Tag Archives: summer

Fried Prickly Pear Cactus

Arizona, Blog, Cooking, International Travel, Nature, Uncategorized, United States, ,

So, I got heat stroke yesterday. And it was more frightening than the time I almost wrecked myself on sharp rocks while surfing.

A word to the wise: the elements generally win.

So, what was I doing to incur the wrath of the Arizona sun? I was spending an hour and a half cleaning up my front yard. Yup, that’s all it takes in the summer, apparently.

I was also gathering the ingredients to make fried prickly pear for lunch, which actually turned out pretty decently!

I have always tried to appreciate the food that grows in my own backyard, no matter how unexpected. In the Caribbean, I used to fish and gather food like moringa, tamarind, sea grapes, and coconuts (well, Ben climbed for the coconuts and got most of the fish…)

Sea Grapes in Anguilla

Here, the food is less obvious but still there. In my yard, I can eat three varieties of cactus fruit and two varieties of prickly pear.

I used this recipe. Here are the steps in photos:

Prickly Pear paddles have a lemony taste
You can also eat the fruit. They make good jams.
Leather gloves are a good idea for this step.
Watch out for tiny thorns at the base of the bigger spines
Boiling and then frying tastes better than grilling, IMO
Cheese and onions to stuff it!
Fry in olive oil and pretend it’s healthy
Voila!

I don’t recommend using this type of prickly pear if you have options. The kind without thorns is a lot better. I did stick myself pretty bad, and Ben stepped on one thorn that I dropped. You can buy thorn-free paddles from the store if you don’t grow them. Phoenix Wal-Marts often carry them, and Mexican food stores sell them in other areas.

This was a pretty good lunch. Not amazing, but edible. And sort of a bucket-list item and bragging point. And let’s be honest– who doesn’t want a photo like this on their Instagram? So #trendy.

That being said, it wasn’t worth the heatstroke. So be smart, and know the risks and signs. Stay hydrated when it’s hot, too.

Now you’re wondering what heatstroke signs are. Lucky you– I happen to know first-hand. Unlucky me.

The first thing that happened was that I started to have sore and tingly muscles. I thought I was sore from my workout, even though it felt different than that. Then I got really lethargic and too tired to move.

At this point I was starting to get nervous. My family was coming over in half an hour so I decided to wait it out.

By the time they arrived, I was freezing and shaking, even though it was hot. They took care of me and made me drink water, even though I didn’t want it. By the time Ben got off work and talked to them on the phone, I had a fever that quickly climbed to 104 degrees F. I started get confused, too. I don’t remember that part.

As soon as Ben got home, he started treating me for heatstroke. He aggressively rehydrated me and started cooling measures. My temperature began to drop quickly. Since Ben is a doctor, he was able to make that call and treat me at home. Otherwise, I would have had to go to the hospital and get evaluated. Heat stroke is deadly and you should never take chances. I was really stupid not to tell anyone what I was feeling when I knew something was wrong. The faster you get hydrated and bring the fever down, the better your chances for survival and the lower your chances for serious damage like hearing loss.

The moral to the story is this: drink water, stay out of the heat, and get help if you need it.

Blueberries for Johnsons

Blog, International Travel, Michigan, United States, , , , , , , ,

 

Have you ever read the classic children’s story Blueberries for Sal? I have, probably a hundred times or more. Ever since I was a little kid flipping through the mid-century monochromatic illustrations in the book, I have wanted to go blueberry picking. I didn’t even like blueberries as a kid (they seemed like big, purple peas to me, and who likes peas?), but I wanted to hear the “plink, plink” of blueberries dropping in a bucket.

 

 

Arizona doesn’t exactly have an abundance of blueberry patches. Michigan, however, does! We moved to Michigan after blueberry season had ended last year, but berry picking stayed on my list until July.

 

 

When Ben’s brother Jesse, sister-in-law Joy, and their boys Zach, Micah, and Elliot came to visit from Africa, I wanted to do some fun quintessential Michigan activities. Something really different than the activities you can do in sub-Saharan Africa. So, I suggested we take a trip to a u-pick blueberry farm. I guess it was a little it selfish, because it was something on MY to-do list for the summer! Luckily for me, it was also on their “America bucket list,” and so we loaded up in the car and off we went. As a bonus, Ben mentioned to his supervising resident that his brother was visiting from overseas, and, on a whim, the resident gave Ben a rare half day to come with us. How lucky is that?

 

 

We decided to go to Dexter Blueberry Farm, which is fairly close to Detroit.

 

 

It was a great choice! The farm’s u-pick arrangement is pretty casual. You walk up, grab a shiny red bucket, and head to a sprawling field of blueberry bushes to fill your bucket. Plink! Plink!

 

 

Of course, we were all more interested in filling our bellies than we were in filling our buckets. Chilled blueberries in a grocery store carton are yummy. Sun-warmed blueberries from the bush are simply decadent. Like, close-your-eyes-and-savor-it decadent.

 

 

Somehow, we did manage to collect enough berries in the buckets! A few pounds of consumed berries and a blueberry war later (I won’t tell you who started it, but his name is spelled B E N), we had filled our buckets and were ready to check out.

