The Weary World Rejoices
There are always bright, beautiful spots
if only you open your eyes
and believe in the magic.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
PS – See! Told ya! yep – another Christmas song running through my head!
berries
Thank You Berry (Salsa) Much
Thank you cards might be my favorite cards to make and send. There is something so heartwarming about putting to art and words your feelings of gratitude and sharing it with the person you are thankful to.
So when one of my co-workers did something especially nice and helpful (which is a regular occurrence from her – lucky me – eh?!), I had this little card I had made a while back when I was practicing water color painting where I had laid out some fruit and mint leaves and tried to create it. I was goofing around with making it a (not sure of the term?) combination of words and “art.” (Anybody know the technical name for this or is there even such a thing?) Need to work on my handwriting, but thought it was fun… or maybe I ruined it??
Nonetheless, I used this, along with a little batch of my Fresh Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies as a way to thank my friend and co-worker. (Thank you Judy!!)
And while we are talking about the wonderful fruits of summer and berries, it brought to mind a favorite recipe I used to make and demonstrate from Pampered Chef years ago when I was a “Pampered Chef Lady” that I thought I’d share with you here today. Only, I kicked it up a notch by adding fresh red raspberries too! I’ve got to make this again soon!
Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips
Photo courtesy of myreciperoundup.blogspot.com
Ingredients:
2 Medium Granny Smith Apples, chopped
1 Cup Strawberries, hulled and chopped
1 Kiwi, peeled and chopped
1 Cup Red Raspberries
1 Medium Orange, juiced and zested
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Apple Jelly
4 Large Tortillas
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
Directions:
Gently mix together first seven ingredients in a bowl.
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Brush tortillas with water using a pastry brush. Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over tortillas. Cut each tortilla into eight wedges, and place on a baking stone (or cookie sheet). Bake 5-7 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Remove to cooling rack, then place in a bowl or basket alongside the salsa, and ENJOY!
Recipe from The Pampered Chef (modified)
Cheers & Hugs & Thank You BERRY Much for Visiting LifeinBetween.me,
Jodi
Berry Love
I love berries! Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Blueberries. They are one of those foods that taste best to me in their purest form. Sure – it’s hard to pass up a Blackberry or Red Raspberry Pie… Homemade Strawberry Jam on fresh baked buttered bread……. Blueberries are devine on my breakfast cereal too…. But just popping berries in my mouth pretty much rocks my world.
If I want to make a nice fruit salad, I love berries the best. Mix them together, then make a simple “dressing” from just a smidge of brown sugar and a splash of balsamic vinegar. I know it sounds strange, but it really makes the flavors burst! Then top that with some fresh mint leaves and a sprinkling of lime zest – and ooooo laaa laaa!
Sometimes adding a simple, beautiful homemade shortcake biscuit and some whipped cream make berries even that much more special!
To make 8 shortcakes, I simply mix 2 cups flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 stick (8 Tbsp cold butter, cubed) with a pastry blender until crumbly. I then add 2/3 cup half and half and form the dough (being careful not to overmix and make it tough). I then cut the dough into 8 biscuits, brush with a little more half and half on top and sprinkle with some raw sugar before baking at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes.
So that’s what hubby got for dessert last night.
Which is your favorite berry? What is your favorite way to eat them?
And I thought you might get a kick out of seeing a “behind the scenes” shot of my berry professional photo shoot set up early morning on the side porch.
Yep – that’s how I roll…
at life in between.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Morning Walk with Mikey
Mikey and I often enjoy early morning walks. One day this past week, we took the camera along with us, so we could share just a small taste of the beauty we enjoy along the way. Blackberries are done here in Western Pennsylvania, and now the wild black raspberries are prolific along the wood’s edge of our lane.
Mikey loves berry pickin’ – – and he only eats the ripe ones.
I thought these were stunning with their purple bloom on top. It is so amazing to see the colors change weekly on our walk as different things blossom and bloom.
I never grow tired of the simplicy of daisies….
He loves me…. He loves me not….
These Brown Eyed Susans still had the morning dew on them and just popped out at us in a field of green.
And I loved the way the sun hit the dew on little spider and cob webs showing their fragile and delicate intricateness.
The sky was so blue above us with a few puffy white clouds to just make it look that much bluer.
And wild morning glories were open and welcoming the sunshine.
A Daddy Long Leg and an Ant were sharing time on this beautiful orange wild flower. Do you see how Loooooong that one leg is?
There is so much beauty to enjoy in the simplest of moments. And Mikey is such a good partner, who waits patiently while I stop to photograph, soaking up the sun, and possibly wishing for some shades!
Happy Weekend! Hope you take some time to enjoy the simple pleasures along your walk, wherever it takes you to and from…
at Life In Between…
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 