Happy Summer Solstice! The magic of summer is upon us here. We're feeling healthy and strong, and we're starting to hit our summer groove.
Last night the kids and I celebrated the eve of the longest day by staying up wayyyy past our bedtimes chasing fire flies around the yard. We caught two and brought them to bed with us in a small glass jar. Before we went inside the kids found the moon and a single star and sent wishes up into the night sky for the coming season. On their wishing agenda was lots of time with favorite friends and so much swimming. In the river. The lake. The pool. Everyday. Sounds like a fine summer to me.
And with summer come the berries.
Viroqua is surrounded on all sides by Amish country. Some farm conventionally, some organically, some a little of both. With work you can ferret out who your favorites are. The berries in our yard are all eaten by the kids within minutes of ripening, so we buy and pick extras to put up for the year. This year we picked up twenty five quarts of berries. Our freezer is now brimming with fruit for smoothies and our pantry is stocked with a wonderful stash of tart strawberry-rhubarb jam, sweetened with just a bit of honey and a little stevia.
Next up are raspberries, then blackberries and blueberries. Oh, how I love berry season.
Below is my meal plan for the week. Have a wonderful Summer Solstice day!
Ahhh…strawberries. We picked 80lbs and put at least 60 in the freezer for the year. We love our smoothies.
Thanks for the meal plan!
Yum! Those jars look so good! I am hopefully going to get-to-picking this week too.! I’ve been wanting to make jelly/jam. Any recipes would be appreciated…I’ve never done it before.
I love berry season too! We’ve been cranking out the jams and sauces and syrups. Yum. Our early bearing golden raspberries already gave us a quart yesterday. Woo hoo!
Strawberries=my grandma=yum! We called her “the strawberry grandma”. She must have had an acre of strawberries crammed in her backyard. It was kid paradise.
I’d also love your jam recipe. Thanks. Glad everybody is on the bend and papa is back in town.
Oh I love berry season! We are off to pick strawberries later this week. The farm just opened! We have scouting out the wild raspberry and blackberry patches around our house. The are FULL of berries. I just hope we get some before the birds and the bears. And then we will be headed up the mountain to pick wild blueberries, just like Little Sal and her mother. Oh I can’t wait! Happy Solstice to you.
Jody,
80 LBS? Thats quite a few berries. It feels so good to put food by for the coming months.
~ Rachel
Cassandra,
Ill work up a recipe soon and share it with you. Thanks for the request.
~ Rachel
Denise,
Golden raspberries – already! I need to plant an early variety. That sounds wonderful. Happy berrying.
~ Rachel
Jen,
(I have my ear to the fence listening for birthing/baby noises. Id peek in your windows but I think that is crossing the line. Let us know if you need anything from down the road.) And yes – jam recipe comin atcha.
xo Rachel
Elizabeth,
Sounds dreamy. Have fun, and dont get mixed up with the bears. 🙂
~ Rachel
Holy moly. Now I wonder if we know some of the same people, such as Dr. Tony. !!
Why yes. Everyone around here knows Tony!
Rachel