Sea Glass Pictures

I love all things beach and ocean.  Especially the sound of the ocean waves.  There is nothing more soothing, meditative, and contemplative that ocean waves and if I had my druthers I would live on the beach.  Unfortunately, I don't live there, but have been fortunate enough to visit there many times in my life.  This year may not be one of those years (insert sad face).

At the little yellow cottage, all the walls were a soft creamy yellow and I used mostly red accents with a little blue.  Our new home has taupe colored walls and some decorating changes were in order.  Our hall bath was being finished after we moved in so I had about two weeks to think about how I would decorate it.  The brown stone tile and sand colored vanity top made me think of the beach, so I decided I would go with blues and use shells and something, just wasn't sure what something.

I had made a really big shell wreath a couple of years ago, but it was too big for the bathroom, so I made a smaller one and purchased some blue towels and a beautiful blue rug for the room.

The wreath hangs on the wall at the end of the bathroom.  You see it when you enter the door.   I needed something for the wall across from the vanity.  I was working putting things away and spied these frames that my daughter had given me for my birthday while we were living at the other house.  I loved the color of them and had them hanging in the dining room because they were a perfect complement to my Bluebird Cafe poster.  Just one little thing, I had never removed the original pictures that came in the frames because I just never got around to it somehow.  Don't laugh.

In a flash of inspiration, I knew what I could do with the frames so I could  use them in the new bathroom.  I took the backs off which was really easy,  you just had to twist a couple of little doodads and remove the pictures.  It wasn't like it was hard.  

I had lots of shells to use and a bag of sea glass from the Dollar Tree.  No, it's not real sea glass because I could search from now until forever and never have enough to use for this project.  It is truly beautiful, but not that easily found, so I used what I had and it looks great.  Do you know what sea glass is?  Here is what Wikipedia has to say:

There are two methods of making sea glass. The first type of sea glass production is natural. Pieces of glass from broken bottles, broken tableware or even shipwrecks are rolled and tumbled in the ocean or lakes for years until all of their edges are rounded off and the slickness of the glass has been worn to a frosted appearance.

Sea glass also can be produced artificially, when pieces of glass are tossed into a rock tumbler or dipped in acid to produce the desired finish. Artificially-produced sea glass is much less expensive than natural sea glass.

I had this piece of green glittered scrap book paper I had bought because I liked it.  It was sparkly, ya know?  So, I used the picture from the frames and traced two squares on the sparkly green paper and cut them out.  That would be the background for my new inserts.

I dumped out the bag of sea glass and searched for pieces and colors I liked and laid them out on the paper until I got a design that I liked.  Then, I hot glued each piece to the paper and placed it in the frame and put the backs on.  Easy peasy and I LOVE the way they look on the wall.  The picture isn't great because I could not get back far enough for a good shot.  You'll just have to come see them in person.

The piece of paper was $.50 and the bag of sea glass was $1.00.  Frames were a gift.  Can't complain about the cost and I am so happy with the way they look.  It is just a beautiful reminder of memorable times spent at the beach.  They are perfect for my beach inspired bathroom.

One again, look at things you already have and may be tired of.  Is there a new way to use the piece?  Maybe it requires a little change, or some paint.  You don't have to spend a ton of money to give a room a nice facelift.  Sometimes just moving things around to different rooms will be a refreshing new look.  I have used all the same pieces, but many in different places.  The only thing I have bought for our new home are the four bar stools.  Use new eyes to "see".  Some call it recycling, some call it being "green", and I just call it fun.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

I like to walk the aisles of the Dollar Tree and look at all the interesting things and think how I could use them in a new or different way from their "original" or intended purpose.  It's challenging, creative,  and fun.  Give it a try.  You may come up with a great new idea to share with all of us.  donna

New Fall Wreath

 Summer is definitely on the wane.  How do I know?  The sun is lower in the sky, it is getting dark a little earlier each evening, and there are little hints of color starting to show in the trees.  All the stores have their fall merchandise for sale (and yes, Christmas too) and there were potted mums at the grocery store yesterday.  That means pumpkins are just around the corner.  Yahoo!

Today, I had a total creative itch that had to be scratched.  I was restless and irritable, annoyed actually.  The moving and unpacking is finished and I haven't done anything creative in almost two months.  Unacceptable.   Time to solve that issue.

I know it's a little early, but I made my first fall wreath and hung it on the front door.  I mean really, there is no use making anything else since autumn is on the way right?  Right.  I dug around in the craft closet and pulled out everything I needed.

