CAN'T WAIT TO PICK AND FREEZE STRAWBERRIES

Today was the first full day of summer. Almost all of the schools around here had their last day of school by yesterday. We have begun as I have said in an earlier post thinking of things to do with Sissy and Bobo without spending a lot of money.We believe that just because you spend a lot of money doesn't mean you will have more fun than if you spend less.

The forecast for the next 3 days at least, is rain, rain and more rain. This is not a great way to start the summer , but we will carry on. We plan on going strawberry picking next week after the rain stops. Almost all of us like strawberries like Sissy except Bobo, he just likes to pick them, not eat them. By picking them yourself you not only save money, but they will stay fresh longer because they are just picked and have not been shipped to stores in the area. The way we like to freeze them is very easy and we have been doing it this way for quite a long time. This is also a great way to freeze blueberries . When freezing strawberries , take off the stem and wash them off , finish by drying them off. Put them flat on a cookie sheet and place in freezer. They should be frozen solid overnight . When freezing blueberries wash , dry and place on cookie sheet also in the freezer overnight. Then put them in containers or freezer bags. This way it is easy to take out how many you need . If you like smoothies all summer (and who doesn't ) you can chop them in fours before you freeze them , just take out how many you need, mix with ice and a little bit of your favorite juice, then enjoy a summer favorite, without spending a huge amount of money.

Blueberries frozen this way can also be used for smoothies or you can make blueberry muffins or bread . We like to use them right from the freezer because they will stay nice in the batter because they are frozen. We also like to pick vegetables, when they are at their peak at a local farm later in the summer .They allow this at certain times and days of the week. We tried this last year and it was very fast and easy to fill a basket of tomatoes, green peppers, eggplant and frying peppers. Then we go home and separate our purchases. This works out well for us because it is difficult for one family to eat and or freeze all of these while they are fresh.

I believe that it would be a great idea to save money if you asked your friends , relatives, and neighbors if they would like to participate along with your family. I cannot understand why anyone would pass up this chance . Don't be shy about asking others to do this with you, it might even get to be a yearly occurrence that they look forward to.

In the summer there isn't anything better than fresh fruits and vegetables for your children and yourself. This is also a great way to have fun with the kids while teaching them how to enjoy different kinds of foods. This may even be a great way to get even your most finicky child to try a new vegetable because they have picked it and prepared it themselves.