I Hate Wrappers

I know I'm not the only one who hates wrappers and packaging. It's not just the irritation of trying to figure out which end to open or where the flap starts. I hate the waste and the smell, and if it's food wrapped in too much packaging, I wonder about the preservatives.








It also bothers me when the thing I want requires a 6-inch knife and a whole lot of patience to open--like this:

Or when way too much packaging is used for one little item--like this:

Or when it's not even necessary to put something in a wrapper--like this:

I also dislike the taste of commercially packaged baked goods--like this:

I much prefer my baked goods made at home with no preservatives, no packaging or wrappers, and healthy ingredients. Like these Healthy Carrot-Zucchini Mini Muffins. Who's with me?

Catch Some Summer Before It's Gone

When I was young, summer was when my mother and aunt would take outings just to buy fresh produce. Sometimes it was a trip for tomatoes or sweet corn from a local farm. Other times, it was a "pick-your-own" adventure for raspberries or strawberries. I didn't always tag along, but I remember the evening meals after such an outing. I especially remember the strawberry shortcake.
With the exception of birthday cakes, we rarely had dessert as the final course of the meal. Don't get me wrong. We had our share of sweet treats, but it was usually ice cream or cookies and not a formal dessert, per se. However, when fresh strawberries were available, we had shortcake.
Shortcake at our house could be Angel Food cake with smashed strawberries on top, or it could be a store-bought sponge cake. Either way, the shortcake was topped with a small dab of whipped cream and the strawberry juice oozed throughout the cake. I loved it.
As we wind down the days of summer and the kids head back to school, why not treat yourself to some strawberry shortcake? It just might remind you of days gone by, and you might be making new memories that others will share.