Strawberries & the 2012 Summer Bucket List

The first strawberries of the season taste better than almost anything so I was elated to discover the first crop at Bashaw Valley in Shell Lake this week.  My plan was to make a few dishes with strawberries, but we ate 6 quarts in 24 hours so I'm going to hold off for a few days. 

Strawberries are one of those fruits you must buy organic as they top the "dirty dozen" list of foods.   There's no way to wash the pesticides off the strawberries so if you don't buy organic you may as well plan on eating some fresh fruit poison. 

Strawberries are a powerhouse food and have 7 major health benefits:  anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer food (as long as organic), they are low calories (a cup has 43 calories ) and high in fiber so are a great choice for any diet, improves eye health, great source of magnesium, a great source of vitamin C, and promote bone health.  After reading about the health benefits of strawberries, I didn't feel quite so guilty for eating a whole pint of strawberries myself in one day.

Strawberries

This week we worked on the summer bucket list.    Even though I love having our summer activities laid out, I also want to make sure there's room for quiet time.  Greta and I are the early birds in the family and this morning and she sat on my lap as we played "eye spy".  Spending quiet time with any of my kids like this makes me happier than anything, so we try and keep space open for the quiet moments.

Here's the Family Activity Summer Bucket List:

1.  Tent camping in Northern MN
2.  Trip to Valleyfair
3.  Scheer's Lumberjack Show
4.  Mini-golfing
5.  Skyzone Indoor Trampoline in the Cities
6.  Packer pre-season game
7.  Wisconsin Dells waterpark
8.  Trip to cousin Erinn's and Como Zoo
9.  Pick rocks along shoreline of Lake Superior
10.  Bayfield berry picking and then swimming at FriendlyValley beach in Bayfield
11. Local Carnival (Musky Fest) and Sawyer County Fair
12. Fun day at the KOA
13. Visit Mall of America
14.  Tubing down the Namekagon River
15.  Hike to St. Peter's Dome at Morgan's Falls and have a picnic lunch

Bucket List 2012, checking off number 4 while mini-golfing

Bucket List # 3, Scheer's Lumberjack Show 2012

So far, we've hit 2 of these, so we have 13 activities left and 12 weeks of summer....piece of cake.   We filled an entire photo album last year with the Summer Bucket List 2011 pictures, but my favorite keepsake is a video Gus took of us surreptitiously singing loudly off key in the van while we were singing loudly off-keyin the car as the trees passed by.  Sometimes it's the simple things.

What's on your summer bucket list? 


Kristin   

Memorial Day Part Deux

Here's our Memorial Day in 5 pictures.  Despite the somewhat rainy weather, we had a great time!

Friday night:

Gus' baseball game - he is getting really good

Saturday night:

We waited in line for 30 minutes to see the Avengers - we missed the first 15 minutes!

Sunday a.m.:  Mini-Golf

Mini-Golf with Gus and Greta

Sunday p.m.:  Scheer's Lumberjack Show - if you ever get to Hayward, WI you must check out their show!

Gus is a future Lumberjack!  Here he is on stage cutting a log

These lumberjacks climbed 70 feet up these logs in 15 seconds

 

Monday:  we remember those who have served.

Memorial Day Service in Seeley - honoring Chad who is an Iraq Veteran of War

Finally, I leave you with an awesome and easy cheese recipe.  My friend Patrice gave me some of her goat milk, some garlic chives, and a recipe for goat cheese.  This is so awesome and so simple!!


EASY 10 MINUTE GOAT CHEESE

Ingredients:

1 quart goat's milk
2 Tablespoons vinegar
Flavor with what you have on hand:  garlic chives, dill, etc.

Bring goat's milk to a full boil.  Immediately take off heat.  Add vinegar.  Stir until the milk starts to clump.  Drain the milk / cheese mixture through a cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer.  There's nothing better than fresh cheese and can you believe how simple it is?

Goat Cheese

Check out my previous Memorial Day blog at cookinginthemoment.blogspot.com  and while you are there think of following me via e-mail - I'm always looking for followers.   And, if you sign up today I'll send you my favorite fabric shopping bag or if you share my blog on facebook or twitter I'll send you my favorite all natural soap.   

 Happy Memorial Day, and thanks for reading.  What did you cook for Memorial Day?

Kristin