Sweet Strawberry Omelet

Oregon Strawberries are at their peak.

This recipe was submitted to the Immanuel Lutheran Church Cookbook in 1984 and it's delightful, and fairly healthy. The eggs take on an airy lightness and custard-like quality. It won't take the place of shortcake in my heart, but it's better for me. I have made a few modifications -- which I will note, and have added to the directions based on my experience.

If you make this, or have something similar and can add to the directions, I would love to hear from you!

Sweet Strawberry Omelet

You need a 10" oven proof skillet. Turns out, my skillet is only 9.5" (you measure across the top), but I am glad it was not too shallow, as you can see by the photos.

4 eggs, separated, each in mixing bowls (larger one for the egg whites)
2 tbsp. water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 C. plain yogurt (we like Nancy's)
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. butter

Topping
about 1/3 C. plain yogurt -- depending on how much you would like to use
preferred sweetener (to taste) I used a little honey - (never give honey to infants!)
(cookbook called for 1/4 c. yogurt and 1/4 c.frozen whipped topping -- which I chose not to use, plus a little milk & sugar)

2 C. washed and sliced fresh strawberries
nutmeg (optional)

Assemble:

It filled the pan completely!

• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Beat egg whites till frothy. Add 2 tbsp. water and 1/4 tsp. salt. Beat to stiff peaks.
• Beat egg yolks till thick and lemon-colored; beat in 1/4 C yogurt and 2 tbsp. sugar.
• Fold yolks into whites. (I allowed some lumpiness)

 Cook:

• Melt butter in 10 inch ovenproof skillet; heat until a drop of water sizzles.
  (I had it at "9-10" on my stove top -- but this was too hot, as it scorched a little -  make sure the butter covers the pan before adding the eggs)
• Pour in eggs; spread to edges.
• REDUCE HEAT (I took it down to "3"; the directions did not specify a temperature)



After baking in the oven

• Cook 8 minutes.

 Bake:

• Finish cooking in oven at 325 till knife comes out clean, 10-12 minutes (test in middle) 
• Loosen omelet and slide onto a warm platter.

Topping:

• Combine yogurt with preferred sweetener, and spoon lightly over the top.
• Top with sliced strawberries.
• I chose to add a dusting of nutmeg to my own serving.

Husband reaction: It's not guy food.
Foodie Daughter: I like it.

Arrowhead Shadow Box

Obsidian Arrowhead

Over 100 years ago, my grandmother found these arrowheads and trading beads while wandering the fields near Enterprise, Oregon. She passed along this childhood treasure to my mother, who passed them along to me.

They lived in an old tin, wrapped in cloth and tucked away at the back of a desk drawer, only to be re-discovered on those occasional desk cleanings.

It seemed a shame not to enjoy & share their beauty more often. An inexpensive piece of suede-like fabric, heavy thread (mine was like a tapestry yarn) and a shadow box solved the problem.

I asked one of my artsy daughters to put it all together. She used a tapestry needle and yarn to fix the arrowheads to the cloth. Now my grandmother's collection is enjoyed daily by the family and all who come to visit.

I would be interested to learn more about these artifacts. I wonder, for example, if the one on the top right is a drilling tool or an arrowhead?

How do you display your favorite heirloom collections? I'd love to hear from you!

Eastern Oregon Arrowhead Collection Shadow Box

Everbearing Strawberry Pot

I've been saving advice for strawberry pots (also called strawberry jars) on my Pinterest for awhile, and searching for the perfect pot. According to yougrowgirl.com the best ones have deep pockets and are glazed to help retain moisture.

I found this one at a specialty import store in Tualatin, Oregon.

I chose ever-bearing varieties for my pot and set about making a french drain as shown here: dannylipford.com

A length of pipe that just happened to be handy, and some gravel from the kids' play area did the job.

I propped the pipe in place while I filled the pot with soil, then filled the pipe with gravel.

Lightly shake the pipe up & down to tamp the gravel down, while slowly lifting it out.

Filled with promise!

Raul approves.