Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone had a fabulous 4th of July - I know we did!  My husband grilled out some delicious food... we had ribs, corn, beans, fruit... and we shared the afternoon with some good friends.  And since it was actually nice out for once (and not muggy) we decided to take our little angel on a stroll down to Liberty Fest on base.

She was so good.. slept the whole time.  :)  We only stayed for a little while, though.  I didn't want to have her out for too long, but I needed to get out of the house!  Later that night we were able to see the fireworks from the comfort of our own couch - right through our living room window!  Perfect!

OH - did I mention I also made strawberry pie?  Well, I did.  And it was delicious!  A great 4th of July dessert, if you ask me.  :)  It only took me twice as long as it normally would to make it... it takes me twice as long to do anything these days.. between changing diapers, feedings, and all the breaks I have to take to kiss Clara's cute little cheeks!  ;)

Fresh Strawberry Pie
adapted from Rustic Garden Bistro

• 1 9-inch pie crust, baked
• 2 pounds fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 envelope unflavored powdered gelatin
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Slice approx. 3 cups of the strawberries into quarters and place them in a medium bowl.  Crush the berries so you have about 1 1/2 cups crushed berries.  Place them in a saucepan over medium heat with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally for about 5-7 minutes, until the mixture begins to thicken slightly.

Soften the gelatin in the cold water and set it aside.  Remove berry mixture from the heat and add the softened gelatin and stir until the gelatin has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Cut the remaining berries into quarters, and gently fold them into the cooled cooked mixture -- you can reserve some if you want to 'decorate' the top of the pie. Pour the filling into the baked pie shell, and chill in the refrigerator until set, at least 2 hours or overnight before serving. Makes 1 pie.  Serve with whipped cream if desired.