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Get ready for strawberry season

March marches on. Slow down year – we want to enjoy this year, not just race through it.

We all seem to live too fast and only a few folks have learned to take life a little easier. Scary, isn’t it? Did all you single girls take advantage of Sadie Hawkins Day? It won’t come for another four years. The way the world spins so fast, though, it won’t seem long. Anyway, if you just missed it, just forget about being traditional and just ask that special guy to come to a dinner that you fixed just for him and see if it doesn’t do as well as being shy and old-fashioned.

Mother Nature is surely teasing us – such nice days, then right back to the chilly winds and cold days. Spring has to be close, though, so let’s hope this week will be nicer than the one we just went through. The potting soil, containers and seeds had been purchased early on with the intentions of getting an early start on seedlings. They just got planted. Probably, about the middle of the summer they will be big enough to transfer to the garden and then the frost will come and get them before they produce those tomatoes for which we hoped. I really don’t know why I even try to garden like my grandmothers did. My intentions are good, just the actions never seem to catch up with them. I hope all you farmers did a better job than I did so I can come to your markets and get the produce that I had planned to have in my own garden here on the hilltop. I hate it when husband Norm’s dire comments about my garden always seem to come true. He insists the garden shouldn’t be put out until June 1st, so the soil has a chance to warm up and the plants can get a faster start. A new discussion every year.

As this is written, plans are being made to attend a viewing of “Battle Hymn”, the movie of a great man from Marietta, at the newly renovated Peoples Bank Theater in Marietta on March 4th. I hope you got to go see it. Brother Bill was one of the recruits sworn in on stage by Col. Hess on the night of the movie premiere. It was the biggest event since old Rufus founded the city, and the biggest event even until now. We all swooned seeing the Hollywood crowd, especially Rock Hudson. The bands played and marched in the parade that welcomed the dignitaries from California. Big doings in our little city. Col. Hess died this past year; he would have been proud to have been honored again by the city that loved him and his family.

Not many folks will ever be able to do the wonderful things he did (saving hundreds of orphans in Korea during the war), but we all can honor the men and women who protect us and sacrifice to make our country free and the world a better place.

The FFA strawberries from Florida will be in our area this week (some schools will have other delivery dates) so it is time to enjoy a fresh strawberry pie, chocolate covered strawberries and make some jam. These big, sweet, beautiful berries come from Plant City, Fla., the strawberry capital, and are on the truck coming north within very few hours after being picked. If you missed them this year, mark your calendar in February 2017, to contact an FFA chapter at your nearest school to order these treats. You will love them and the FFA students will appreciate you helping them meet their quotas. These are the young people who are learning agro-business and will be in charge of feeding future generations of the world’s populations. Serious obligations.

Our youngest “4-legged child” was limping the other day. We had no idea where or how he had been hurt until Norm witnessed his reaction to one of the horses. He ran out to her and she just stopped, lowered her head as she looked at him, and lifted her foot like she was going to kick him. He turned tail and ran back to the house. He has decided he doesn’t like to chase her anymore. It doesn’t take much to entertain us here on the hilltop.

A nasty lesson was learned here the other day. Paint tape had been used on the wall of one area to mask it to make the painting of the trim easier. That wall had been painted several days prior and it should have been completely dry. Maybe the damp weather and cool temperatures kept it from being dry because when it was pulled off, the wall paint started to come off, too. Clouds of blue smoke. I just kept washing dishes like I hadn’t heard anything. Really, some day we will have the house looking like we want it (if the electrician ever comes and the wind doesn’t tear anything else down). Maybe my Guardian Angel is doing all of this to protect me so that it will keep me too busy to fuss about what is going on in D.C. and making comments on “room temperature IQ’s” of certain people.

Spring cleaning really has been started – some of the kitchen shelves have been attacked and are ready for the summer. Many more await their turns and the pantry is just daring me to start on it. It has to be done before the nice weather actually gets here as it is impossible to work in the house when the sun shines and the garden beckons. Two pink lilacs were ordered today. Maybe they will come and can get planted before anyone notices.

Enjoy this season and take time to have a cup of tea and just sit and rock a grandchild for a while. Remember, each day is a present and should be treated as such. Hug your kids and do something to make someone happy each day. Pray for peace and our protectors. God Bless!

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COMPANY STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Angel Food Cake

Sugared berries

Vanilla Ice Cream

Whipped Cream (or whipped topping)

Place slice of cake in individual serving bowl. Add a dip of vanilla ice cream. Spoon berries over the ice cream. Top off with a generous dollop of whipped cream and add a whole strawberry on top.

This is the Strawberry Shortcake served at the Medieval Festival in Sarasota, Fla., by the Plant City Strawberry Festival Committee.

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OLD-FASHIONED STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons shortening

2/3 cup milk

Butter

Sift together dry ingredients. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in milk to make a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured board and knead lightly. Divide dough in half. Roll or pat each half into a 9-inch circle. Place one half on an ungreased baking sheet. Dot with thin pieces of butter. Place second half on top. Bake in preheated 450-degree oven for ten minutes, then cover loosely with foil to keep top from browning too much and continue to bake for another fifteen minutes. Cool on a wire rack. If you prefer a crusty shortcake instead of soft in the middle, bake the halves side by side. Adjust the total baking time to about 15 minutes. For individual shortcakes, cut dough with a biscuit cutter and bake as for biscuits.

Place bottom layer on a serving plate. Cover with half of sugared berries, and add second biscuit layer. Cover with remaining berries. Cut as for pie, and serve each serving in a bowl so you can add cold milk.

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SUGARED BERRIES

1 quart fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

1/2 cup sugar, or to taste

Combine and let set while shortcake is cooling. Put shortcake together just before serving.

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STRAWBERRIES ROMANOFF

1/4 cup orange flavored liqueur

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons brandy

1 pint strawberries

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Combine liqueur, orange juice, and brandy. Cut washed and hulled berries in half and add to this mixture. Chill at least one hour, spooning liquid over berries several times. Just before serving, whip cream until frothy, add sugar, and whip until soft peaks form.

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EASY STRAWBERRY AND CREAM CHEESE PIE

1 graham cracker pie crust, 9- or 10-inch size

1 quart fresh berries

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 cup whipping cream

1 package strawberry glaze

Whipped topping

Wash strawberries and cut into halves or smaller if berries are large. Let cream cheese come to room temperature. With electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice. Add cold whipping cream and beat until light and fluffy. Spread in pie crust. Top with the strawberries, then the glaze. Frost pie with the whipped topping, using a large decorating star tip if available. Keep chilled.

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STRAWBERRY DRESSING FOR FRUIT SALAD

Whip 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Fold into one-cup mayonnaise. Fold one cup crushed strawberries and one to 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar into whipped cream mixture. Use for fruit salads.

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FREEZER STRAWBERRY JAM

2 cups finely mashed strawberries

4 cups sugar

1 package powdered pectin

3/4 cup water

Combine berries and sugar. Let stand twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. (Sugar should be dissolved by this time.) Combine pectin and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil and boil one minute, stirring constantly. Add the pectin to the fruit mixture and stir 3 minutes. Pour into freezer jars, leaving 1/2-inch headroom. Place on lids and let stand until set – up to twenty-four hours. Freeze. This jam has a really fresh taste.

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