I have a perpetual problem when ordering spices of thinking, “Oh, 4 ounces doesn’t sound like much”.  This mindset results in my owning an extraordinary number of light spices that don’t weigh very much.  Like this, just one of my many, many jars of bay leaves (did I say many?):

And sadly, I’m not in need of a laurel.  Anyone need a cinnamon stick?  Just ask, call any time. And well, vanilla beans fall into that category too.  However, I industriously turned 2 of them into vanilla sugar (scraping the seeds into a clean jar and adding fine sugar).

So now what to do with vanilla sugar? Since Spring began, I’ve seen a number of recipes for fools. LIke take 8 beers, combine with 2 frat boys, add a Family Guy episode, stir….  No, I mean like British fools…take 8 Pimm’s cups, combine with 2 muggles.. No, wait, I digress again.  A fool is a English dessert that combines stewed fruit and cream. I have a lot of strawberries, so I thought I’d use my vanilla sugar and strawberries and make a fool.

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Strawberry Fool

WHAT YOU NEED
4 cups strawberries, hulled and chopped
1/2 cup of vanilla sugar
2 TBSP water
1 TBSP vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar

WHAT YOU DO
Put strawberries, vanilla sugar, vanilla extract and water in a bowl and stir.  Let sit anywhere from 15 minutes to 5 hours.   Mash half the strawberries with potato masher or two forks until there are mushy bits and still whole pieces of strawberries.

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar until peaks form.  Fold in half the strawberry mixture and stir just a little bit with a spatula.   Then fold in the rest of the strawberries and only stir once.  Garnish with a sliced strawberry and mint if you have it (I didn’t). Serve with Nilla Wafers or Lorna Doones.

Had a nice surprise visit from my nephew Joe before he departs to study and work in China this summer. So we made some steaks, following the directions from Serious Eats.  I’ve mentioned in other posts, or maybe I just wrote it in my recipe binder, but yep, salting beef ahead of time works wonders. So we grilled NY strips, made Oh She Glows’ Smashed Potatoes with Avocado Aioli (yes, again) and a big ol’ salad with homemade ranch dressing from Foodie With Family.

This time I boiled and smashed the potatoes ahead of time, covered the baking sheet and kept it in the refrigerator.   At dinner time I then cooked them in the oven a little longer, about 35 minutes, flipping them half way through so both sides got crispy.  Worked great.

While I made dinner the boys and Fake Sister played soccer with Joe (sorry Joe, hope you didn’t think this would be a restful visit).

And games about football:

And music:

I didn’t host Mother’s Day, so there are not many recipes to report on.  But who am I to let a holiday go by without an appropriate beverage? This year, it was Blueberry Bellinis from She Wears Many Hats.

Here they are in all their blueberry and bubbles glory!

Really couldn’t be easier.  Just boil the ingredients, puree with a stick blender in the pot, bring to your sister’s house.  Add to Prosecco and eat donuts.  Done and Done.

Mmmmmmmh, donuts.

A leeeetle mishap involving Alvin’s face and Aunt Colleen’s windowsill of death.   What would Mother’s Day be without a trip to the emergency room for 8 stitches on one’s lip?  Al was a trooper, didn’t even cry.

Happy Mother’s Day everyone.  May Father’s Day be stitch-free.