Strawberries

We had quite the busy weekend and really needed the work week to start so we could relax a bit.  We had beautiful weather all weekend besides a few stray showers on Saturday that brought some much needed rain.  Friday night we pumped up the tires on the bikes and rode to a local pizza parlor to pick-up a pizza that we bungee corded to the back of one of our bikes.  We then rode down to the lake front to enjoy pizza and dessert while watching the sailboats float by and the people walk by.  Absolutely perfect weather and our pizza didn't get too crunched up during the ride.

Saturday after our aerobic exercising and a run to Target to resupply the laundry and cleaning basics we headed to Barthel's Fruit Farm to pick some strawberries.  Since our newly planted strawberries won't produce until next year (that is assuming the bunnies stop chewing them down to the ground) and we are woefully low on strawberry jam we decided we needed to find a strawberry source to harvest.  So off we went into the fields to gleefully pick strawberries (even though many farmers are struggling today to find laborers willing to hand pick crops, there were 50-100 people paying the farmer to pick crops).  We needed around 5-6 quarts (4 for jam and the rest for eating) and since the container the farm provided wasn't measured in quarts, I relied on my strawberry expert to determine the right amount to pick.  You would think that someone who spent their entire childhood, well into their teens, picking strawberries every summer would know what a quart of strawberries looked like.  Our best guess is that we picked somewhere around 12-14 quarts (we needed 5!).  When we got home and started making jam we suddenly realized we had way too many strawberries.  Which promptly started the "what can we make with strawberries that doesn't take a lot of freezer space" contest.  Fortunately, after making loads of extra jam, pureeing some (which really helps reduce the volume in the freezer), freezing a few as berries, saving some to eat, making strawberry ice cream, and a long discussion on how many strawberries you can cram into a rhubarb-strawberry cobbler we were able to get them all "used" up.  We spent most of Saturday afternoon in the kitchen, cleaning and jamming strawberries.

Saturday night we got all gussied up and went to the Urban Leagues Black and White ball.  We attended this last year and had a similar good time this year.  Although the cucumber martini as the signature drink for the evening was different - especially when you thought you were getting a glass of champagne.  But I got to wear my tux again so that is now four uses of it and counting (I need another few to get the price/wearing down to a reasonable amount).

Sunday, Jo headed out for a long bike ride after which we made our last batch of jam (we ran out of pectin the day before, seriously how many people, besides Smuckers, makes 28 jars of jam for two people) and then to the gym for a quick workout.  Next we hopped on our bikes to ride downtown and enjoy the Lake Front Festival of the Arts (really just an arts and crafts show, but everything in Milwaukee in the summer has to be a festival).  Saw some very interesting art, glass, and jewelry work along with some works by artists that I think might need prescription mind-calming medication.  After lunch at a sidewalk cafe it was home to chill out and catch up on our backlog of newspapers.  Dinner was hamburgers with sweet potato fries and the afore mentioned home-made strawberry ice cream (very yummy).

The work week highlights included Jo meeting Donald Driver (Packer wide receiver and 2012 Dancing with the Stars winner for those either not NFL fans, aren't from WI, or don't watch reality TV) as Northwestern Mutual had invited him in to speak about his career and recent dancing stardom.  My week included getting started on painting the exterior windows.  I must say, getting up 20-25 feet on a ladder is not my idea of a fun time.  Especially to get up that high just to scrape off paint - another one of my least favorite chores.