June 30, 2006

Strawberries

Yesterday we went strawberry picking. We did this last summer and have enjoyed the bounty all year long, thanks to our deep freezer. We went later in the season than last year and the berries were quite a bit smaller, so it did take a while to fill a basket. Last summer we picked 12 quarts, but stuck with 6 this year. I'm glad we did b/c we never would have gotten the other six picked before closing time!

So last night we spent about three hours removing tops, cutting, adding sugar, and putting into bags. We left one basket to make a pie, as well as eat fresh. Gavin tried to help by transferring the topped berries into the bowl for cutting. Occasionally one found its way into his mouth. He would say, "Can I eat this one?" when it was already to his mouth. He would also say, "I need to eat this one," as if he was saving the rest of us from a rotten or less than fresh berry.

I made a low fat strawberry shortcake I found on Family Fun's web site. It was actually pretty tasty with a lot less fat than some of our other recipes! That was our dinner - our strawberry picking tradition, as Jason calls it! I think it is just his excuse to eat dessert for dinner! It sure was yummy!