Life Lesson this week:

I have been watching someone whom I'm around quite a bit flounder.  It's difficult to watch and frustrating when there is nothing that you can do to help.  Sure they're young and they're going to be fine but I've learned some valuable lessons watching things unfold despite my frustration.
The first lesson that I learned was that people tend to do one of two things when confronted with a problem, especially one which makes them feel insecure.  People seem to either reach out to those around them who can help them or they retreat - probably out of sheer terror.  This lesson was an important one for me because I have typically fallen into the 'retreat' category.  Watching someone else do what I might have done not so long ago was like an epiphany.  I realized that this person wasn't helping themselves or the situation by retreating.  They would have learned so much more and gained so much valuable insight and tools by looking to the people around them.  Most people are willing to help and many will go above and beyond if they see you are motivated.  Good lesson Wanda.  I have decided that I need to change and become the first kind of person.
The second lesson is one that I've only recently articulated to myself.  That lesson is (boy this sounds dumb) that we don't live in isolation.  We live with people and around people almost all the time.  Aside from those well needed retreats that we all crave, this being around people thing is pretty good for us.  It's great in fact.  Rubbing shoulders with people who have different opinions and ideas than I do, different struggles, different religions, different backgrounds... it's amazing.  It helps us be better people.  Connecting with the people around me (love them or hate them - let's face it) makes me AND them a better person.  Huge lesson for me.  Realizing that I need these situations.  This is life and this is a necessary part of life.  As necessary as food and water.  Without feeling connected to people and a community I would shrivel up and die.  The crappy situations are just as if not more important than the good ones.  I've done more learning about myself in the last year than I have in a long time... thanks crappy situation.


Now onto recipe:
I was perfectly ready to hate these squares.  I was really waffling about them.  I was looking at  cherry swirl muffins - sounded too boring though.  I thought about cherry pound cake - but the pound of everything can be kinda off putting.  I discovered that there are tons of cherry square recipes floating around in cyber space and spent a significant portion of time checking  some of them out.  I just couldn't decide.  
Then there is the whole 'sweets' thing that I've been going through.  Thinking that maybe my sweet tooth is ebbing.  The thought of something cheesecakey or super-sweet-topping-y didn't turn my crank.  I wanted something that I would be able to take to work and feel almost good about eating.  You know, not to feel that I've just make myself sick eating this overly sweet crap.  So, at the end of the day (quite literally - which will explain some of the whack pictures), I slapped together a couple of different recipes and then changed it again from there.  I was afraid it would turn out like total crap and that I would hate it and have to bake something else for the week.   I didn't though.  I loved it.  These were amazing.  Connecting - it's all about connecting.




Cherry Squares adapted from 'Two Old Crabs' and 'Bake or Break'
makes one 9x13 pan of squares

Bottom Layer

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Filling:
1 1/2 cups cherries (I used canned cherries and drained them)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp sour cream
grated zest of 1 lemon

Streusel Topping: you can also check it here.
3 parts flour (eg. 1 cup)
1 part sugar (eg. 1/3 cup)
2 parts cold unsalted butter, cubed (eg. 2/3 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease or butter a 9x13 inch pan and set aside.
In a large bowl (or mixer bowl) combine butter and sugar and beat until fluffy and creamy.  Add in the flour and continue to beat until it's all mixed together.  Add the salt and the vanilla and mix.  Spoon the batter into the greased baking pan and spread evenly.  Set aside.
Filling:
Combine the cherries, sugar, flour, sour cream and lemon zest together.  Spread over the batter and press down slightly.
Combine all the ingredients for the streusel topping using two forks or a pastry cutter - until the mixture looks like crumbs - and sprinkle about 1/4 cup of it over the top of the cherries.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is golden and the it feels squidgy when you press on it.
Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes before cutting.