Kelly's Strawberry Glaze Pie...

We have strawberries coming out of our ears!!!!  We have only picked from our patch twice and have already picked about 100 quart!  We have made jam, halved some and froze them to enjoy on shortcake this winter, I have frozen them whole, made shortcake, sold them and am now in the process of making every strawberry recipe I can think of!  My friend, Kelly gave me this yummy recipe and it is so good!  So, if you have some fresh berries, whip up this pie.  I'm sure store bought strawberries would work too, but nothing beats garden fresh in my book!  Enjoy!!

Strawberry Glaze Pie

Ingredients

• 1 pre-baked pie crust
• 4 Cups Fresh strawberries, halved
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 Cup Water
• 1/2 small package strawberry jello

Cooking Directions

1. Place halved strawberries in pre-baked pie shell.
2. Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan and mix until most lumps are gone.
3. Add water and jello to sugar and cornstarch and bring to a rapid boil.
4. Boil until thick. (about 10 minutes)
5. Pour glaze over strawberries.

Busy, Busy, Busy....

Once again, I have been a blog slacker.

When I signed on today to catch up with all my blogging friends, I noticed that I wasn't that far behind.  So summer must be keeping everyone busy. 

This week has found us at VBS everyday.  We were exhausted yesterday and were quite grumpy so the girls and I treated ourselves to a much needed nap.  Mel and I slept for three hours while B slept for four hours.  See, I told you it was much needed!

We've also been spending nearly every day in the pool.  B is a water bug and learned to swim on her back today.  Mel is a little more weary when it comes to the pool.  She gets that from me!  I am content to watch from the side than actually get in the water, but with the 90 degree + heat, I have been sucking it up and getting in also.  Mel is slowly learning to love the water.  She no longer screams when B splashes her while jumping in a zillion times!

A lot of time has also been spent in the garden.  The other night, I captured my favorite people working in the garden... 

The weeding hasn't been that bad this year.  I guess that is one...okay probably the only benefit to the drought like conditions we are experiencing .  We have had to run the sprinkler about every other night.

The girls like to dig in the dirt and make mud piles. 

And yes, they are barefoot!  That is the only way to garden in my book!... 

It looks like Mel is getting ready to fall in this picture, but she is just running fast.  Sometimes she runs so fast I think her feet don't touch the ground.  Both of the girls are runners!  You definitely can't punish them by making them run laps around the house!  They would think it was a game! 

I hope you all are enjoying your summer...bare feet and all!

Starting Garden Seeds Indoors...

It is almost that time of year!  The time of year where we can start thinking about what we are going to plant in our garden. 

This will be the fourth year that I have started my garden seed indoors.

Let me tell you, I have learned a lot from that first year!

I order all of my seed from Jung's.

I'm sure there are millions of other good places out there, but they have always treated me well. 

The first year I invested in some cell inserts and flats as well as some plant markers.

Always make sure to label.

I may have learned this the hard way.

I usually plant 2-3 different kinds of tomato plants and , after a while, all the plants start to look the same! 

I just fill each tray with dirt and somewhat pack it down, but you don't want it to be too firm.

You don't want the dirt to be too dry or too wet.  Sometimes it is fine straight out of the bag, but sometimes I will pour it into a bucket and add a bit of water to it and then mix it.

Then I take my pointer finger and poke a hole into each section.

Plant the seed and then cover it with dirt. 

Then LABEL!!!!

I typically like to start the seeds about the last week in March.

Then I put them in a warm and sunny location and watch them grow.

I have a sunroom which is perfect, but you can also set them in front of a window in your home.

Now, here is the trick.

You can buy the clear plastic lids to go over the trays, but I use plastic wrap.

Everyone has plastic wrap in their house, right?  Much cheaper.

Cover each flat with plastic wrap.  This will help the plants absorb heat and help the soil retain its moisture.

Once the seeds begin to sprout, you can remove the plastic wrap.

B feels that talking to them helps them grow... 

If your plants get too tall and it isn't time to transplant them yet, pinch them back to the bottom two leaves.  This will also make them stronger!

Note: I only start my broccoli, and tomatoes indoors.  Most seeds can be planted directly outdoors and will do fine, such as beets, radishes and green beans and therefore, I do not recommend starting indoors.  Make sure to check your labels.