Strawberry Picking

Yesterday morning I headed out to go strawberry picking. My sister met me there with her children. I wondered how two ladies with six children between them would be viewed going strawberry picking, but by the time we left the field was positively swarming with children. So I didn't feel so bad. ;-)

Our own strawberry plants look great but the slugs are eating the strawberries as fast as they are ripening. (This is our first year of strawberry plants~any suggestions anyone?!? Pretty please?!?) I knew in order to do the preserving and baking I do each year, I would need some extra "help".

I planned on using our strawberries for munching but I wonder if I might have to buy some "munching strawberries" too.


I wonder how they keep the slugs (and deer) outta these beauties?!


Cousins picking...or SUPPOSED to be picking. ;-)
Last year I recall Andrew eating more strawberries then keeping. He and Corynn were much better helpers this year.


...Had to watch Miss Addie Mae though-she loved snitching a strawberry, taking a bite and throwing it back in the basket. Stinkpot.



This year the u-pick price was $1.59 a pound. I wish I could remember what it was last year (which is why I am writing it down now.)

17 pounds worth was all this third trimester pregnant Mama with three children who had just returned home from a weekend away could muster in one trip.

17 pounds doesn't go very far when you have plans for a years' worth of jam and frozen berries, strawberry rhubarb pies, muffins and sorbet.

But 17 pounds is what I could handle yesterday, and what the children could handle.


Afterwards, we headed to the greenhouse/farm section for the children to play on the crazy cool yard toys...which they did.

Except Panda.

He found the owner doing animal chores and opted to tag along and help her. He fed the chickens and ducks, gathered eggs, corralled a renegade duck, and gave the goats hay.


I feel pretty confident it was Andrews farmer boy charm that resulted in the owner inviting us all in to the baby goat pen. A super cool, very special treat.


I can attest to the fact that catching goats is far easier than catching chickens.

He was pretty proud of himself for all his "catching" though.


And maybe even got a bit cocky.

We had strawberry muffins this morning.

Today is jam making day.

And a strawberry rhubarb pie is in Mattie's very near future.

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach so I am told...