Blueberry Salad

I grew up in Manchester, Michigan. My neighbor, Mary Margaret, was (and still is) one of the sweetest ladies I have known. My sister, brother, and I loved walking to her house in the summer and picking bouquets of wildflowers along the way. Mary Margaret gave my mom the recipe for this delicious jello salad. Whenever I make this, I think of her.

What you need:

• 3 small pkgs. raspberry jello
• 3 c. hot water
• 2 cans blueberries with juice
• 1/2 pkg. soft cream cheese
• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1/2 container whipped topping

Directions:

• In a 9X13 pan, combine jello, hot water, and blueberries. Let cool.
• In a med. bowl, beat together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and cool whip. Spread over top of jello mixture. Refrigerate until serving.

Enjoy a Game of Vintage Base Ball at Mackinac Island

The Fort Mackinac Never Sweats will battle the Rochester Grangers in a match (vintage term for a game) of vintage base ball (yes, base ball is not one word when you are talking about vintage base ball) tomorrow, July 22, at 7 p.m. The two club nines (that is vintage speak for teams) will play at the old Scout Ballfield behind Fort Mackinac. Tickets are $15 for families, $5 for adults, and $3 for youth (ages 6-17), children under 6 are free. Vintage base ball is played under rules from when the game was in its infancy. Rules from the mid 1800s are used as well as uniforms from that earlier period. Forget using gloves and don't worry if a sky ball (flyball) hits the ground because according to the vintage base ball rules it is okay to catch the onion (ball) on a bound (bounce) and still record a dead (out).

Here are some more vintage base ball terms matched up with current baseball terms -

• Cranks = Fans (how appropriate considering some fans behavior)
• Baller = Player
• Bowler = Pitcher
• Daisy Cutter = Sharp Grounder
• Striker = Hitter

If you can't make it to Mackinac island for the game, the Ludington Mariners will pit their nine against the Fallasburg Cubs from Lowell this Saturday at 1 p.m. The match will be played at Historic White Pine Village in Ludington. Admission to Historic White Pine village is $7 for adults, $5 for youth ages 6-17, and children under 6 are free.

P.S. The World Tournament of Historic Base Ball will be held August 4-6 at Greenfield Village. Check out the details here.

A Festival for Lavender

The 4th annual Lavender Festival begins today, July 21, 2006, in Romeo (where for art thou, Romeo?) and runs through tomorrow. Doors open at 10 a.m. and admission is $3 for one day or $5 for a two day pass. Children 12 and under are free. For those unfamiliar with lavender, it is supposed to have a calming effect. You can dry some and hang it in you child's bedroom (my wife actually did this) or even add it to pillows. This idea sounds gross, but apparently lavender can be made into a sort of tea by adding three flower heads to a cup of boiling water for a soothing nightcap.

For the youngsters, you can dilute one part lavender oil with 10 parts water, rosewater, or witch hazel for the treatment of acne. Here is one that should have a big market in Michigan - lavender can be made into a natural insect and bug repellent. Keep away those mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies, and other nuisance pests with this natural bug repellent. The website says that this was tested in the deep woods of Michigan and coastal areas of Florida.

Jennifer Vasich is the owner of Gabriel's Garden her store in Romeo and also www.allthingslavender.com on the web. She (and her home) are also the host of the 4th annual Lavender Festival. There will be various classes and 40 exhibitors selling everything from soaps to syrups. Go to the website for more information here www.michlavenderfestival.com.

Read more about lavender and Jennifer Vasich and her store at the Detroit Free Press.

In Honor of July Being National Ice Cream Month

Here are some fun items I am sharing in honor of July being National Ice Cream Month. Top Ten Favorite Ice Cream Flavors:

1. Vanilla (how plain)
2. Chocolate
3. Butter Pecan
4. Strawberry
5. Neopolitan
6. Chocolate Chip
7. French Vanilla (another vanilla?)
8. Cookies and Cream (now we're talking)
9. Vanilla Fudge Ripple (yum!)

I have never come across a flavor of ice cream that I did not like. I understand why vanilla would be in the top ten. You can add it to pie, it goes great with cake, and there are a plethora of toppings you can add to it to make a myriad of flavors.

Here is my personal top 5 -

1. Cookies and Cream
2. Cookie Dough (yes, I love cookies)
3. Mackinac Island Fudge
4. Mint Chocolate Chip
5. Moose Tracks

My personal top five Michigan ice cream parlors -

1. House of Flavors - Ludington
2. The Dairy Store on the Campus of MSU
3. The Parlor in Jackson
4. The Hayloft in Decatur
5. The Big Dipper in Schoolcraft

You will notice that I did not pick any national or chain ice cream parlors. Michigan is one of the top five ice cream producing states and has many more great ice cream eateries than I have room to list or time to visit. Why clutter up this space with ice cream shops that you can find in any major town across the country?

Feel free to add to this list of flavors and Michigan ice cream shops. I know there are many more and I am doing my best to visit and taste test as many as I can in one lifetime :).

Blueberry Custard Pie

I made this pie last summer with blueberries my husband and I picked at Locke's Fruitful Acres in Decatur. The pie is delicious and I can't wait until we pick blueberries this summer so I can make it again. What you need:

• 1 quart fresh blueberries (washed, drained & divided)
• 1 c. water (divided)
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 (3.4 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 (10 in. diameter) baked pie crust

Directions:

• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, simmer 1 cup of the buleberries with 2/3 cup water for about 3 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and remaining 1/3 cup water; add to simmering fruit mixture.
• Bring to a boil and boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
• Add lemon juice. Cool fruit filling in pan.
• In a medium chilled bowl with electric mixer, whip dry pudding mix with whipping cream, milk, and vanilla, until blended and thick, about 30 seconds.
• Spread custard evenly over cooled pie crust in pie pan.
• Place remaining 3 cups uncooked blueberries on top of custard.
• Pour cooled fruit filling over fresh berries.
• Refrigerate, covered loosely with plastic wrap, until firm. Serve cold.

This recipe was found in Deanna House's column in the Kalamazoo Gazette last summer.