Esther's Heavenly Dipped Strawberries

You are going to love me for this!

I don't very often post about recipes but when I do, it is because I've found something too good to keep to myself. Remember that Hot Fudge Crockpot Cake? There you have it.

This week I remembered something I learned years ago. I can't believe that I hadn't done this in awhile. When we were in our 20's (just a couple of years ago) our little family moved to Issaquah, Washington. Mike was going to college there and  we knew we'd be there for a couple of years.  It was a big adventure but we didn't know anyone in the area.  Not to worry. One of the first things we did was find a church home. That is one of the best places to make new friends!

It was at church that we met an older lady named Esther. Although we felt we were a long, long way from little Turner, Montana, we'd found a piece of home in our new church clear out in the Pacific Northwest. You see, as it turns out, Esther was also from Turner, Montana! She had moved away many years before but we knew her relatives and she knew Mike's relatives. That felt so good! In fact, the "shop" at Mike's family's farm had been an old schoolhouse, moved a few miles to their property when Mike was a little boy. Esther had taught in that little building...or maybe she'd been a student in it, I'm not sure I remember the story exactly but she had some sort of connection to that building. 

Anyway, considering how small Turner is, we had not expected to meet anyone in the Seattle who knew where it was. Esther became a sweet part of our time there. She gave us many gifts and had us over for supper...things like that. This "recipe" comes from one of our meals with her.

OK, are you ready for this?

Wash some pretty red strawberries. Put some sour cream in a nice little bowl (Maria, I bet vegan sour cream would work wonderfully well), along side brown sugar. hold a strawberry by it's leafy top and dip it first into the sour cream and then into the brown sugar. Taste and enjoy!  That's it! That's the recipe to delectable bliss!

On a less than healthy note, I discovered that if you have left-over sour cream and brown sugar in your bowl at the end, you can stir it up together and use it as a dip with potato chips for a wonderful sweet and salty experience. It may not be good for you in any way, but it is yummy!

  

A New Favorite

Have any of you found that as you age, your tastes change?  Is it really due to loss of taste buds?

For years I thought brussel sprouts were horrid.  I kept trying them because they looked like cute little cabbages and I enjoyed cabbage.  Each time, though, I couldn't get them out of my mouth fast enough!  Yuck!

Then, one night Mike and I were invited to dinner at the home of an elderly English gentleman.  I was a vegetarian at the time but usually had plenty to eat anyway when someone had us over.  As it turned out that night, though, my choices were pretty slim.  He served several things but most with an element of meat mixed in.  Looking at the table as he placed the food down, I figured I'd eat bread and LOTS of vegetables.  As it turned out when he brought the vegetable dish, you guessed it, he brought brussel sprouts. 

Well, I did not want to hurt his feelings so I forced a bite into my mouth.  I was planning on cutting up those on my plate, spreading the bits around, eating as few bites as possible.  I was all set for my over active gag reflex to kick in.  Instead, I found I was enjoying the taste in my  mouth!  What a shock!  I ended up confiding in him that I thought I didn't like brussel sprouts but that I loved his.  I really did!  I ate many of them!  He told me that the trick was to cut a cross pattern on the bottom of them and to only cook them for a few minutes.  He claimed that over cooking them caused that bitter taste.  I don't know but I've cooked them quite a bit myself, following his advice, and I still love them.  Who knew?

I also used to detest cooked carrots.  For years I avoided them as best I could.  When I was dating Mike, though, his Mom served cooked carrots frequently.  I first ate them in an attempt to be polite and I admit I did not enjoy it.  Eventually I did not hate them and then, somewhere along the way, they become something I enjoyed.  Go figure!

I have decided that I LOVE peanut butter.  I've never hated peanut butter but it was not high on my list of favorite treats.  Things change.  Today I purchased  a bag of Peanut Butter Snickers and couldn't hardly stop eating them.  I suppose I'd better not buy a bag of those again.

My really yummy new favorite thing, though, is peanut butter and strawberry whole wheat toast.  Have you tried that?!

It's simple, nutritious and very easy.  It is so yummy, though, that I feel kind of guilty eating it.  I especially like it for breakfast but it does make me feel like I'm being naughty, like I am eating dessert for breakfast.  Oh well, I can live with the guilt.

Anyone else notice these kind of changes?

On another subject...

For all who are wondering, Bode is doing much better.  He managed to sleep until 5:30 a.m. - Yay!  He's suddenly quite WILD!  The movie, Marley, has been crossing my mind more and more as Bode tries to eat the couch, newspaper, my feet, the end table, you get the picture!  Luckily,  he still has only baby teeth and he doesn't get much traction with them.  It is nice to see him bounding around, all legs, exploring his new world.  He even got courageous enough to do the stairs.  OK, he only got the courage when I drug him down, but he'll do it on his own now.

And as long as I am wrapping up loose ends, remember the guessing game picture?

Anyway, I realized that I hadn't announced the answer.  The picture was baby porcupines.  Everyone first guessed baby hedgehogs, which seemed reasonable. 

Have a great Saturday!