Basic Fruit Sauce

A few years back, I made a New York style cheesecake from Cook's magazine.  The cheesecake was delicious, but what was the most useful was the Strawberry Sauce recipe that was also included.  Since I don't like strawberries (yah...I know crazy me), I have adapted this basic recipe and used it with raspberries and peaches.  I think it would work for almost any fresh fruit.  So here are the basic steps.  Feel free to adapt to other fruits and let me know how they turn out.

Basic Fruit Sauce

Wash, peel and cut up fruit as necessary. Place fruit in small bowl and mix with 1/4 cup sugar and pinch of salt.  Stir and let sit for 30 minutes.

Take 1 cup of jelly, jam or preserves in the same flavor as your fresh fruit and process in your food processor for 8-10 pulses.  Pour processed jelly, jam or preserves in a sauce pan and heat until gently boiling.  Continue to boil until white foam no longer appears (about 15 minutes).  Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.  Stir.  Pour on to fresh fruit, mix well.  Let cool and serve with cheesecake, ice cream, pound cake etc. 

This is a delicious dessert that is easy to keep in your head when you are running through the store.  Fruit, jelly, lemons and vanilla ice cream...check. 

I always get great reviews.  Looks harder then it is.  Enjoy!

Hoot! Hoot!

Here is the owl we found in our backyard

(Sorry this pic is a little out of focus)

This is the first time we saw the owl, it was just hanging out on the back of my car

Sorry! No pics of the fox, it ran away before we could get the camera

Some Rather Squirrely Ramblings

Has any one else noticed some crazy squirrels lately.  They are very active and I've had to stop my car a few times to avoid hitting them.  Clearly they are getting ready for the winter. (Not sure if they are all going to make if they keep diving in front of cars.)

I'm wondering if this is some old time sign for a rough winter ahead.  You know...like the one about the furry catepillers.  Can't remember that one either, but I think it must mean something.

He spent a good 5 minutes or so investigating my deck.  Some people get pictures of wild turkeys or owls..I get squirrels.

(Cait...when you get a chance, can you post a picture of the owl that was on your car the other day.  And you really should try and get a picture of the fox too! )  Cait lives in a very woody area with lots of wildlife.  She is always surprised by what she sees in her back yard.  Krissy's pretty sure Sasquatch lives back there too!

New subject.

I made this card this week on Friday afternoon.  Used the design sample from CPS, but didn't get it posted in time for the challenge, but I thought I'd show it anyway.  I'm still getting used to the Core'dinates paper.  You sand it down to show the color underneath. This is piece of paper is brown with aqua on the back.

I have to go get some sandpaper to help with this process, cause I'm currently using an emory board to sand the paper.  I think a fine sandpaper will work a lot better.  ("Ya think!"  I can hear Kristen saying this in my head.  She's always great with helping me see the obvious.)

And finally....How cute is this picture of Austin.   His Aunt Jena took this picture.  She does such a good job.  Her photographs are truly remarkable and when it comes to taking pictures of the boys, she is amazing

100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall...

Not really, but this is officially, my 100th post.  Yeah!!  I'm still having so much fun blogging.  Everyday I learn something new and make new blogging friends.  Reaching 100 posts was my first blogging goal.  Now that I've reached it, it's time for a new goal.

For my 2nd goal, I need your help. 

I want to reach 20 Followers.  Why 20..I'm not sure, it just sounded good.  And here's the good news.  Once I reach 20 Followers, I am planning on having my first give-a-way.  I haven't figured out exactly what I'll be giving away yet, but I've got a pretty good idea.

So if you are a visitor and you haven't joined as a Follower, please do so now.  Help me reach my new goal.

Monday...Monday

I probably didn't mention this...cause I tend to avoid putting things in here that depress me, but Stinky hit a car in the parking lot at his school last week.  He's had a rough few months with cars and this little boom-boom just added to his list of incidents. 

Here's the story...as he's backing out of his parking spot and a bee flies into his car.  He freaks out a bit and somehow gets the bee under his shoe.  He tries to pull back into a parking spot to deal with the bee, but someone beats him to the open spot.  At that moment, thinking the bee is dead, he lifts up his foot and "surprise", the bee is alive and flies up at his face  (and to quote the Stink, "it was really pissed off now").  Without thinking, he basically just freaks out and manages to pull off the bumper of a Saab.  Completely brilliant, don't you think.

