Bye, Bye Miss American Strawberry Pie

Happy Thursday everyone. I thought I'd first start off by acknowledging that after my post yesterday http://chiccraftychick.blogspot.com/2009/05/dear-corporate-america-here-my-cry.html I received a Twitter message from Gymboree. Here is the message I received "@chiccraftychick check out gymboree.com. You shouldn’t have any stroller problems there. :) Plus, there’s free shipping right now!" I give Gymboree props for responding to my post in less than 24 hours. But, I don't always want to have to shop online, I'd like to actually be able to go into the store to shop. I shouldn't have to struggle to get in to the store.

Since I've had shopping issues with my stroller, it has made me more sympathetic to the plight of those in wheel chairs and those nanna's on Jazzy's. If a nanna is going to miss her stories (like Young & the Restless my favorite) to go out and buy her grandbabies some clothes, the least the store could do is make it so she can get through the door. That's all I'm saying. Aren't those Jazzy's the coolest? I think they should come in pink. What Nanna wouldn't love a pink Jazzy? All tricked out. But I digress.

I don't expect stores to change over night because I know stuff like that costs money and takes time, but I hope they'll just start at looking at ways to make shopping in person easier. That's all.

Now back to our regularly scheduled blog post...


This is a picture of the awesome pie I had over the weekend. I wish I could take credit for it, but my sister made this. We celebrated my mom's birthday and when we were growing up our neighbor, Ann would always make a strawberry pie for my mom's birthday since strawberries were in season. It is a family favorite and so my sister thought she would make it.

I thought y'all might like to see it and to get this recipe since a lot of folks have been picking strawberries. We are supposed to go Saturday so I'm hoping to make one of these over the weekend.

Ann's Strawberry Pie

Combine:
1 cup sugar
1cup water
3 tbsp cornstarch

Cook until it thickens & changes from white to translucent. Remove from heat. Add a few drops of red food coloring & 4 tbsp of strawberry jello. Stir well.

Pour over strawberries in baked pie shell.

Chill in refrigerator before serving.

Have a great Thursday y'all!

Cheap Summer Memory Ideas

Ok as I mentioned in my post yesterday, I've been reflecting on making some memories this summer. It made me think of things that would be fun to share, so I created a top ten list for today. And, there will be another one tomorrow because I got on a roll and came up with 20 fun things to do. I tried to think of things that wouldn't necessarily cost a lot of money or require a lot of driving. Because hey, we all hate the gas pumps these days.

1)Go to a local zoo
This is one I want to do, but I'm trying to hold out until the weather cools down. I've been told we have a small zoo in our area that is worth exploring. Maybe you don't have a zoo in your area, but I'd check out to see if there are any petting zoos or even local farms for you and your family to explore. Checking out some cool animals can brighten your day.

2)Find an outdoor concert/theater groups
Before kid(s), my husband and I went to a few outdoor concerts in the local city and they were free. We also saw some plays that were held at an outdoor theater for free. Taking a picinic dinner to any of these activities can be a fun evening.

3)Find a local festival(s) in your area
There are so many areas that have local Greek festivals, watermellon festivals, tomato festivals. Check out your area to see what unique festivals you might find.

4)Have an ice cream party with friends and have everyone bring a topping
Hey, who doesn't like ice cream! Why not make time to get together with friends. Instead of feeling like you have to host a big cookout, just have everyone over for ice cream dessert. Have someone bring bananas, another whipped cream, another chocolate topping, strawberry, pineapple, etc.

5)Run through a sprinkler or take time to go swimming
As hot as it has been in our area, the only way to beat the heat has been to cool down with some water. My little guy has had a lot of fun this summer getting in and out of his baby pool in the back yard.

6)Go to a Farmer's market
I love exploring a good farmer's market. You can find some really great produce and various local special items.

7)Bake some goodies to share with your kids or neighbor's/friends
If you got some zucchini or fruit from either a garden or your local farmer's market, why not bake up some bread to share with friends and family.

8)Call a friend you've been meaning to call (don't wait until you send out Christmas/holiday cards)
I tried to do this the other day. Even though I didn't get my friend on the phone, I did leave a message and made the effort.

9)Take pictures of your world around you. (Maybe it is a picture of your morning cup of coffee, your family, your pets). Document your life right now. Because as we all know, it will never be the same tomorrow.

10)Make some jello
Who doesn't smile when they see jello? There are also some really great, refreshing jello salad recipes. These hit the spot when the weather is hot. Also, it is fun to find unique molds to kick up your jello a notch.