Strawberry Crepes

Exactly one week ago today, I said farewell to my long time, four-legged friend, Ashley. 21 and a half years ago, a coworker of mine brought into work a box with several homeless and adorable kittens. Some of the kittens coats were black with white spots or all black, but only one was all gray in color, and that's the one I picked to take home with me. I named her Ashley because she was the color of ashes, but she wasn't a drab gray color, she had a beautiful silvery shimmer to her fur.

Ashley, or as I would often call her, "my sweet baby girl", was an adventurous cat. Before she was declawed, she would climb the curtains, hang out on the curtain rod, then patiently wait for someone to walk by to pounce on her mark. She would also climb up my dad's jeans while he was cooking to see what he was doing and to hope for a little snack. Even as she outgrew some of her kitty shenanigans, she was still active and fun loving. She loved to chase string, shadow box, was an outstanding goaltender when I rolled a ball to her, and an excellent coach carefully watching each move I made when I was on the floor doing crunches or push-ups.

Some of my most cherished memories are of times when she sat outside with me in the backyard or on the deck during the summertime while I read. She had a ritual of walking the perimeter of the yard before she came and sat by my chair. After going through the gate, she always made a left turn to first check to see if any critters were lurking in hostas, then she would mosey down to the peony bush. After walking around the bush a few times, she would head over to the garden filled with mint, lilies, and lavender. Of all the plants and flowers in the yard, I think she really loved the lavender the most. She would roll around in the grass in front of it, then saunter over and smell the buds. After her full journey around the backyard, Ashley would come seek out some shade under my chair. The past few years Ashley didn't tolerate the sun as much so we would spend hours reading on the deck under the cooling shade of the Maple tree.

I am so blessed that I was able to spend half my life {21 years!} with Ashley. She was with me since my sophomore year in college, saw me through two careers, was by my side as I bought my house, and welcomed Mike into her life after our wedding. Although, I'm not sure if Ashley ever fully welcomed his cat Curtsie into her life, and vice versa, but she seemed to tolerate her more.

In memory of Ashley I wanted to make something using one of her favorite treats, strawberries! She loved both apples and strawberries. As soon as she heard me in the kitchen cutting the fruit, she would instantly appear next to me. It was really weird when I made this recipe to not have her by my feet waiting for a sampling of strawberries.

Mike and I began making crepes about six years ago. The first time we made crepes, we were so nervous to flip the crepe because it was so thin and looked delicate. Thankfully, crepes are more resilient that what we thought. If you can flip a pancake, you should be able to do this with no problems.

There are a multitude of ways to fill your crepes. In the Summer we fill them with fresh berries, during the Fall we'll choose apples and cinnamon, and in Winter months we fill the crepes with a savory combination of eggs, cheese, and ham.

I hope you enjoy one of Ashley's favorites. If you a pet, be sure to give them an extra rub behind the ears and tell them they are loved! Wishing you good food and gladness. (March 19, 2014)