Well, yesterday we went in and closed out the savings account that my father started for him when he was born.  Since my father can't get around anymore, the account had actually gone dormant.  Now, it has been reactivated and closed and the funds are paying for the repair of a 2005 Saab.  

Other ramblings:  Krissy stopped by and got me to take a long walk with her. Props to her for getting me off the couch and my knee seems better. (I've been having some knee issues.  When I stand or walk to long, it kills when I bend my knee again.  I've been icing it nightly and do lots of stretches.)

We watched "Antiques Roadshow" last night.  Some lady came on with two letters written by Abraham Lincoln and a signed Lincoln photo.  Altogether they are work $75,000-$100,000.  Shouldn't they be in a musuem somewhere instead of her safety deposit box?  Just wondering.

Kissin Cousins

I mentioned in my previous post, that we had a very busy week-end.  Part of the reason was the Walk 'n Roll, but the other reason was a visit from our cousins Kim and Evan.  They live in the Austin, Texas area and we don't get to see them very often, so this visit was particuliary wonderful.  (Kim and Evan are in the middle.  Kris, Cait and their husbands are on either side.)  Kris and Kim are only a month apart in age and they share some very special childhood memories.

During their visit we went to the Town Tavern in Royal Oak for dinner... delicious.  (Confirmed I am not a fan of truffle oil though.)


Saturday they got to go to the MSU / Central Michigan Football Game (not Sparty's best performance) with Kris and J.  Which included 8 AM tailgating.  I passed on the invite cause there's no way I can get up to E. Lansing by 8 in the morning.

And then on Sunday Kim, Cait and I went to Arts & Apples.  It's an annual art festival in downtown Rochester.  It's always fun with lots of great stuff peruse.  I purchased a new purse from my favorite purse lady (Pursenality is the name of her little business).  She make very cute purses at very good prices. 

After Arts & Apples, we came back to my house for dinner, which is where the group photo at the top was taken.  We all had a great time and RJ had fun with Aunt Deb the Great playing "Guess which Hand".  (Does it have a real name?) He was so cute playing with her.

 

Finally on Monday, Evan made us a  delicious dinner over at Krissy's house.  How nice to come home to  grilled salmon, sweet potatoes, squash and corn.  And did I mention the triple chocolate cake who's secret ingredient is zuccini?  Melts in your mouth.  I'm going to practice the cake and if I can get it to turn out I'll post the recipe.

Kim and Evan...please come back soon.  We love having you here!

Walk 'n Roll, Hochie Koo!

We had a very busy week-end, which was capped off by our  participation in the annual ALS of Michigan Walk 'n Roll at Stoney Creek Park.  This year with the help of friends and family,  BW and I were able to exceed our goal and raise $460.  This helped "The Masserangers Team" raise over $20,000!!

Judy and Bob Masserang are our very good friends.  Judy and I used to work together.  In fact...most of what I know about satellite television, I learned from her.  Over the years, our relationship evolved into a great friendship.  Judy is now one of a group of women that I hold so dear.  She enriches my life on so many levels.

Four years ago, this coming October, her husband, Bob , was diagnosed with ALS.  This is a very ugly disease that has taken over much of Bob's body....but his spirit is still as fiesty as ever as you can see by these following pictures:

He's such a smoochie kind of guy.

We have been able to see the amazing help and support provided to them by the ALS of Michigan organization.  So we were so pleased to help out, even in just this little way.

As usual, "The Masserangers"  were the largest group of walkers and hopefully we collected the most money.  Even if we didn't, I think we are all #1...because that's what Bob is to us.

Thanks to everyone who helped us surpass our goal! 

Splish Splash!

The boys were over last week-end and it was bath time at Oma's house.  I love bath time pictures.  Always have.  Austin loves bath time...Ryan is OK with bath time as long as you don't get any water near his face.  So hair washing usually involves lots of crying.

