pick your own

Nothing is quite as relaxing as waking up at seven in the morning to go raspberry and strawberry picking all by yourself. This was my first time for raspberries this year and the farms second picking. There was a limited supply but I didn't have a problem getting enough to snack and and freeze for later.




It was my second time strawberry picking this season and time has been kind to the berries. The were a much deeper red and so much sweeter and juicer. Last months hull was still delicious! My youngest sister Alanna and I turned into strawberry rhubarb jam. It was a hit and even though I preserved it properly to store for a year it's almost all gone already!

this was an epiphany

Umami is a neat concept. Taken to its most basic description; umami is when our senses come together and sing. They don't just work as a team... they create some crazy sort of magic.

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"It didn't just taste good, this was an epiphany. This was the best food you ever tasted in your life."

But because it was neither sweet, bitter, sour, salty, as far as the scientists were concerned, it wasn't real. People may smack their lips and drool, but what they were tasting wasn't really there. It was all in their heads.

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I think umami is an all encompassing concept that stretches far past food and into all parts of life. I am striving for umami all the time.

ps. If you want to get an umami headache, add some monosodium glutamate to your next bowl of noodles.