement at our house up north.

Now and Then

They are no longer little boys, growing into fine christian young men.

It has been so nice to have warm weather after our long cold winter, 55 days below zero gets to be a bit much.  Enjoying getting into the garden and the flowers are starting to bloom.

If only they could all bloom the entire summer.

This little fellow has been living in the flowers, thought he was so cute until....he started eating one of the flowers.  He seems to have a taste for just one kind of perennial in my gardens so they have the bottom leaves eaten off and some of the shorter stems, will get some blossoms on the taller parts of the plants. Thinking he isn't so cute anymore:o)

He is setting next to the plant he loves to eat!

Looking forward to getting a lot of projects done this summer and least that is my plan.

~Cheryl~