You Must Have One!!! :)

There is nothing like it!

You step out into the cool morning freshness, and there it is -- your very own, private & personal, health jubilee --- a garden.

It doesn't even have to be a big garden. It can be a little pot of an herb, or a tree with lemons, or a potted tomato plant.

The point is, it is just sweet as all heck to open the door, reach out the hand, and pluck up something sun-smootched!!!  Oooooo-La-Ti-Da-Rah!!!

Do not deny yourself this bursting-with-pleasure fun!

This very morning, out I skipped (I lie) to the garden, unlatched the white-picket gate, and felt just like Dorothy seeing Oz for the first time. Oh, my!

For the Tomato & Feta Frittata that I was attempting for Amy and myself, I needed 1.5 cups of cherry tomatoes. There was that exact amount chattering, "Pick me! Pick me!" on the vine. My red mini colander said, "Thank you for making me full!" and back we trotted (I lie again) into the kitchen.

That Frittata was yum to my taste buds, and there are three more portioned-and-bagged pieces for this week's breakfast. Anyhoo, backyard gardens are so delightful, big or teensy. 

Do treat yourself!  :)

 When life gives you cherries, make the prettiest jam you can

     With a smile and a few quick steps, you will be licking your lips… and fingers… and saying, “What a good girl am I!”

     I used black cherries for this recipe (don’t know where it’s from), though the color would have been cheerier if I’d used those lighter pink ones. Either way, your taste buds will dance!

Easy

  SweetCherryPreserves

Ingredients...

· 1 cup cherries (I gently mash mine)

· ½ cup water

· ½ cup sugar

· ½ cup balsamic vinegar

· 1½ tablespoon lemon juice (I fresh-squeeze)

Directions...

1. Measure all those ingredients, yes, every one of them, into a medium saucepan, and 2. bring to a boil. Be careful to watch it, because you don’t want even a drop to bubble over and waste any of the beauty inside. 3. Reduce to simmer once it begins to happily bubble-up, then stir often, till it’s all wonderfully 4. reduced to a third. This does thicken as it sits, so keep that in mind. *Reducing by half only will make a lovely cherry syrup. Either way, you win! Oh, but if you are going for the syrup, then you might want to use a slotted spoon and remove the cherries; save those for the cherries on the top of anything—ice cream...French toast, or waffles!

Cheers to cherries!