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The Husband and I encountered danger yesterday—strawberry sauce. Oh my gosh!

I modified a recipe that called for 2 cups of diced strawberries. The recipe probably meant a dry measuring cup, but I overfilled a two-cup liquid measuring cup. The strawberries went into a small saucepan with juice from a medium-sized lemon, a half a cap full of limoncello (in place of vanilla), and about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of superfine sugar. The sugar is a guess because  I poured directly from the box, stopping only when it looked like it would be too much. I brought the concoction to a boil, stirring occasionally, then simmered it for 15 minutes.

We ate the strawberry sauce over a slice of toasted sourdough bread and a healthy sprinkling of ground almonds. Mmmmmmm.

Once upon a time, I would've eaten all of the sauce in one sitting and then promptly fall asleep in a drunken daze. The Husband said the sauce caused his eyelids and the bags under his eyes to sweat. When he was a kid, sweet tart candies did that to him, too. He thought it may be the combination of sweetness and tartness.

"Do you like the sauce?" I asked.

"Oh, yes!"

Okay, then. I eventually headed back into the kitchen and made another batch of sauce with the leftover two more pints of strawberries. The second time I added a full cap of limoncello (probably 2 tablespoons, more or less) and a bit of minced basil. That sauce has a richer, deeper taste.

This recipe is danger, I tell you. So simple, so easy, so excitingly delicious!

 

AWAY, AWAY. AWAY
Until last Tuesday, I considered ourselves living in Northern California. Nope. Last Tuesday we drove about seven hours from the Trinity Alps area, near the Oregon border, to get home. To drive south to San Diego, near the Mexican border, from home would be about seven hours, too. Only took me 60-some years to understand that my hometown, in the only land-locked county on the California Central Coast, is in the middle of the state.

Last week, the Husband and I were away from Molly the Cat from Thursday to Tuesday. Molly's Aunties, an older friend and my godmother, checked on the Girl while we were gone, for which all three of us are very grateful. It has been over 10 years or so since our last road trip in which the Husband and I strayed from home for more than two nights. We both did a lot of road trips before we knew each other. Sometimes I wonder if we may have passed each other on highways and roads because we went to places in the Sierras, Northern California, Oregon, and Washington around the same time.

Our main destination was Eureka for a memorial of the Husband's aunt and uncle who died within a year of each other. It was a beautiful gravesite ceremony, including a 21-gun salute for Uncle who was a lifer in the Marines. Afterwards, we spent the day hanging out with the cousins, their children, who took care of them when it was time, and other relatives and friends, recalling mostly good times.

At one point, I looked around the table at all of us kids, in our 50s and 60s, sitting there. Some of us had taken care of our aged parents while others are currently taking care of their elderly parents. Not an easy row to hoe. To everyone out there in the same situation, kudos! to you and big hugs.


Since we were traveling a far, we decided to hang out a few extra days in the area. The first night we called Ft. Bragg home, Eureka, the next two nights, then Douglas City in the Trinity Alps area, the last two nights. We drove windy mountainous and coastal highways and enjoyed the freshness of being by the ocean and in forests within sight of natural granite skyscrapers.

We came upon a plump squirrel at a popular stop in Ft. Bragg that had no qualms of us standing nearby. Nearly the whole time it lay (that's the past tense of lie, say the experts) flat on its stomach. I wondered if was pregnant or simply fat from munching on all the scraps that humans dropped as they snacked and walked to the glass beach below.

We were going to walk down to the beach and pocket some sea glass but an Australian couple told us there was hardly any glass to be found. The photos in the brochures and such hyping the glass beach were taken about 20 years ago.  Oh well, we were quite happy talking with the squirrel and checking out the coastline. Don't you think the squirrel's pose looks like that of the rock?


I didn't take out my camera much on our trip. 

A dusty path, snap.

The way a tree stump looks in afternoon lighting, snap.

A river, snap. A huge artificial lake, snap.

Wildflowers, snap. A flower at a restaurant, snap.


It was fun being away. The Husband and I travel well together, and now that he has new eyes, he is able to drive again, and at night, which I prefer not to do. I look forward to the next far-away ramble with the Husband, whenever and wherever that may be.

I'm heading over to All Seasons, hosted by Jesh of The Jesh Studio, and Mosaic Monday, hosted by Angie of Letting Go of the Bay Leaf. Come join me.

Comments

  1. We’ve always tried to add a little travel time when we’ve had family occasions like that. It’s always good to see family (even when the occasion for the get together is a solemn one like yours was), but after those visits, we e always needed a little alone-together time. Come on up here to Oregon some time you travel in the summer/fall. (Bring some of that strawberry sauce)! We’ll be here, but our kids might be taking care of us.. (they are all in that 50-60+ age range like you and the cousins). Seriously, I give thanks every day that we are not there yet (and I’m sure the kids are grateful as well... probably moreso). I’m glad Miss Molly has aunties to look after her while you were away.

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    1. Sallie, I will definitely look you up the next time we get up to Eugene. My cousin lives there and we haven't seen her in ages. This trip gave me a taste again of wandering to far away places. Thinking positively that travel is on the horizon.

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  2. Well, central CA is a thing, so...

    Sounds like it was a great trip. It's nice to get away. And California has so much to see.

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    1. It would be fun to travel the perimeter of all of California. The southeast corner, I've never seen. The Husband came through and I suggested that to him. He is game!

