We're getting an early start to Summer 'round here. Well, not me, personally. I just don't prefer 20 degree temperatures and leftover rainwater for my swimming, but these guys don't seem to mind. Madalyn keeps talking about how she can swim "because it's summer," as if the season itself is responsible for her progress in taking breaths and crossing the pool, nevermind that it's actually SPRING right now.

Speaking of Madalyn and summer- today, we here at McDonnell Place will be baking Strawberry Pie, per Madalyn's request. I'm not sure why she wanted to cook this particular pie- maybe Strawberry Shortcake (as in the cartoon girl from the 80's who lives in a dessert house- not the dessert Strawberry Shortcake,) had something to do with it- but it is a first for me. I didn't even know people put strawberries in pies. But it is in keeping with the lovely Spring weather we're having here. (Or Summer weather, depending on who you're talking to.)

So let's start, shall we?

Ingredients:

First, we will rally our kitchen assistants. We will give them **VERY BLUNT everyday knives to help remove the stems from the washed strawberries:

Interesting. Is that a bundt pan sitting there? Oh, right. I took this picture back in February. Still, the kids look the same. (Some with less hair, some with more,) but more or less- the same. Jack- quite the ladies man with those lips, and the cherry coupe in his hand- what a stud.

After trimming the berries and baking your pie shell you fill it with whole strawberries, like so:

It's okay if your pie crust slides into itself like this. In fact, it is to be strived for as it makes it appear more, er... "homemade."

Next, mash your remaining strawberries:

Add sugar:

And stir.

And cornstarch.

Which by the way, comes in a nifty can now. (Am I giving away how long it's been since I've baked?)

Add water, too... stir. Boil this mixture only about 2-3 minutes as it gets thick really fast.

Now, I'm going to do something that isn't in the original recipe, that I read in a review. I'm going to add butter while it is still really hot.

Every recipe needs butter and I was a little disturbed to see this one lacking, and thus, very thrilled to read Shellberry's review on allrecipes.com, in which she says she added 1 T butter. HECK YEAH, girl!

Hmm. Does that look like a tablespoon? I may add a smidge more, who can really tell. Point is, ADD BUTTER, then pour mixture over berries already in caved-in crust:

I know, my mouth is watering, too. But wipe your chin because we can't eat it yet. We will scald our mouths senseless. Into the fridge it goes:

When you have three children and a part-time job and are a terrible multi-tasker, you purchase many pre-packaged items at your local store, OH-KAAAY?

Then you wait. And you change the smelly diaper you've ignored the last 5 minutes that is starting to ruin the scent of strawberries. (That kind of scent combination could be scarring, so take care of it, already.) A short hour later we will come back and get it out.

Oh, look at that. It's an hour later...

I WISH you could taste this!! And I don't even like fruity things much.

Well, it's pretty and all, but we can't have such a lovely piece of food on a paper plate! We better give this one to the kids and start over.

(SIGH...) MUCH better. But isn't everything better with ice cream? And whipped cream. I only wish I would take a picture of it all running and oozing together, but I can't because I'm speaking in present tense when, in fact, the pictures were taken about a week ago- and- okay- I have to end abruptly here because I'm suddenly STARVING.

Labels: let there be butter and sour cream, Madalyn, pictures, summer