Birthday treats!

Hello everyone!  It's an absolutely gorgeous day outside.  The birds are chirping, the neighbor's orange tabby cat is lounging in our yard and I'm basking in the glow of my birthday!

I received wonderful birthday gifts from my family.  My sister gave me a silicone pie shield, a pineapple corer, a fancy new pie server and a tube of Colgate. (She's just weeks away from getting her dental hygenist license.)

My sister said these pie servers are flying off the shelves at her mother-in-law's gift shop in Carroll.  You push the handle, and the pie slides off the server.

And my husband completely surprised me with a new food mill!  I can't wait to start using it this spring to make strawberry jam.  It will especially come in handy when I'm making apple butter in the fall.  Last year, it took me all day to peel, slice, cook, mash and strain the apples just to make 8 half pints of apple butter. 

I'd also like to make my first attempt at homemade ketchup this summer, so this food mill is a must!  I couldn't ask for a better birthday!