I know it drives Krissy crazy, but I know exactly where he gets it from.  The handstands I used to have to do to not get any water on her face or near any boo-boo were incredible.

Don't those blue eyes just get ya! 

Austin having fun....Ryan just trying to stay out of his way.

There coming over again tomorrow...so maybe more pictures soon.

Card of the Week

This is my latest card.  After reading and seeing so many great cards using Core'dinations paper stock (mostly from visiting Linda over at Paper Cutting Kind of Day), I finally ordered my own supply. (This was part of my Amazon indulgence a couple weeks ago.)

It was very fun and easy to put together.  I used my new Cuttlebug to emboss the polka dots and then I also embossed the little hands.  You can't see it very well, but the ribbon has white polka dots on it as well.

I'm giving it to Cait and Kristen to send to their step-sister who just had a little girl.  I just love all the pink.

Extract Movie Review

Extract

Grade: D

As this movie was directed by the same person that directed Office Space, I had high hopes that this movie would do for factory workers, what Office Space did for office workers.  No such luck.  It had some potential with some truly quirkly characters working in the factory, but instead of developing a story around these people, it delved into marital infidelity and stoner humor, both of which have been done before and done better.  Don't waste you money or time on this movie.  Go rent Office Space instead.

I love Jason Bateman, so it hurts to write this!

Gooooood Morning Biscuits!

I just made these Bacon Onion Cheddar Biscuits this morning. I got the recipe from Pioneer Woman . They are quite yummy.

Go over to her site for the recipe. (You can also see some MUCH better pictures of the finished product.)

Excuse me, but I've got to go have another while they are still warm. Plus I think I left the oven on. (Shhh Caity...don't say anything.)

Badges...We Don't Need No Stinking Badges!

A long time ago I was a Girl Scout and I was a terrible Girl Scout. I liked the part about hanging out with friends after school, but I didn't like the work required to be a "good" Girl Scout. One year, my brave Mother volunteered (she might have been heavily pressured) to be our Troop Leader. It was during this year, that my mother decided it was time I earned a badge. You see...I had no badges. My goal oriented older sister had so many badges that they started to creep up the back of her Girl Scout sash. Me...not so much.

One week, my mother put me through my paces and I finally earned my one and only badge...the Housekeeping Badge (housekeeping is my Mother's forte).

Today, I must officially turn in my Housekeeping badge. While cleaning out the gross fruit, from the fruit drawer, I decided to wash and clean the fruit and veggie drawers. It was then I noticed the long plastic grill at the bottom of the fridge. Boy, is that thing nasty. You know what I found out...it comes off. And that was really gross. The giant dust bunnies were hopping out...almost all on their own.

So, for lack of awareness that this grill even existed and for not knowing that the grill snaps off, I officially turn in my Girl Scout Housekeeping Badge.

(I sure wish I could have earned a "Cooking" Badge, cause I would probably be able to keep that one.)

On to the fan in the living room.....more grossness to come.

Hop on Pop

I'm sure I'm not the only one experiencing the decline of a parent, but it is still a very distressing process. My dad's mobility and general participation in life has been on a slow and steady decline for several years. This year, it has taken a huge jump forward, so much so that the impact on my mother and oldest brother is significant.

I just spent last Saturday visiting with Mom and trying to help where I can, although it doesn't feel like enough. I just continually pray for her health and strength to continue. And patience. If I could give her anything, I would give her a huge dose of patience, because that's what you need when you are completely taking care of another person. (Honestly, if I could give her anything...I'd give her a trip to Minnesota to visit her sister. She wants that so badly.) She is an amazing person and wonderful mother and wife. I hope I can take after her in vitality when I'm her age.

I also need to say something about my older brother Bob. He has become the rock on which my mother (and father) depend. He goes to their house every morning and every evening to help with the beginning and end of day processes. He's also on call should any crisis arise.

To be honest, he has always kind of viewed himself as the black sheep of the family. Which is ridiculous, but I want him to know that he has become my hero and I'm so proud to call him brother.

As for dad, I will continue to help whenever I can, but I will choose to remember the other dad. The one sitting on the end of the dock fishing or the one turning old Christmas trees into candlesticks. I think he would prefer that memory as well.