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  3. I usually take photos of everything I see, but sometimes, you just have to enjoy the moment and keep it in your memory.
    Lovely post about this and that. The sauce sounds wonderful!

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    1. Lately, I've been leaving the camera in my purse or at home so that I can see things fully with my eyes rather than through a camera. I've taken to say "Click" when I see a good picture. lol

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  4. Su-sieeemac - so glad you had a chance to get away with the Husband - it's clear you have some gypsy in you and you will never be completely "settled". The selfies of the two of you say it all! I loved all your photos, but that squirrel still has me laughing. Do you suppose it had some of your strawberry sauce? LOL! Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!

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    1. The squirrel would love the strawberry sauce, methinks. After seeing photos of pregnant squirrels, I'm nearly certain this fat squirrel simply likes human food. Poor baby.

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  5. What a fun trip you had with your husband. Love your selfies. The strawberry sauce sounds amazing with the addition of the limoncello!

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    1. Thanks, Lorrie. I made a large batch of limoncello earlier this year so I have the luxury of putting it almost everything.

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  6. I have some strawberries in the fridge. Maybe I should try that before they get over-ripe. - Margy

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  7. Cute selfies! Sounds like a fine trip.

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  8. Like Texas, I know being in California, you can drive hours and hours to get all around your state. It certainly makes my home in SC look small.

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    1. You have the advantage of driving to other states within a few hours to explore, Adam.

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  9. To borrow a line from one of my favorite movies, "Whose eyes does he have?"
    I've driven from Eugene OR, to almost San Francisco and it was one of the most intoxicating trips I've taken.
    I know how you feel about finding out where you actually live. When my cousin moved a few hours north of here I kept referring to his new home as, "Up north" and of course he had to correct me saying it was actually, "Central" making Madison south which I'd never really thought of it as.
    Funny, I can smell your strawberry jam cooking, I really can. Delicious. I'm currently in a smell war with my neighbor and find myself cooking more cuz the aroma wafts upwards and whatever nastiness they've got going on has woken me up from a dead sleep. Any ideas? I'm using more garlic than usual.
    I wish you lived here or vice versa cuz I'd take Molly in a heart beat, baby girl. Has she expressed her displeasure at your absence?
    Twenty-one guns, that's a lot of guns. I always cry at those.
    I might have to make some strawberry Jell-O just to get that smell in this apartment (while I have an apartment).

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    Replies
    1. What's the movie, Jeanna? My online search came up with this comment of yours and a movie "Jeepers, Creepers, which I didn't want to read about because we both know I'm bwak, bwak, bwak.
      If you want to try a dead fish smell, simmer a Filipino concoction called bagoong. I love the scent of garlic.
      Molly gave us the cold shoulder until we opened the back door for her to roam. The last few days, she has been following us around and lying on our laps whenever we sit down. Molly wants you to know that she'd love to hang out with you and Oliver. Purrrrrr.

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    2. My Favorite Year, loosely based on Errol Flynn appearing on Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows. Jeepers Creepers, haaaa. Bagoong, eh? I do too, but it is possible to go overboard with the garlic—or is it? I'm Italian if I hadn't mentioned it.
      Poor Molly, of course she did but couldn't keep that up for long, baby girl. And I would love hanging out with her. Oliver seems to like adult cats but is a bwak bwak bwak around kittens. Go figure. Dogtoberfest was a bit of a culture shock for him but it didn't take him long to acclimate.

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    3. I had to look it up since I haven't seen it in decades. Here's what IMDB has:

      Alan Swann : [gazing deep into K.C's eyes] These eyes. They're Merle Oberon's eyes.

      Benjy Stone : Merle Oberon's! Oh, and what's Merle doing for eyes? Using Katharine Hepburn's?

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  10. Replies
    1. A perfect number of days to get our feet wet again. It was like riding a bicycle.

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  11. California is one of the most beautiful places in the world - mountains, sea, forest and wonderful creatures. Sounds like a heavenly excursion. Thanks for taking us along.

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    1. You're welcome, Carol. I'm getting really good at driving curves after curves after curves after curves. Gulp.

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  12. Hello, I love road trips or any trip. California and Oregon are both beautiful states. There is so much to see everywhere. The strawberry sauce sounds yummy. Love the water views and the selfie. Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy week ahead.

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    1. Thanks, Eileen. The week is going well. Hope yours is, too. :-)

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  13. ...I had to laugh about your sauce, I make some jams and jellies and don't really measure and follow recipes.

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  14. It really is nice to travel like that...with time to stop and smell the roses or the wildflowers. That squirrel is very funny and I love the photo of the two of you! And fruit desserts...oh my! I love them! I can't eat sugar so I would grab some of those fresh strawberries and just slice them on top of a piece of sourdough toast! (maybe a little butter too!) Enjoy your day!

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    1. Sliced strawberries on buttered sourdough toast works for me. If I make this sauce again, it'll be for others. It's too much of a treat to have on hand. The Husband is good about putting on brakes. I'm getting there.

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  15. Oh, you got me craving strawberry sauce! Yes, all us kids are 50, 60 and even 70 now!

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    1. Someone told me that millenials like to say they're "adulting" when they do something they consider responsible. I must be a millenial. hahaha

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Thanks for the good cheer. :-)

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