Six thirty am.

Every window wide open.

I turn the radio off and the house fills with bird song.

Fynn lazes on the hot verandah.

I’ve been thrashing the last several months. It happens every few years; an unexplainable, frenetic need to be busy. I don’t know where it comes from or why. Maybe menopause, maybe not. I wake up one day and my life is moving faster than my body will carry it. I’m breathless, until it’s over.

When my eyes opened this morning, I knew it had passed.

I took a big breath.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp
Makes 8 servings

Preheat oven 375*F

Filling:

• 1 quart strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1¼ cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 salt
• 1 pound strawberry rhubarb, cut in 1/2-inch dice (about 3 cups)

The Steps:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, flour and salt.
2. Pour in strawberries and toss gently.
3. Allow strawberry mixture to sit for 1 hour.
4. While strawberries are getting juicy, prepare the topping.
5. After 1 hour add the rhubarb to the strawberries then pour all into a lightly greased 10-inch casserole or pie plate.
6. Sprinkle topping evenly over the fruit.
7. Bake until golden brown, about 30 – 35 minutes.

Topping:

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup butter, grated
• ½ cup flaked coconut
• ½ cup pecans, chopped

The Steps:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and oats.
2. Stir in grated butter, flaked coconut and chopped pecans with a fork. Don’t mash the butter; it’s more like you’re tossing the butter with the flour mixture.

THE LOVE: If you don’t have a box grater, you can successfully use a pastry blender to work the butter into the flour. Whisk the flour and sugar together then cut the butter into the flour. Once the flour/butter mixture looks like a coarse meal, toss in the rolled oats, flaked coconut and chopped pecans.

Thanks for reading.