Strawberry Syrup

Letting children explore and experience life unfettered from parental supervision can be unnerving… especially when your kids are hot wires…like mine. I can’t help but wonder what reflection of my parenting they will project when I’m not around? 

Well three weeks ago, I got my chance to find out. Grandma and Grandpa asked to take our 8-year-old with them on a 10-day trip to Houston to spend time with his cousins. TEN DAYS! Who knows what manner of chaos could unravel in 10 days without mom or dad!  So we did what any parents would do, we packed his bag, gave him a kiss and said goodbye.

What?

That’s not what most parents would do?

Oh well, me march to a different drum around here.

He had a blast while he was gone. So much fun in fact that he wouldn’t be bothered to call and let his parents know what he was up to. I was certain he had forgotten all about us. My fears were put to rest when I ran to give him a hug when he got home. He hugged me back and then promptly handed me a recipe card, “Mom, will you help me make this for breakfast tomorrow?” Ahhh, he hadn’t forgotten about me. And of everything I’ve tried to teach him, it was my love for all things kitchen that he projected while we were apart, and I’m ok with that.

Strawberry Syrup

Printer-Friendly Version

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

½ sugar

Directions:

1. Puree strawberries and sugar in a blender.
2. Pour puree into a heatproof container (a mason jar) and then warm the container in a pot of boiling water. (if you have a Blendtec, apparently you can puree and heat all at once.)
3. Serve syrup over your favorite breakfast bread or over ice cream or smothered on a slice of warm bread…the possibilities are endless.

Source: Amy-Jo, family file

Gwenevere

White Syrup

Boy and I do our best to introduce new foods to our kids. If we can convince them to try just one bite we consider our endeavors to be a success. Often that first bite doesn’t happen when the food is first introduced; sometimes it takes YEARS. That is what happened with white syrup.

I don’t know why white syrup was/is so scary to my kids. I mean, come on, it has their favorite ingredient in it –SUGAR! Perhaps it was just that it was different than what they were used to. Whatever the reason, I really wasn’t too concerned about it since white syrup doesn’t exactly hit the top of any nutritional value or health food charts, so I didn’t push the issue.

Well, while camping in Jackson Hole, Roo decided it was time for tasting the goodness that everyone around him was referring to as white syrup. All it took was one bite and he was hooked. Since that time he has tried to convert his sisters to the glory that is white syrup, but up until this point, they have refuse to see the light. I tell him to be patient; they’ll come around (everyone eventually does - because, yes, it’s that good.) 

Now get to it…your waffles are waiting.

White Syrup

Printer-Friendly Version

Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

½ cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter with sugar. Once butter is melted slowly whisk in the cream until the sugar is dissolved.  Serve warm over waffles, pancakes, french toast, crêpes etc. Store unused portion, covered in the fridge. Reheat in microwave or on the stovetop.

Notes: Makes 1 cup.

Source: Family File/Dina’s Diner (unposted)

Gwenevere