Strawberry Picking

Strawberry season has arrived in Washington state. Before Washington berries ripen California berries are shipped here to satisfy the cravings of those too impatient to wait for our own fruit (that would be me). In my family, there is every year, a discussion among some as to whether California berries are even fit to touch the lips of a Washington native. So, since the time to pick berries has arrived I dutifully packed up the pickers (um, kids that is) and headed off to the fields to pick these red pieces of delight to freeze for smoothies in the dead of winter. Well, some picked:

And picked:

While others ate:

And ate:

And ate:

After several trips across the big field to the porta potty and picking tiny berries for a long time we called it quits - only 1 flat to our name!!! Seems our temperamental Washington berries didn't like our dry spring and didn't perform. Last year they didn't like our wet spring either!!

Time to go:

After several traumatizing mishaps (one involving the back end of my van jarring the back end of another vehicle - no damage to the cars, thank goodness - just severe damage to my mental state, the other involving the many already chewed strawberries making their way back up the throat of a certain 4 year old into his lap and all over the car seat. - yuck and double yuck!!!) we made it home with our few puny berries.

We had this for dinner - the day we pick berries we get to have dessert for dinner - yum! Although this year that's all we got to do with the berries - none for the freezer.

Licking of plates is allowed this night of dessert for dinner!!
This year California berries win hands down!! And after all the drama I'm thinking as nice as it sounds to pick our own berries and preserve them myself - we're buying our berries at Costco!!!!!