Picking, Pies, and Playtime

Just when you thought we'd had enough of picking berries, we headed out again last Monday to pick blueberries for some pies. A generous friend of mine offered to teach me the secret of her wonderful pie crust, and she brought her son along to help out with the picking and to be a huge help with the kids! This family has watched the kids quite a bit in the past we lived closer, and they watched them again recently. The kids adore the whole family, so it was great to have her son along for the fun.


We met at the farm before 10:00 and picked 15 pounds of blueberries. Cathy and I did most of the picking, though Jonathan and Ryan helped quite a bit too. Abby mostly wanted to play with Jonathan, and he obliged her by giving them both rides in the wagon, chasing them and making up games and stories (not to mention the blueberry throwing idea that wasn't my favorite game of the day!).


We came home, had a quick lunch and got to work making pies. Jonathan played with the kids inside and outside, and I know they wore him out! Cathy and I made six (yes, six!) pies and had a wonderful time of fellowship. What a blessing it was to have the kids entertained while we worked in the kitchen! We were all tired by the time it was done, but Ryan, Abby and I had a great day.

How To Make Frozen Bananas

If I had known these treats were so easy to make, I'd have made them much sooner! I wanted to do a fun activity with the kids this morning and I also needed a snack for some friends we invited over to play later in the afternoon. I did a quick internet search and found several simple recipes for Frozen Bananas, and we whipped up a batch. Though you really don't need an official recipe to make these, this is the one I used.


First line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Cut the end off of each banana (I just cut them in half since they were for little ones) and insert a popsicle stick into the cut end. Place on waxed paper and freeze for three hours or until solid.


Once the bananas are frozen, melt chocolate in a double boiler on the stove or in the microwave (that's what I did) and stir until melted and smooth. Roll bananas in the chocolate until coated and then roll in chopped nuts or coconut (we skipped this part) and place back on waxed paper. (Tip: Make sure the bananas do not thaw at all or the chocolate will not stick.)


Return bananas to the freezer for another hour or until the chocolate is firmly set. Enjoy!