The only new item used was that beautiful printed burlap ribbon I found last week at Michael's and it has been teasing me every time I go in my craft room.  Taunting me.  Look at the beautiful detail.  They have it with different designs on it.  I just happened to like the one that looked like cursive writing.

Today, the taunting ceased!  I unrolled that ribbon and twisted it into a couple of big loops and made two tails that I cut into V shapes and went from there.  It is anchored to the wreath with a brown chenille stem.  Now what?  Here's a tip.  I almost always start with the bow before adding anything else.  It's just easier that way.

 I have lots of fall leaves in a huge bag from previous seasons and I bought several silk flower bushes at the Dollar Tree the other day.  Glue gun, glue sticks, wreath form (from Dollar Tree) - voila, everything I needed so I went to work.

Sometimes, I know how Michaelangelo felt when he looked at a piece of marble and saw a vision of what it could be, like the statue of David.  Don't get me wrong, I am NOT comparing a door wreath with the statue of David, but I am talking about envisioning what something can be, how you see it finished.  It takes creativity and imagination - maybe even a little thoughtful study.  And sometimes, there are just happy accidents and something miraculous happens and you are happy, happy, happy with the outcome.  There is no right or wrong, just whatever you want it to be.

Sorry, got sidetracked there for a minute.  I put the big bow on the wreath and then proceeded to hot glue leaves in varying shapes and colors around the wreath.  I finished by arranging silk flowers in and around the bow, hot glueing them to the burlap ribbon.  That is really all I did.  Place first, glue second. Make sure you like the placement before you glue something down.  It's like measure twice, cut once.  It is hard to move something after the glue has set and you don't like where it is.  That's just a another little FYI from a floral designer with many years experience.

So, my itch was scratched and I am ready to move on to the next project whatever it may be.  Think about what you want to do for the fall season and start now.  It will be September in just a short while and then the real fun begins.  Let's hear it for fall y'all.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Be creative.  Be original.  Think outside the box.  There is no right or wrong in creating.  It may not always turn out the way you want, or it could be a creative catastrophe (have had a few of those).  What matters is if you like it!  donna

Home Made Egg Noodles

 Our oldest grandson came home from two weeks in Maine enjoying sun, surf and his paternal grandparents and promptly came down with a stomach virus.  Here we go.  You know the rest of the story.  People in the family started dropping like dominoes.  Kids and adults.  Dan succumed on Saturday.  Down.  For.  The. Count.  Ugh.   Fortunately, I have escaped.  Whew.

Do you have a favorite comfort food when you are ill?  Mine is potato soup, Dan's is chicken and noodles with red jello on the side.  He doesn't care what flavor jello, just red.  To make him feel better, I decided to make some chicken and noodles on Sunday when he felt maybe he could eat something.  I had a whole chicken, but not one egg noodle in the pantry.  No, not one.  That never happens.  My only choice?  Make them from scratch and I did.  The recipe was found on Allrecipes.com - you know, my "go to" website.

Let me tell you, I will never use packaged egg noodles again.  Ever.  These were so easy to make and they are wonderful.  The texture is such that they do not disintegrate in the broth and turn to wall paper paste like many packaged noodles do.  And they are eggy and yummy.  When reheated the second day, they held their shape and did not fall apart.  Excellent.  And, so, so, so good.

To make the egg noodles, here is what you need.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 beaten eggs
4 TBSP milk

Sift the flour and then remeasure 2 cups.  Keep the remaining flour for your board when you roll out the noodles.

Beat the eggs until yellow.  Add the salt and milk.  Combine wet ingredients with the flour.  Do not over mix.  Mix just until a ball is formed.  I used a fork.  If the dough is gooey, add flour a spoonful at a time until the dough is set.  I didn't have to add any extra flour.

Generously flour a surface and break the dough in half.

Roll the dough very thin, about 1/8 inch.  (These are not dumplings so you don't want them to be thick)
Using a knife or a pizza cutter, cut your noodles to the size you want.

Roll and cut the second ball of dough.  Sprinkle lightly with flour and let sit for about 2 hours to dry slightly.

How to cook your chicken using a whole chicken:

Rinse a whole chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.  Place in a pot deep enough to hold the chicken and be able to cover it with water.  Put a couple teaspoons of salt in the water and cook for about 45 minutes to an hour on simmer until the chicken is done.  (The legs/thighs, will start to come away from the body of the chicken.)

