Taste Like Summer

My new plants from Kurt's grandparents farm.

 We had such a long day. We went to Kurt's grandparents farm, now owned by his aunt Rose. She let me come up and take two peony bushes, three roses, some irises, a huge hosta, some ferns and something that flowers that she didn't know what it was, just that it flowers early so has already bloomed and now it just a green plant, I guess I'll find out next spring. :)

Kurt and Rose dug everything up and got it into planters for me, it was so hot and windy enough to knock you over! Then we all went in and Rose served us cold lemon aid then broke out the brownies and ice cream. It was fun sitting in the old farm house again with that kind of hospitality. Kurt's grandmother Myrtle was that way. You didn't come visiting and sit in that kitchen without her feeding you something while you were there. She was a dear sweet woman and I am so glad to have her plants in my garden. The roses and the peony remind me the most of her. Mums also, she was always out dead heading the mums but there were none of them there anymore. I have my own though that look much like hers did and they always remind me of her.
After we got home I walked around the yard and pointed out where I wanted Kurt to put everything else. It kills me not to get to do this myself. Kurt isn't as careful in his planting as I am, often leaving the roots to high, but I just can't do it now. It's so hard to let someone else do for you, but I'm trying to get better at it.

We were so hot when we were done that dinner hardly sounded worth making. I decided to cut up the last of the chicken and made wraps, we ate up the last of the pea salad, and had the best and simplest jello yet. I don't think it lasted past dinner. We were just so hot and it was just the right thing to have cool us off.

Chloe says that the strawberry banana flavored jello used in this jello is her favorite flavor. She also said this was her favorite jello so far, I think maybe she has said that before though. :) It could have been set just a little more before I added the fruit, as you can see it's mostly on the bottom here. That means it floated on top in the mold.

Strawberry Banana Salad

1½ cups boiling water

1 package ( 8 serving size) or two packages (4-serving size each) jello strawberry banana flavor gelatin

2 cups cold water

1 cup chopped strawberries

1 banana sliced

Stir boiling water into gelatin in a large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water. Refrigerate about 1½ hours or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves a definite impression).

Stir in strawberries and bananas. Pour into a 5 cup mold that has been sprayed with no stick cooking spray.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm, Unmold. Store leftover gelatin mold in refrigerate.

Makes 10 (½ cup) servings