I mean, it’s cooked, so technically it’s no longer fresh. But it’s made from fresh strawberries and not weird flavorings and colorings. You get the idea.

So far we have put this in cocktails, on crepes, and in Italian sodas. The only reason we haven’t used it for more things is because I have been taking a long time to take a photo of it. This happens sort of frequently in our house.

We had such a nice weekend! I hope you all did as well. We had our first meal ever out of the pizza oven that we built last year! It was really fun – it’s so crazy to see that the inside of our little brick structure gets up to 350 and 400 degrees – just as hot as the oven in the house! The pizza turned out great, and we’ll probably practice again next week so we can be old hands at it by the time Dave’s family is in town (Memorial Day weekend!) We also got to see the Timbers’ big win at Jeld-Wen on Sunday and we met with a contractor to start putting a new bathroom in our house! Big things are always happening at Chez Hubbard.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, cored and quartered

Combine water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, and then add the strawberries.

Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat to a simmer. Simmer for at least 10 minutes – more like 20 if you want a thicker syrup.

Allow the mixture to cool, then run it through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds and remaining pulp. Refrigerate – it will be good for weeks, if not months!