Strawberry, White and Blue

I hope everyone had a fantastic Independence Day. Once again, I am very thankful that there was no alien attack or Jeff Goldblum sightings, because honestly, that would be pretty scary :)

I had a fantastic time with some very cool friends, and we did what we do best... swap good stories and do semi-embarrassing things. We all have different interests, but still mesh really well. If you wonder how that can happen, I think it's because fun and awesomeness never go out of style. It's pretty simple. Every time we get together, there are always a few good pics that surface, especially without any acknowledgment of the parties involved. You have to stay on your toes, right?

The fireworks were held at the state fairgrounds in Raleigh, and I think they did a great job. While I get reminded daily that I'm not a kid anymore (aches and stiffness when I wake up, being addressed as Dr., paying bills), there is something about fireworks that take you back. I'm not sure whether it's the bright colors or the loud pops and wrinkly clatter, but it makes you want to go back to the old days of Huffy Bikes and staying up so late that you get "beyond tired" and loopy at sleepovers.

So Happy Belated Birthday America, and Happy Belated Youth to all my "grown up" friends :)

Here's a couple of pics.... and of course a recipe I made not for this event, but earlier in the week.

The recipe is super easy and I pulled it from this site I like called The Kitchn. It has all sorts of great ideas for recipes and decorating, and while it's not quite a Testosterone site, is important for a guy like me who is looking at homes and needs to learn how to decorate :) The only changes I made was to take out the oats, add a little more flour, spice it myself, and add some coconut... because I wanted to :)


Strawberry Crisp
Dr. Adam
-1 1/2 cups AP flour
-2/3 cup packed brown sugar
-1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
-4 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
-Pinch of salt -Spices to taste
-nutmeg a bit of black pepper in this case
-1/2 tsp almond extract
-Dash of milk
-2 cups sliced strawberries, or enough to fill your dish/pan
-Sugar for sprinkling - 1/2 cup
-Lemon juice

Preheat your oven to 375* In an 8x8 pan, placed sliced strawberries in an even layer. It's ok if they overlap, as long as it coats the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with granulated sugar evenly, and sqeeze some lemon juice on top. Stir slightly to make sure it's evenly mixed and coated.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, salt, coconut and spices together. Add the melted butter and extract, and mix with your hands until coarse crumbs form. You can add a little milk or water if needed, and the topping should form a type of stickier, crumbly dough. You really can't ruin this, just don't make it too wet, it should be dry.

Sprinkle the topping over the strawberry filled pan/dish... and bake for 45 mins, or until the top is crispy brown and your kitchen smells like the 4th of July. Let cool for a few mins, and serve.


Feel free to try this dish with whatever fruit you like, and add in just about anything. Oats, nuts, crushed cookies, probably even cocoa (within good reason). The sky's the limit.

Speaking of sky... here's some great pics from a photo-enthusiast buddy of mine... nice job W.

My favorite one... tell me you don't feel like a kid again

What's a trip to the fair without a giant turkey leg?

Have a great week blogger buds... I'll catch you on the flip. And local friends, well... as The Cars once said... Let the Good Times Roll :)