A Day Full of Strawberries and Tofu: Adventures in Homemade Delights

Written 5/4

Hello Dear Readers,

This morning, our usual routine took a delightful detour. Here in Nashville, Tennessee, we’re smack in the middle of strawberry season—a time my wife and I eagerly anticipate each year. Bright and early, we set out to our local farmer’s market to acquire strawberries to make homemade jelly.

My wife is particularly fond of strawberries, which are directly from local farmers. She swears they are infinitely sweeter than those found in supermarket aisles. We usually purchase them by the gallon bucket, necessitating immediate action to freeze or preserve them to avoid spoilage. Although we typically manage to get two buckets, today, we restrained ourselves to just one, as our freezer is already brimming.

Part of today’s agenda for my wife was to embark on a new culinary project—making tofu. She’s planning to document this endeavor on her blog. I encourage anyone interested in DIY soybean crafts to look at her upcoming post. 

In preparation, she picked up jalapeno peppers to add a zesty twist to our strawberry jam, turning it into a spicy concoction. The preparations for this fiery strawberry jam began last night, ensuring we were all set for today’s jam-making session.

In addition to the strawberries, we also acquired soybeans for our first attempt at making tofu. My wife has spent considerable time researching tofu preparation, and her excitement was palpable—akin to her enthusiasm when we first experimented with making Kombucha at home. She procured an impressive 50 pounds of soybeans, planning to hone her tofu-making skills through ample practice.

The day’s unusual events pushed back my journal writing schedule considerably. Part of me even toyed with skipping my journal entry entirely. Still, eventually, I carved out a slot in my day to maintain this important personal ritual.

Today has been a testament to the joys of embracing local produce and the rewarding challenge of homemade food projects. Whether it’s the sweet burst of locally sourced strawberries or the intricate process of tofu making, each activity adds a unique flavor to our lives, enriching our daily routine with new textures and tastes.