Keep the water on simmer and remove the chicken, placing it in a 9x13 pan so you can pick the meat from the bones.  I remove the skin first and discard it, then using two forks, pull all the meat from the bones.

Drop the noodles (start with a few) in the simmering water while you are removing the meat from the chicken bones.  The noodles should float on top of the water if it is at a rapid simmer.  You don't want them to sink and stick to the bottom of the pan.  If they don't float, turn the heat up a bit, you want bubbles in the broth.  Once you have all the meat removed, drop it in the simmering broth with the noodles.

The noodles will get a little wider and longer as they cook.  You don't want them to turn to mush, so keep an eye on them.  Once they are done (at least al dente), turn the heat off, check the broth to see if you need to add more salt.  Add salt if needed, stir (not too much) and serve.  DELICIOUS!

The richness of the broth, the tenderness of the chicken and the wonderful flavor and texture of the noodles makes a truly enjoyable comfort food that even children enjoy.  This is SO much better than canned soup, it is totally worth the effort.

This recipe makes enough noodles for one chicken.  If you are making a larger quantity, say with two chickens, double the noodle recipe.  There should be enough chicken and noodles for several meals (at least with two of us there is more than plenty).  If you have a large family, it may not go quite as far because it is so good, everyone will want seconds.  You might want to add some of your favorite jello as a side.  It is a nice complement and comforting for a sick tummy.

As we approach the winter season, you will want to try this recipe for those "sick" days of colds, flu, and viruses that leave you feeling icky all over.  Chicken soup is known as "Jewish" penicillin, especially good for respiratory infections.

It seems early in the season for these things to start, but here they come.  Be prepared.  Do a test run.  Make some noodles for practice so you will be ready when "the time" comes.  Your family will love them.  Promise.

Everyday Donna

Things To Remember:

Making your own broth using real chicken is so much better than canned or boxed broth.  Give it a try, it's not hard.  You will be glad you did.  Chicken soup is good for the soul as well as the body.  donna

Herb Roasted Chicken

Hello all.  Hope you had a great weekend and you are settling into the "back to school" routine that is already here in most places.  Because we were looking for a place to live, packing, and moving in June and July, I feel as if the summer flew by and we missed it.  Now, the sun is lower in the sky and there is a feeling of fall in the air.  That's okay though as it is my favorite season and I totally look forward to it.

The condominium we are living in has a lovely pool, and two of our grandsons and their mom and dad came over for a late afternoon swim a couple of Friday's ago.  I had told them I would make dinner so they didn't have to rush home and try to feed their two little ones.  It's so nice to be able to prepare meals again, now that everything is out of boxes.  Eating out loses it's enchantment quickly.  Home cooked meals are tastier, cheaper to fix, and so much healthier.  And, I just happen to like cooking.

I had two whole chickens that I had planned on frying, but somehow that seemed like too much effort for a Friday evening.  Perhaps something baked?  I went to my "go to" web site, Allrecipes.com, to look for something different.  This herbed chicken was one of the first recipes that popped up and it sounded easy and delicious.

I would compare this to the roasted chickens you can buy at the grocery or Sam's Club only better.  It was soooooo good and easy to make.  Here is what you do.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit.

Spice Mix:

1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp drie basil
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (I baked 2 chickens so I doubled this recipe.)

Mix spices together in a bowl and put aside.

Rinse the chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towels.

Put the whole chicken in a baking pan, breast side up.  Rub the entire chicken with some good olive oil.  Sprinkle the spice mix over the chicken and rub it all over.

Put the baking pan with chicken in the 450 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees and roast for an additional 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.  Let cool 10-15 minutes before serving.  (The leg/thigh section should fall away from the chicken and juices should run clear)

Cut the legs, thighs, and wings away from the chicken.  Carve the breast meat.  Serve.

I have to say, this is one of the best roasted chickens I have ever made or eaten.  It was simply delicious.  Actually, I roasted two at the same time.  We ate one and I had the second one to use the next day.  The meat was so tender and flavorful, the skin was brown and crispy -  mm, mm, delicious.

There are so many uses for the left over roasted chicken.  You can make chicken salad, use it in a casserole, make sandwiches, or put it on a green salad.  Makes dinner preparation so easy for another meal.

