Strawberry Fields Forever*

 

 

Some days I wander around the house unmotivated with an Ani Difranco song stuck in my head while my children are supposed to be napping (or at least having some quiet time).  Other days, I'm suckered into taking them strawberry picking even though the one that talks the most (and therefore complains she's bored the most) never took me up on my offer to pick them in the backyard.  Also because I really wanted to make strawberry syrup to put in my water from the Sodastream (it's unbelievably awesome in case you were wondering).  And that is how we ended up going strawberry picking last week.  I was pleasantly surprised with how much Daughter filled her basket and not surprised that Son spent more time eating than picking.  

We got enough to eat, enough to make 8 half pints of strawberry syrup (from this book - it's a thin syrup, not for putting on pancakes, but I do have plans to mix some with some maple syrup and see how it tastes), and 2 half pints of strawberry preserves (for pancakes and ice cream).  All of this is on top of the 9 cups of strawberries in the freezer (all from the backyard), the 3 pints of strawberry jam (in smaller jars but they add up), and all those ones we ate and baked with (strawberry muffins are the best!).  

*that title is just for you Kay.