A very berry filled day

Last Friday Lincoln took the day off

so that we could go and take advantage of 

the u-pick strawberry patch 

that is currently in season.

Lincoln recently had shoulder surgery and took off his sling to pick the berries,

he didn't like that I could pick faster than he . . . . 

but he really only had one arm!!

No, these aren't Shari's Berries!!! 

like the box says . . . . . 

The berries were big and yummy.

I didn't eat one until we got home.

Lincoln couldn't say the same!

We took the Miata . . . . 

So we filled the trunk with strawberries.

They were EXPENSIVE . . . . 

99 Dollars worth of berries in that trunk!

McKay arrived home from school just in time to help us make

freezer strawberry Jam.

It would have taken me forever to put up these berries on my own.

Thanks McKay and Lincoln!

We put up 25 containers of Jam.

Almost an entire shelf in our freezer.

Just as we finished the jam,

my sister and her daughter Stevie came.

We left Stevie with Lincoln and McKay,

and went and got pedicures.

Just recently my Sis and I have been having

sister-night-outs.

I have loved every evening out with her

and hope we keep up the 3 month old tradition we have started.

Random place to eat

A few weeks ago

McKay needed to be in downtown DC

for a youth activity.

The walked from the Lincoln memorial to the DC Temple

about 13 miles.

Since we made the trip into DC we decided to stay the day.

We went to the Fine Arts Smithsonian museum

and then made our way back to Union Station

where we had parked our car.

We were on the lookout for a place to eat and found this:

A sushi place like none other that we've seen before.

As you can see from above, the sushi came by you on a conveyor belt

and you just picked which one you wanted.

The prices of each were determined by what color of bowl it was in.

Each spot had its own water spigot, supply of chopsticks, napkins

and other stuff.

Yummy!

and fun!

I guess this one is the only one in the United States

and I can't remember the name of the place!!!

Purple?

Here is a picture of my plate of food at a Luau.  Complete with the purple roll made from Taro.  I guess Taro is
like a big sweet potato, but it is purple.  I think that is Taro in the middle of the plate also.  This picture is from
our 2nd trip to Hawaii . . . . . our first trip was taken on 35mm film, and I was too lazy to scan in pictures of that trip!

Little things

All my life I've wondered about fried ice cream . . . . . is it real?  Is it really fried?  When I saw fried ice cream on the menu of a "tex-mex" place in Myrtle Beach I just couldn't resist it . . . .

A dream come true in such a small package . . . . . fried ice cream . . . . . it is fried . . . . the ice cream is still frozen . . . . . . and it is oh so yummy . . . . . especially when shared with loved ones!

For the Love!

I do not can!  I do not put up food of any sort . . . . . except, for this.  And I do it for the love of my husband.  He adores strawberry freezer jam.  I don't know if it is just me . . . . . or has the store jam recently just gotten awful?  We can hardly stand it.  YUCK!  But homemade freezer jam is heavenly.  So once a year (I'm lying, it is less than once a year)  I put up this freezer jam for my family.  Since there are only 3 of us now, I don't have to put up as much!!!!! Yippeeee!

Here are the stages (minus the picking of the strawberries, which we DID do but I didn't have my camera!!)  For you who are local, the farm said the strawberries will be "done" at the end of this week . . . . . if you are interested . . . . . .

In the box . . . .

In the sink, getting ready for a wash . . . . .

De-stemmed goodness . . . . . . .

My helpers . . . . Marci . . . . . a sweet lady I'm getting to know better.  Can you believe she has NEVER had a driver's license . . . . . .unbelievable!!!

My son, who unlike the "little red hen" DID help me pick and prepare the strawberries and can now enjoy the "fruit" of our labors!

The finished product . . . . .  you jealous yet????

In the freezer . . . . . ..

And OH MY, how yummy this tastes liberally applied to a piece of bread gobbed with butter. . . . . . . .  Molly mormon, I may not be . . . . . but maybe I'm her sister Jane . . . . . . (Jane???) ha!