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It might surprise you to know that strawberries make a wonderful gift, thank you, cheer-me-up, and a healthy snack for children. June is strawberry month in Michigan. Festivals and events will soon serve their famous strawberry shortcake recipes. On more than one occasion, I’ve received a strawberry treat from friends and neighbors.

Early one summer evening, two neighbor girls appeared at my front door. I peeked through the peep hole and viewed sparkling eyes and smiling faces delivering a strawberry delight. I’ve never opened my door so quickly. For reasons unknown, they made a giant strawberry smoothie for me. I will always remember how refreshing it tasted and the thought behind such a kind gesture.

Just this week, I received dipped strawberries from my author friend, Deb. What a wonderful treat and pick-me-up. Not to mention they are fabulous! This delight arrived during a stressful, busy time. It’s amazing how gestures such as this can brighten a day.

My hairdresser and I were discussing strawberries last year, so I delivered a quart of local homegrown beauties to her doorstep.

I even have wild strawberries sprouting in my yard. A weed expert told me they are taking over an area where it’s difficult for grass to grow.

So many treats can be made from strawberries. Whether it’s jams, pies, smoothies, fruit salads, or healthy snacks.

I’ve experimented with different ingredients for my smoothies by using skim milk, almond milk, and maple syrup for a sugar substitute.

Enjoy strawberry month and share a special delight with someone who isn’t expecting it.

Strawberry dessert recipe from my friend, Deb.

Set oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:

Refrigerator sugar cookie dough such as the kind in a roll

One 8 oz. package cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1 quart strawberries

Directions:

Let sugar cookie dough and cream cheese set out for an hour or until soft. Grease a cookie sheet or large pizza pan then spread the cookie dough across the pan until it touches all edges. Bake in oven until lightly browned, then take out of oven and let cool. Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a bowl. Once cookie dough is almost cooled, spread the cream cheese mixture across it. Place the strawberries on top, slice by slice. May eat warm or after refrigerated. Add cool whip on top for extra delight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Throughout the year, I take great care to feed my variety of feathered friends. Summer is the busiest as many different species arrive in the spring and depart in autumn. Below are some ideas on how I have made my yard bird-friendly. I’m not an expert but these applications work for me.

1. An abundance of trees and bushes as birds seek good nesting sites and most species return to the same area year after year.
2. Water and food source
3. Colorful perennials and annuals attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees!
4. Consistency

I fill two bird baths, one in the front yard another in the back. Some weeks in the summer, I’ll rinse the bird baths twice during the day and fill with fresh water.

I keep my feeding station in the same spot, under a pine tree. I’ve had several hanging feeders but  the nocturnal animals such as raccoons tear them down. I’ve given up on that, but I do hang a small suet feeder and it remains in position.

I toss together a songbird country seed mix with black-oil sunflower seeds. I also make my own hummingbird nectar. One part sugar to four parts water, boil then cool, and fill a hanging feeder. Hummingbirds like red so you’ll notice most feeders sport that color. I change the liquid every three to four days and wash the feeder to insure mold doesn’t form. There are times in mid-summer I’m filling the feeder every day.

 

Thistle seed is expensive so just once in a while I’ll purchase a small bag. I find the finches dip into the oriole’s grape jam. I just drop a large spoonful of jam onto an orange lid or plate. Orioles are attracted to that particular color and also love oranges.

Sometimes I treat my feathered friends to my own homemade mixture–old bread dipped in leftover grease from bacon or red meat. I break it up, toss it out in the yard, and it’s quickly retrieved. Since there is an abundance of flowers, fruits, and grains for birds during the growing season, they are well-fed.

In winter months, even after the snowbirds have headed south, I continue to feed my feathered friends. The blue jays and cardinals make a colorful display on a blanket of snow. I have a special fondness for mourning doves. They seem to settle at my place all year.

Tip:  Unsalted peanuts are a favorite of blue jays but watch out for the squirrels as the nuts will disappear quickly.

Sit, relax, and enjoy our feathered friends.

Birds 101 first appeared in 2017 on http://www.amyharkemoore.com

 

 

 

Ma passed away several years ago at the age of eighty-seven. I never called her mom, mother, mommy–just plain old Ma.

She lived her life with a glass half-full, didn’t complain about not having the luxuries of others, and worked until she was seventy-one. She could plant a seedling and it would shoot to the sky like the Jolly Green Giant. Her instincts for colors and decorating would have put her at the top of an interior design class.

She never had to throw out a meal (like me) because she turned everything into a chef’s delight. Nothing went to waste–ever. Her cakes and desserts were moist to the taste, and a pot of Maxwell House Coffee sat hot waiting for the next visitor.

Ma taught us children about loving God, sharing, putting the needs of others first, and how to penny pinch. Being frugal was a lifestyle, wastefulness a no-no, and living by principles the only way to survive.

She called most every night before her bedtime to make sure the family was safe. This went on until she passed away.

Ma would stop by with flower shoots, decorating tips, and usually something we needed.

One year, she gave me some buttercup flowers to plant. For those who don’t know, they spread like wildfires. But I dare anyone to remove a buttercup from my yard.

This Mother’s Day I look upward to thank Ma for instilling the right stuff into our lives. And, maybe, we can view the world through her eyes.

Happy Mother’s Day!

 

Her children rise up and call her blessed.

After a rainy day high school soccer game, my grandniece returned home with a mud-stained uniform. Her family planned to leave immediately for a weekend soccer tournament. My niece called and asked if I could try to remove the stains from the uniform as it would have to sit until they returned. She was concerned the stains were permanent.

She dropped the uniform off on their way to the tournament and informed me she had sprayed the uniform with a laundry stain remover. I filled a pail with cold water and detergent and soaked the uniform overnight. The stains were still there when I checked in the morning, so I searched the internet for solutions. I found one site recommending baking soda.

I mixed 1/2 cup baking soda (calls for one cup but I didn’t have enough) in a pail of cold water with a bit of laundry detergent and let the uniform soak for a couple hours. I rinsed the uniform then ran it through a regular wash load. TA DA!  It worked. Please separate colors when trying this.

If you’re having trouble removing mud stains from sports uniforms this solution gave perfect results.

Have a blessed Easter!