This recipe is one you should put in your "go to" file for those days when you want something comforting, delicious, but not too much trouble.  You can make this one hands down.  Everyone will think you spent hours slaving in the kitchen.  Just don't tell them otherwise.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Cooking is like love.  It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.  Harriet Van Horne






 

Storage Solutions

 On May 1 and 2, 2010, torrential rains fell in middle Tennessee with some areas receiving as much as 19 inches of rain in a matter of hours causing devastating floods in many parts of the area.  The Cumberland River runs through Nashville, winding like a snake so that it affects many areas.  On the west side of town, there is the Cumberland and the Harpeth River which also flooded.  

The house we lived in previous to our present home was directly across from the Cumberland River.  We could see Opry Mills Outlet Mall across the river.  Opry Mills sits on the land where Opryland used to be.  Our house had 40 inches of water in it at the time of the flood.  That was before we moved to Nashville and the house was completely rebuilt after the flood.

The thing that is hard to imagine is that we were way above the river which means there was an unimaginable amount of water that flooded both sides of the river - Opry Mills, the beautiful Opryland Hotel, and the Grand Ol' Opry on the east bank of the river - and many, many homes on the west bank of the river where our house was located.  This happened all over the city in the low places between the hills.  A lot of downtown was flooded because it sits along the river.  If you have never been to Nashville, it is extremely hilly which means the water ran to all the low places.

On the west side of town where we now live, there was also a lot of flooding because there are two rivers running through the area.  Many homes have not yet been rebuilt.  The condominium complex we are living in also received flood damage.  That meant there was a need for rebuilding all over the area and quickly so that people could return to their homes.  It did not mean that all of the contractors and builders were necessarily the best in town.  Everyone was in demand.  Our condominium had to have work done in it.  You are probably asking yourself what the odds are of moving from one flooded area to another?  Actually, they are quite high since there was so much flooding.  The May, 2010, flood was declared a 1,000 year flood which means the chances of it happening again are practically nil, thank goodness.

The only problem I had with this condo when we leased it was that the top cabinets in the kitchen are really high in the air.  Like someone who is 6'5" could use these cabinets.  I am only slightly over 5 feet tall and I can only reach the knob on the bottom cabinet.  Therefore, all the top cabinets are pretty much useless to me except for things I don't use often.

There was a contractor working on the bathroom when we first moved in and I asked about the cabinets.  He said there should have been at least a 12" space at the top of the cabinets, with 3 less rows of tile between the top and bottom cabinets.  Presently, the tops of the cabinets are against the ceiling.  So, it wasn't just my imagination!  Our landlady said she will have them moved down which is awesome.  It just won't be right away.  Therefore, I had to find a storage solution for all my casseroles, glasses, platters, etc.  All my cooking pans are on shelves in the utility closet, but this is what I came up with for the kitchen.

Since open shelves are quite the rage now in kitchen decorating, I thought why not use my bookshelves to solve my dilemma.  So, that's what I did.  I had an old white bookshelf that had been in our daughters' room while they were growing up.  These shelves held all their memorabilia from school.  When we moved from Evansville, I boxed all that up and sent it to live with them.  The bookshelf came with us, since there were no built ins in our new home.  After we moved in, we purchased another bookshelf to hold all our games, videos, and books.  I could not find a white one, so we bought a black one and they lived side by side in our sun room.  These were going to become my kitchen solution after our move here.

They needed to match, so we primed them with white primer so there would be no bleed through on the new paint.  I used flat white paint on the outsides, and Annie Sloan chalk paint on the insides of the shelves.  I did not want them to be to matchy/matchy with the bar stools, so I combined some Duck Egg Blue and Provence Blue to create a color similar to the bar stools, but slightly darker.

Then, it was a matter of placing all the "stuff" on the shelves.  If you look, the bowls on the middle of the top shelf are older than me.  (Didn't think that was possible did you?)  They were my moms and she got married in 1947.  Most of my casseroles were wedding gifts in 1969 and I still use them every day.  Now, they are past "vintage" and almost antiques.  They have certainly been useful all these years.

The bottom right shelf contains many of my cookbooks and the baskets above contain all my cloth napkins, dish cloths, and tea towels.  It is actually quite handy and I really like the look.  It's much easier than trying to pull things out of cabinets.  I may just keep it this way.

 This arrangement also solves the problem of where to put the trash can.    That seems to be an issue in almost every kitchen I have ever had.  Do you have that problem or is it just me?  The trash can now sits to the right of the bookshelves in a perfect little unobtrusive space.  Two problems solved.  I love when that happens.