 

 

At Dexter Blueberry Farms, u-pick berries are $2 per pound. Compare that to supermarket prices! In the end, our massive amount of blueberries only cost $20. I guess it makes sense that berries in the store are more pricey, because picking those berries is actually a lot of work. It’s a lot of fun for an afternoon, but I imagine it’s a pretty intense full-time job.

 

 

It can be hard to find activities that adults and kids ages eight through 13 enjoy, but blueberry picking was a winner. Plus, we ended up with a massive amount of blueberries that tasted amazing in cereal, ice cream, and snacks for a couple of weeks.

Picking blueberries was the perfect way to spend a summer afternoon!

 

 

Visit Dexter Blueberry Farm

When to visit: Blueberry season is in July

Address: 11024 Beach Road, Dexter, MI 48130

Phone number: 734.426.2900

Cost: Blueberries are $2 per pound. Eat all you want for free!

Good things to know: Wear sunscreen! The sun can get intense. Hand sanitizer or wipes are a good idea, since you’ll be eating out of your hands as you pick. Also, there are only porta-potties at the farm.

Bonfire

Expats, Expats and TCKs, International Travel, New York, Third Culture Kids, United States, , , , , , , , , ,

Crackling flames, melting chocolate, and campfire songs. All the sounds and smells of summer are wrapped up in a bonfire under the stars. When the Johnson and Brown /Wilson families got together for Stevie and Kirsten’s wedding, we all gathered on the lawn of the farmhouse for a bonfire before the big day.

making a fire

bonfire
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Both families love to spend time together singing Gospel songs, reading the Bible, and praying. On the Johnson side, this time of family devotions is a nightly tradition that is being passed down through generations. We love to sing family classics that Ben’s mom wrote down years ago for his dad as a wedding gift. We also sing songs that Ben’s brother, Jesse, wrote, as well as French, Swahili, and Kirundi songs. With so many people from around the world present, we were able to sing some of the hymns in multiple languages, including American Sign Language, Spanish, and Arabic. Several of the family and friends present took turns leading worship songs to thank God for the good things He has done in our lives and praise Him for who He is.

IMG_3584 IMG_3603Check out the guitar Luke is playing. Jesse had it made out of an old hand-carved guitar neck and heavy-duty can.

can guitar

When the prayers had been said and the singing died away into the night, the smell of melted chocolate and roasted marshmallows began to permeate the air.

roasting marshmallowsIt was time for the time of day that the kids looked forward to most! Okay, I’ll be real– I was probably more excited about the marshmallows than the kids were. But I was good and I didn’t sneak more marshmallows than I was entitled to. chairs
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One by one, the chairs emptied. The fire died down to embers, and a lone guitar played soft tunes in the fading light. Ben poured water over the glowing embers, and they extinguished with a slow hiss. All around me, the fireflies flickered silently in the night. Inside the barn, the horse stomped his feet in the damp hay. I looked up and sighed with awe. Above me, a billion points of light pierced the velvety black of the night sky. It had been a long time since I’d seen the stars so clearly, and I could hardly look away. Even that night, as I lay in bed in the farmhouse, I kept my drooping eyelids open long enough to drink in the sight of the big dipper shining on me through the open window.

7 Ways to “Travel” Europe from Home

International Travel, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , ,

Are you stuck at home this summer, wishing for a European vacation? Turn your staycation into a virtual vacation with these seven activities! You can do this on your own, with friends, or with your kids.

1) Plan your itinerary. The wonderful world of the web (that’s what “www” stands for, right?) has unlimited information on every destination in the world. Lay out your travels in Europe by researching places you want to visit someday.

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2) Get a travel journal. It will feel almost like you really went when you fill a notebook with photos, impressions, and information about the cities you “visit.

3) Go to the library. Check out a few books and movies about your destination of choice. Try the kids section for big pages and lots of pictures! You may even find a travel mag or two. Go home, make some tea, and soak in the sights. If you’re a bookworm, find a novel or two from the European location you’ve chosen. There’s nothing like creative writing to transport you to another place and time

4) Read blogs. Blogs are the best way to experience a place for what it is. Most bloggers have no ulterior motives, unlike travel brochures. Leave some comments and save some photos. Print up the pictures for your travel journal.

5) Bring Europe to your kitchen. Search the internet for authentic recipes—the best ones come from somebody’s grandmother who immigrated from the Old Country. Try your hand at a few dishes, and be sure to light candles for atmosphere.

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6) Explore the city on Google Maps. Did you know that you can “walk through” not only streets, but also important buildings and even museums on Google Maps? Make the most of this online treasure by traversing a city from the comfort of your kitchen table.

7) Make a scrapbook. Sure, it might be out of style, but it’s still fun. Since you’ve spent time learning about a new place, record your newfound knowledge to look back on later. If you’re adventuring with kids, this will definitely be the best part of your European staycation.

Do you have any other ideas for exploring Europe from home? Tell me about your staycation secrets in the comments!

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