Potluck

We had a wonderful time at the Kremin's for an impromptu barbecue tonight. The Heerdinks came as well and we could not stop talking and laughing and just enjoying spending time with each other. Thanks for a wonderful time! It was nice to have a real evening where we could just be ourselves. Definitely need to do this again!!

4th of July

We were invited to Twin Lakes on the 4th of July. Problem of course was it fell on a Sunday so swimming and boating were out. And since we all had church assignments, we attended church from 1-4pm like any other Sunday. I believe there were a total of 20 families there : ) We went home and whipped up the Strawberry Shortcake cookies and got out to the lake in plenty of time to visit with the others there (Wagners, Osborns, McLaughlins and of course Hartmans - since it was their house). Evidently some of the neighbors enjoy shooting off fireworks so we were able to see many different shows coming from various homes on the lake. Here are just a couple pictures I took with my point and shoot camera.

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

We were to bring something with us to the lake to munch on while viewing the fireworks, so whipped up these cookies after church. We love to experiment and try something we've never made when assigned to bring something. It's kind of exciting - what if it does not turn out or tastes icky? Well, this one is a keeper! Super yummy and they were not kidding when the recipe said "best served immediately" (they get too moist).

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE COOKIES
2 c. strawberries, hulled and diced into small pieces
1 tsp. lemon juice
9 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 c. heavy cream
Sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture. (At this point you will think you have a lab experiment gone bad... it will work out, I promise!)

Using a cookie scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with sugar and bake until golden brown, 24 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Cookies are best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Knight and Day & 4th (3rd) of July at Mom's

This was a fun holiday weekend. Because the 4th of July fell on a Sunday, Mom had her annual picnic on Saturday July 3rd. And John and I both got Monday July 5th off, also because the 4th landed on a Sunday. That ended up giving us TWO more days to celebrate the freedom of our country. Cool!! John, Audrey and I started off our celebration by heading downtown to see a movie - Knight and Day with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. We enjoyed it. A comedy/action flick reminding me of a less serious Mission Impossible movie. An enjoyable break. Then we headed over to mom's at 5pm for the meal. We brought Rhubarb Punch, Sloppy Joe sliders and Stained Glass Jello. Mom had invited friends, neighbors and relatives and had a good crowd. The weather was warm, but not hot and the pool was open.

Rhubarb Slush

RHUBARB SLUSH
3 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
1 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup apple juice
1 can (6oz) frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 liters lemon-lime soda


In a saucepan, combine rhubarb, water and sugar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Cool for about 30 minutes. In a food processor or blender, puree mixture, half at a time. Stir in apple juice and lemonade. Pour into a freezer container; cover and freeze until firm. Let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes before serving. For individual servings, scoop 1/3 cup into a glass and fill with soda. To serve a group, place all of mixture in a large pitcher or punch bowl; add soda and stir. Serve immediately. Yield: about 10 servings

Stained Glass Jello

STAINED GLASS JELLO (or BROKEN GLASS JELLO)
Makes one 9×13-inch pan
4 boxes (3-ounces each) Jello in assorted colors
14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 envelopes Know unflavored gelatin
Water

For each flavor, dissolve one box of Jello in 1 cup of boiling water. Pour into a square container that is about 6 to 8″ square and chill at least 3 hours, or overnight. After chilling the flavors, cut them into small blocks. Toss gently into a 9x13 pan. In a separate bowl, sprinkle 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin into ½ cup cold water. After the gelatin blooms, add 1½ cups boiling water and dissolve. Add the can of condensed milk. Stir and let cool. Pour cooled milk mixture over Jello blocks in 9×13 pan. Chill overnight or at least 3 hours until firm.

Face Mask

I introduced Audrey to the fun of using cucumber peel-off face mask...