This is another instance of thinking outside the box to solve a problem.  Storage can be such an issue.  If you are having storage problems, look around and think about what you could use or do differently to stretch or create new storage.  It doesn't have to be expensive.  Two $30 bookshelves and some paint solved our problem.  It could solve yours too.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Look through magazines, catalogs, and websites like Houzz.com for ideas.  You don't have to spend a lot of money on expensive furniture.  There are thrift stores, Goodwill, craigslist, and consignment stores where you can find real bargains to solve a dilemma.  All it takes is a little imagination and some paint.  You can do it!  donna

Loving Our New Home

 Hellooooooo everyone.  It's been quite a while since I have posted to my blog because we have been moving to a new home.  Talk about a time killer.  First, we were notified that our landlord was going to put the house we were living in on the market.  Shock and despair was the first reaction, then we immediately got over that and knew we had to get busy, busy finding a new place to live.

Nashville has been fairly impervious to the real estate meltdown that has occurred in a lot of the country because the job market has remained good and so has the real estate market.  Let me put it this way, prices on rents and homes here are sky rocketing.  People are moving here in droves and the inventory is limited which has driven rent prices WAY up.  Not good for us old fogies living on fixed incomes.  So, the hunt was on and I was spending hours on rental sites like craigslist, Zillow, Trulia, Homes.com.  Every few hours I would scan them all looking for anything in our price range, calling, driving to look at them and experiencing a lot of disappointment.  But, if you are persistent and keep a positive attitude, the perfect place will appear and it did!  We found a lovely condo that had just been redone and we were lucky enough to be chosen to live in it.  It really is like winning the lottery at the moment if you are the lucky one chosen for the place you want.  Places are being rented site unseen.  It's kind of crazy.

Next, it was weeks of packing, pitching, and donating.  Then came the big day.  We worked hard in the heat of July loading and unloading the moving truck.  Then, two  weeks of unpacking and placing things.  Rearranging, getting it right.  You know how it goes.

Anyway, This is a picture of our beautiful new kitchen.  It is different from anything we have had before because it is contemporary and I am more of a shabby chic/country kind of girl.  Here is the kitchen before we moved in.

 It's very sleek and I love it.  The 5 burner gas stove is a dream!!  I knew we needed some kind of bar stools for the counter.  Especially since I sold our table and chairs to the couple buying the house we lived in.  It would not fit in this setting.  So, we had to have someplace to sit until I decide on the kind of table and chairs I want in here.  (I do have some ideas!)

The search for bar stools was on.  I looked at several places and was very discouraged at the cost and there wasn't a lot of them that I liked.  A light bulb went off in my head one day and I told Dan we needed to make a trip to the Habitat Re-Store here in Nashville.  It was truly our lucky day.  They had the bar stools in the picture for $ 7.00 each.  You read that right - $7.00 each.  Talk about the right price!!  I had seen similar ones at Target for $99.00 each.  That was not happening, but these beauties were coming home with us.

These bar stools didn't look like they do in the picture above.  Actually, they were pretty grungy, but the bones were good.  They were good and sturdy. Paint and fabric would make them ours.  This is how they looked.

Yeah, the seats were GROSS, but they could be recovered.  We paid for the stools and crammed them in our car.  Next, it was a stop to get some Annie Sloan chalk paint at my favorite little supplier, C'est Moi in Brentwood.  Once again, I wanted something a little different color wise from what I had been using.  Annie Sloan paints are based on historical colors and I fell in love with the Provence Blue which is a sort of turquoise color.  Paint purchased and on to the next stop at the home dec fabric stores.

There are several really great home decorator fabric stores here in the area and I hit all of them.  I found what I wanted at the last store (of course).  The background is a gold color with dark red roses, green leaves and hints of the turquoise color in the smaller flowers.  Perfect.

Annie Sloan paint can be used over most anything without priming.  They do recommend priming over dark wood if you are using a light colored paint.  I didn't want to risk bleed through from the dark stain on the stools, so I primed them all with white primer.

 All the stools were then painted with the Provence Blue and waxed with Annie Sloan clear wax.  I recovered the seats with the beautiful new fabric and sprayed them all with Scotch Guard.  Here is the finished product.

Oh, I  am so happy with the way they turned out and it saved us hundreds of dollars.  That is the very best part!  They are definitely being put to good use.

Next time you need or want to make a change, consider recycling something you have or buying from a thrift store.  Purchasing from a Habitat Re-Store helps fund habitat homes.  Picture a piece in a new and different way.  It's so creative and fun to see the results - and it's super friendly on the old pocket book and environment!

