Spring Harvest

The changes of the seasons is always invigorating to me. 

 I love each of the four seasons. 

One of the things I love about Spring are the thunderstorms.  

We were out and about one day, when a thunderstorm rolled up and pelted us briefly with a hard rain.  When it pulled up, one of the most brilliant rainbows I have ever witnessed graced the skies. 

  Spring has many charms to me. 

 Keeping an eye open for all of them has been fun for all of us.  

What are the sights of Spring?

How about the smells of Spring? 

Or my favorite, the tastes of Spring?

Strawberries are a glory of Spring.  

We thank God for strawberries! 

This last week, we spent some time harvesting from spring's abundant crops.  

First we made strawberry jam.  

The first jar,

 for sampling you know, 

disappeared before it was cooled from the canning! 

 But the other batches made it safely into the cellar awaiting freshly made biscuits or shortbread. 

Next came a crate of asparagus. 

 We ate baked asparagus several days in a row and then, pickled the rest.  

This is the first time we have pickled asparagus,

 yet we are all a little giddy to wait the two weeks to try them.  

Rolled up in a thin slice of ham...oooooooh yummy.

Last year, Anna planted a rhubarb in her garden. 

 This year we harvest not only her plant, but several others that we discovered in our area. 

 This is most wonderful, since a favorite person of ours loves rhubarb pie. 

 I sliced up three big arm fulls of rhubarb for the freezer.

  Even if rhubarb pie doesn't tempt you, 

this 5 fruit pie that we found a recipe for in Taste of Home surely will. 

 It was amazing-

 destined to become a standard pie here at providence lodge.

5 fruit pie
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp  quick cooking tapioca
 1 cup peeled chopped tart apples
 1 cup fresh or frozen chopped rhubarb
1 cup each fresh or frozen strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries

In a large bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, tapioca and fruit, let stand for 15 minutes.
Spoon mixture into your favorite pie crust, cover with top crust,
Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.

We tried it warm, which was wonderful, but liked it better cooled and served with whipped cream.


More things we like about spring:
weather so changeable, every day is interesting and unlike any other.
planting garden seeds and watching for them to pop up out of the soil into the light

watching birds nesting with gusto and fervor
the drying out of mud and the emergence of green
longer daylight every day
the bursting forth of new life; baby goats, baby rabbits, baby kittens, and soon...baby deer
knowing that summer is near

Wishing you some inspiration for enjoying all the sights,

 sounds, 

smells,

 tastes 

of Spring!