The Dinner Bell

The dinner bell on the farms here in the mountains called the farm folk from the fields for a meal.

They were made of brass, bronze or a steal blend and were usually mounted on a post. The bell would ring at 12:00 so the worker could take a break in the hot part of the day.

On the second Wednesday of the month I will celebrate the dinner bell and call you sweet readers to the farm table for lots of good eating.

Categories will be: Sweet Mercy (desserts), Garden Gifts and Pass the Platter (ok, sometimes, the casserole dish)

Possibly wearing a hat under the blistering sun yesterday would have lead to better categories. :) Lets go with with Sweet Mercy (desserts) this week.

I did not like strawberries when I was young; I was allergic to most fruit and never developed a taste for the pretty plump treat. My husband and children thought me crazy and treated them like sweet jewels straight from heaven. Now, I love them!

I’m making up for the lost itchy time and use the berries in everything that my heart desires. This little dessert has been around for a while but it is so good and easy to prepare. I can’t give credit because the recipe was taped to a dish of the luscious treat. Here’s the recipe:

STRAWBERRY ANGEL YUMMY (I added the YUMMY!)

YIELD: nine servings. PREP TIME twenty minutes plus chilling.

Ingredients:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
¾ cold water
2 cups sugar
1 package (10 oz.) frozen sliced strawberries
1 carton (8 oz.) Frozen whipped topping, thawed
5 cups angel food cake cubes
Fresh strawberries
Fresh mint (We have a mint patch by our springhouse.)

DIRECTIONS:

In a saucepan combine gelatin and cold water; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Heat and stir over low heat until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat; add sugar. Stir in undrained strawberries. Chill until partially thickened.

Fold in whipped topping. Place cake cubes in a large bowl; pour strawberry mixture over cake and gently stir. Pour in an ungreased 8-inch square dish. Chill until firm, Garnish with fresh strawberries (that I sincerely hope you didn’t eat with all that mixin’ and fixin’) and mint.

Don’t you think this would be light and cool after a late summer supper? Yesterday I picked a big bowl off the strawberry plants that came up from last years planting.

Let me know if you fix this summer. Enjoy the strawberries.

Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful fathers out there. I had a wonderful father and thank the Lord for that blessing. My children would tell you their father is the best!

I am excited about new blog changes for the summer. Next week I’ll share the things I hope you will enjoy with me here in the hollow. A fun and blessed summer it is going to be! I hope you will join in with prayer requests, writing projects, a good book for summer reading, a mouth-watering recipe and many other summer delights.

Come go home with me-I’ll set a plate.

Blessings,

Dee Dee

Pondering Summer

It is so pretty in my hollow today. I’ve been sitting on the porch watching multicolored butterflies dance in the field. The cows across the road are enjoying the warm sun. I’ve been pondering what I would like for Mr. Jim and me to do this summer.

I’ve asked the sweet Lord to let us slow down a bit and to truly enjoy the season. Jim usually has a beautiful yard bursting with colorful flowers but he is unable to plant this year. I will get pots of pretty blossoms and enjoy container gardening and hang wave petunia baskets from our shepherd’s crooks. Don’t you love to smell petunias? Ferns belong on a farmhouse porch and I will purchase several of them to grace the banisters.

I want us to go on an old fashion picnic. I want to pack the basket with fried chicken, potato salad and a watermelon.  Ants not invited!

I want to go to a concert in the park. We have done this for the last few years and have enjoyed it immensely. Shout out to Balsam Range band.

I want to make many churns of ice cream. So many flavors…so little time. I think I’ll start with fresh strawberry and stuff it in a waffle cone.

I want to have cookouts with neighbors and fix S’mores over an open fire. Our neighbors up the mountain have a lovely spot and the company is excellent.

I want to dangle my feet in a cold mountain stream. Don’t have to go far, lots of them here. 

I want to watch the summer night stars and make a wish on the first one to come out. I wish I may…I wish I might.

I want to watch the God made light parade of fireflies in the big field across the way. It rivals all the hoopla of the big theme park a few states down the road. Morgan and Brad will have a front row seat.

I want to sit in our side-by-side rockers and…rock…slowly…holding my husband’s hand. I’ve had almost 45 years of this simple “together time," and I promise it is precious to us. I hope you will give it a try.

Yep, I’ve been pondering about summer. I think I want a taste of days past; a simpler time.

Why don’t you pull up a rocker, grab a glass of sweet tea and join me. There’s plenty of room on the porch and you can ponder to your hearts content. The firefly parade starts at sundown.

I’ll keep you informed on my summer doin's. Do come go home with me and we’ll share recipes, swap stories, and give the sweet Lord praise for His goodness.

Love to you dear readers,

Dee Dee