Dive In: Spiced Rhubarb Skillet Cake with Streusel Topping

"Oh my God, what if you wake up some day, and you're 65, or 75, 

and you never got your memoir or novel written; 

or you didn't go swimming in warm pools and oceans all those years 

because your thighs were jiggly and you had a nice big comfortable tummy; 

or you were just so strung out on perfectionism and people-pleasing 

that you forgot to have a big juicy creative life, of imagination and radical silliness 

and staring off into space like when you were a kid?  

It's going to break your heart.  Don't let this happen."  ~ Anne Lamott

And just like that, we've shimmied into summer.  My God, I love it.  All of it.  Tank tops and late night thunderstorms.  Warm pools and lakeside picnics.  Fireworks and flip flops.  Peaches and more peaches.  Road trips and just-picked raspberries.  Cold beer and warm hearts.  Toes in sand.  Tomatoes on the vine.  The evening breeze through wide open windows.  Ice cream, always.  A bonfire's crackle and pop.  The smell of a forest.  The sound of early morning, when it's just you and the birds.  Tall glasses of iced sweet tea.  A good book and some shade.  The laughter of old friends.  The glide of a canoe.  The call of the wild.  The sun's rays on damp skin.  Floating on water.  Staring up at the sky.  What are you waiting for?  Dive in.  

The Canning Kitchen: Salted Caramel Pear Butter & A Giveaway

I first met Amy Bronee almost 3 years ago in Wenatchee, Washington's small airport.  Both of us had flown in on a media tour sponsored by the U.S. Organic Trade Commission and we couldn't believe our lucky stars that we were seeing such a beautiful part of North America on someone else' dime.  Over those few days in September, we wandered orchards, apple packing plants, and Pike Place Market together, bonding over our love of Coronation Street and good coffee.   I remember watching Amy thrive in her element when we were given a preserving lesson at a Whole Foods in Seattle.   This lady clearly loved to can.   Amy's passion for preserves was so visible, I had no doubt then that she would one day write a book about it.  And you know what?  She's done just that!  The Canning Kitchen is being released this month by Penguin and I couldn't be more proud of this lovely lady I'm fortunate to call my friend.