Update on the Strawberry Cream French Toast

Just had the strawberry cream french toast that I gave out the recipe for yesterday. The review is in, that was an awesome breakfast! Accompanied with a steaming cup of black coffee it was all I could do to not eat more than I did. We even have leftovers to eat for tomorrow's breakfast. Yum!

Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam

My wife makes the best strawberry freezer jam. I hoard it throughout the year and am just now nearing the end of the last container of last year's jam. I love it so much that I wanted to share her awesome recipe with you. When I asked her for the recipe this morning she chuckled. She brought me the package of freezer jam pectin and told me that she just uses the recipe on the back. All this time I thought she was using some old family recipe! ;)

Of course, anyone making freezer jam is most likely using the same or at least a similar recipe. I do think that the quality of the strawberries is the key, though. Everyone might use the same recipe, but you have to use quality berries.

So, without further ado, here is the strawberry freezer jam recipe from the back of the Ball Freezer Jam Pectin package.

1. Measure 2/3-cup sugar into bowl. Add package Fruit Jell Freezer Jam Pectin; stir until mixed.
2. Crush strawberries. Combine 1 2/3 cups crushed strawberries with pectin mixture. Stir 3 minutes.
3. Ladle jam into clean jars (Ball makes great plastic jars with screw-on lids) leaving 1/2-inch headspace; apply lids. Let stand until thickened (about 30 minutes).
4. Serve, Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or Freeze it for longer storage.

Yields 2-8oz. jars

P.S. If you are at all like me you won't have to worry about storing the jam in your fridge for more than 3 weeks. It just won't last that long :).

DeVos Leads Granholm by 8 Points

In the latest Detroit News/WXYZ-TV Poll, Dick DeVos is shown to be leading Governor Granholm by 8 points. DeVos has 48 percent to Granholm's 40 percent with another 12 percent undecided. The poll has an error rate of 4-points. Now, 48 percent is not exactly an overwhelming majority by any means. If it were something like 60-40 that would at least show a clear majority preferring one candidate over the other. Democrats will say that DeVos bought his lead with the millions he has spent on television ads. Republicans will say that it is DeVos' message that is resonating with voters as well as Michigan's economic woes that has enabled this lead in the polls.

I am not too big on polls. Remember the exit polling performed in the last presidential election? Supposedly Bush was being soundly trounced.

Read The Detroit News for more information regarding Michigan's race for the next governor.

Find Fresh Michigan Strawberries at a Farm Near You

I performed a quick search at the Michigan Farm Market and U-Pick Directory section of the Michigan Department of Agriculture website for strawberry farms and it turned up 34 results across the state. The search function allows you to refine your search by county, region, city, and even the farm name (if you know it). I narrowed down my search from statewide to our region of southwest Michigan and it turned up 13 results. It did not turn up a few places that I know have u-pick strawberries so apparently the places I was thinking of are not registered to be included in the Michigan U-pick Directory. My suggestion would be to use this as a guide, but if you are traveling I think you are bound to find a roadside stand or u-pick farm that is not included.

The strawberry season in Michigan is short so don't hesitate to stop by your local strawberry farm and grab some sweet Michigan strawberries before it is too late. I think I will be posting a different strawberry-themed recipe each day this week so stay tuned.

Strawberry Cream French Toast

This reminds me of the stuffed french toast you can get at IHOP. My wife has made something similar to this and it was waaaay better than anything at IHOP. I'm not just saying that because she reads this blog either. :) Anyway, our strawberry patch is producing berries every day and I think I will be trying this delicious recipe for breakfast tomorrow.

What you need:

• 8-ounce package cream cheese
• 1 cup strawberry yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 12 slices white bread
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup cream or milk
• butter for frying
• 2 cups freshly sliced Michigan strawberries

The night before serving:

Mix cream cheese (warm a little in microwave for easier mixing) with strawberry yogurt and refrigerate overnight. Slice 2 cups fresh strawberries and let sweeten overnight.

To prepare:

Spread half of cream cheese mixture on 6 slices of white bread and top to form a sandwich. Beat eggs, milk, and vanilla. Melt butter on the griddle or skillet. Dip sandwiches in egg mixture and cook until brown. To serve, top each sandwich with the remaining cheese mixture and fresh strawberries.

Courtesy of Hess Manor Bed and Breakfast; Romeo, Michigan, via Michigan.gov

Shipwrecks in Michigan

The Glen Arbor Sun has an intriguing article on shipwrecks in the Sleeping Bear Dunes area that have been shifting with the sands over time. You won't need a boat or to perform any dives to see a couple of these wrecks. One of them is at Empire beach just west of the village of Empire. I myself have walked along the wooden skeleton that lies on the beach where water meets sand. It is pretty neat to think you are seeing a piece of a boat that sailed on Lake Michigan in the 1800s. Steve Harold, Director of the Manistee County Historical Museum, has studied the shipwrecks in the Sleeping Bear Dunes area and notes that this particular wreck has "moved a mile" in the 25 years he has studied shipwrecks in the area.

If you enjoy Michigan's maritime history you should read the full article here.