It’s Summer, It’s Hot

    I don’t think I have seen a summer with this much rain and below 100-degree temperatures. I’m not going to complain. We still have July, August, and September.
    The garden is slowly dwindling down, thank God. It has been a whirl-wind of picking, preparing, canning, and freezing vegetables. After giving away loads of veggies, we still had to buy another freezer. If I fill this one up, that will make three full freezers. We’re ready for the Zombies when they come.
    The beans, peppers, and strawberries are still producing. I didn’t know strawberries produced this long. Which brings me to the recipe of this month, Strawberry Bliss. Every bite that hits the tongue is like a smooth, sweet, cream of goodness.

    Do you realize this year is half over? I can’t believe we only have six months until Christmas. July is going to be a great month. Our oldest son is getting married July 1st. It’s about time. He has dated this young lady for over 15 years. They have had their ups and downs and finally decided to get married. This will be a new beginning for both of them, and we wish them all the best in their years together. Love you both, Staci and Craig.
    After a hair-pulling, nerve-wracking battle with KDP, I finally had to re-enter Mist on Trinity River with a new ISBN in order to get the paperback on Amazon. What a nightmare. It is finally correct and ready to order. I want to thank all my many fans who waited patiently for the book. You made my ‘nightmare’ bearable. For those who contacted me for free books, if you haven’t gotten yours, it has been mailed. We got all of them in the mail last week.
    My Great-grandson has done it again. He will be seven on July 4th, and he wants everyone to know. Last Sunday, our preacher announced we will have our fireworks celebration on July 2nd, along with food. On our way out of the church, Nicky stopped to talk to Brother Rohn. That conversation went a little like this:

Nicky-  “You forgot to tell everyone about my birthday.”
Rohn-  “I didn’t know it was your birthday. When was it?”
Nicky-  “It’s July 4th, and I’ll be seven.”
Rohn-  “Well, we’ll sure mention it next Sunday.”

    Up until this year, Nicky thought the fireworks were for his birthday. Imagine his surprise when we informed him it wasn’t. He is still fighting the fact that it’s not for him.
It is never a dull moment with this kid.
    Now for the recipe of the month straight from Taste of Home. Hope you try it.


​

Strawberry Bliss

An easy-to-make puff pastry crust is topped with a soft-set pudding layer with a hint of strawberry flavor. Because this dessert needs to chill for at least an hour, it's your new go-to for a make-ahead brunch. —Candace Richter, Stevens Point, Wisconsin 
Featured In: 55 of Our Favorite Berry Dessert Recipes 

MAKES: 
12 servings
TOTAL TIME: 
Prep: 30 min. Bake: 20 min. + chilling
VERIFIED BY Taste of Home Test Kitchen 
MAKES:
12 servings
TOTAL TIME: 
Prep: 30 min. Bake: 20 min. + chilling

Ingredients
• 1 cup water 
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed 
• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 4 large eggs 
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 5 tablespoons seedless strawberry jam 
• 3 cups cold milk 
• 1 package (5.1 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix 
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 
• 3 cups quartered fresh strawberries 

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. In a large saucepan, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Add flour all at once and beat until blended. Cook over medium heat, stirring vigorously until mixture pulls away from sides of pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. 
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. 
Spread into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown (surface will be uneven). Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. 
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and jam until smooth. Beat in milk and pudding mix until smooth. In a small bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form; fold into pudding mixture. Pour over crust. Chill for 1 hour. 
Just before serving top with strawberries.

​https://www.facebook.com/#!/carolbraswellauthor
https://twitter.com/AuthorCarolB 
www.carolbraswell.com
Amazon:http://amzn.to/1QxPtJz
Nook:http://bit.ly/MNIGBraswellNook
KOBO: http://bit.ly/MNIGBraswellKOBO