Strawberries!!!!

Last weekend my sister Judy and I went strawberry picking at Patterson fruit farm. Patterson
is usually known for its apples, but picking strawberries was equally fun. It felt great to be kneeling in the dirt with the view of the green hills in the distance. The sun was warming the plants and the smell of fresh strawberries was surrounding us. So, we went a little crazy! We picked 6 trays of strawberries. After all, strawberries are only in season for a short time and when would we have this opportunity again? Right? Well,
2 hours and $60 later we left Patterson's with red finger tips and a trunk full of strawberries. I think the Patterson staff may have been chuckling at us. Once I got home, I was admittedly a little overwhelmed by all the strawberries I had just purchased. My family was starting to get tired of eating strawberries in everything. I consulted with Eating Well's Strawberries Healthy Food Guide: http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/healthy_food_guide/strawberries . It's best to freeze strawberries within four days of picking. So, make sure you have some time set aside. I did not plan well and then became really stressed when the 4th day arrived. I started having bad dreams about millions of rotting strawberries. Anyhow, all was well and I got them frozen in time. Back to the freezing process. They should initially be placed in the freezer on a cookie tray so they don't stick together. Then they can be transferred to freezer bags and used later. The strawberries may be used up to a whole year after freezing. I can't wait for those smoothies next winter! Would I do it again despite my strawberry stress? You bet ya... They were way sweeter and more tender than their grocery store counterparts.
Because I am the caring foodie, I have to include a few nutritional facts. A cup of strawberries provides a whole day's worth of vitamin C and 3 grams of fiber. They also are a great source of folic acid for any of you pregos out there.
Here is my latest creation using the strawberries.... Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp from http://cookinglight.com/.