I'm so glad to be back and will be sharing all kinds of new recipes and ideas.  Hope to see you here!

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

It doesn't have to cost a lot to look good and serve a purpose.   See things with new eyes!   donna

Strawberry Pie Recipe

 Pie - not to be confused with Pi, which is a mathematical constant. The number pi (symbol: π) /paɪ/ is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, and is approximately equal to 3.14159.  Remember that? You don't need it for this recipe.   P I E pie is something deliciously good to eat.  Guess which one we prefer?

You can make a one crust pie, top crust pie (sometimes called cobbler), or two crust pie.  Do you have a preference?  Personally, they are all good in my book.

Strawberries.  Red.  Juicy.  Delicious.  Local strawberries are the best, but are only in season for about a month in the spring, usually late April or the month of May.  Last year it was warm and dry and berries were gone by the first of May.  This spring, it has been cool and damp and we are still able to buy local berries because they did not come in until about the second week of May.  The weather is the main indicator of when berries will be available.

The first garden strawberry was grown in France during the late 18th century.  Prior to this, wild strawberries and cultivated selections from wild strawberry species were the common source of the fruit.  Records show that wild strawberries were being cultivated as far back as the 1500's.  Needless to say, they were only available for short periods of time.  Now, due to strawberries being grown in plasticulture and some green houses, they are available all year round.  The biggest difference between the year round berries and local berries is the local berries are a bit smaller, sweeter, and much juicier than the "store bought" variety available during the year.  

We are always excited when the local berries become available.  We are happy to just wash them off and eat them right out of the container they are so sweet and good.  But, of course, the uses for strawberries are plentiful.  Strawberry shortcake is one of the most well known ways to eat strawberries.  You can make preserves with them, lots of desserts, eat them over ice cream, or make strawberry smoothies and milkshakes.  Yum.  

I had bought a gallon of fresh strawberries at the local Farmer's Market and knew I would make some strawberry pies with them.  I had just cleaned my house for my sister's weekend visit and didn't want to mess up the kitchen floor making crusts so I sent Dan to the store to buy some pre made deep dish pie crusts. (Yes, I have flour everywhere when I make pie crusts.)  Someone didn't read the label and came home with regular pie crusts, so my pies are a little less "deep dish" that I would have liked, but it didn't make a whole lot of difference when it came to eating them, just in the looks.  Here is what you need to make one pie.

1 deep dish pre made pie crust or make a single crust from scratch, bake according to directions, remove from oven and let cool before filling.

Pie Filling

1  quart whole fresh strawberries
1 cup white sugar
3 TBSP cornstarch
3/4 cup water

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Remove the stems and caps from all the berries.  Wash and let drain.  Pat dry. 

Arrange 1/2 of the strawberries in the baked pastry shell.  You may want to cut some of the larger ones in half so they lay flat in the pie crust.  Mash remaining berries and combined with sugar in a medium saucepan.  Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the contents to a boil, stirring frequently.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water.  Gradually stir the cornstarch mixture into the boiling strawberries mixed with sugar.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the mixture thickens., stir often to keep from sticking or scorching.  If you have never made this kind of filling, the mixture will thicken rather suddenly, so don't get discouraged thinking it will never happen.  It will.  

Pour the mixture over the berries in the baked pie crust.  Chill several hours before serving.

Make Whipped Cream

Put the chilled heavy whipping cream in a deep bowl.  Mix with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks begin to form.  Add 1 - 2 TBSP sugar and 1 tsp vanilla.  Continue to whip until stiff peaks form.  Stiff peaks means they will stand on their own without falling over.   Spread the whipped cream over the chilled pie, serve.  Try not to eat it all yourself.  Good luck.

This is a really easy recipe and contains no additives or chemicals from artificial contents that some recipes use.  It is also super delicious!  Dan has had waaaaaaay too many pieces at this point, but that's okay.  Just confirmation for how good the pies are.  

If you still have local berries available, you will really want to make at least one of these pies if not more.  You can use berries from the grocery store if you don't have access to the smaller, sweeter, local berries.  Actually, you can make this recipe all year long using imported berries.  Nothing wrong with that!  It's all good.

Once you make this recipe, you are going to want to make more.  Betcha.

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

Doubtless, God could have made a better berry (than the strawberry), but doubtless, God never did.
William Allen Butler