Forrest Gump and Strawberry fields forever
Within a drive just far enough to feel like you've gone somewhere and pleasant enough to want to go, is a field of strawberries. You can pick you own, or buy ones they have already picked. The whole situation brings back childhood memories for me, as my maternal Grands had MILES of strawberries when I was a kid. At least it seemed like miles.
Every year, we would go at least once to pick strawberries, and come home with a crate of them. NOW that crate would cost about a hundred bucks. I would get the chance to pick my own, and get paid for it, 7 cents a pint. This was when you could get a candy bar for a nickle, and Double Bubble for a penny. I think an 8 ounce coke was still a nickle, and you got it from a machine that would make you run a maze with the bottle after you put your nickle in. Anyway, Grandma would cut up a pair of tube socks, put the tube part over my knees, then send me out to Grandpa. He showed me which strawberries to pick and told me how full the pint container should be.I would pick a pint, go get my 7 cents, then run down the hill to the little neighborhood grocery store to get my goodies. I'd eat them, then go and pick another pint. Didn't get fat, didn't get sick. Miracles, both.
Didn't get berries last year, no place to keep them. But BOY, did I make up for it!! Bought a total of 3 flats, 12 pints each flat. Then, Mom and I got busy. Homemade strawberry jam. Messy, but easy, and oh,so good! I made strawberry shortcake and froze some for later. I started with only 2 flats, then realized I could make Mom some jam, using Splenda, not fair that she should work so hard and not get anything out of it. So, I went back and got the third, made some for her and the next door neighbor. She said it was good, haven't seen the neighbor to ask him. Started giving it away to some neighbors, the rooster took some to work, put some away for the tall kid, and then I started taking it to work.
Another story goes with this one, be patient, I will pull it all back together. Working during Ivan, I had packed survival gear, and food. Our cafeteria in the hospital is on the ground floor, 5 steps below parking lot level, so even a bad rain floods the place. Knew that when we lost power, might not be any good food, and maybe no water. Brought all that. Brought the ultimate PBnJ sandwhiches, made from toasted Hawaiian bread, Honey roast peanut butter, and homemade jam. They sat overnight before they were eaten, soaked in REAL good! Offered one to a coworker, and she turned it down, saying "I don't like PBnJ sandwiches". She watched me eat one, then said maybe she'd take one. Has bugged me ever since,"when are you going to make me your PBnJ sandwiches?". Brought the stuff to work to make them, she had been called off to work the day shift instead........too bad, so sad.
So, by this time I have brought some jam in to eat, bought biscuits in to share with everybody. Shared containers with everybody, then brought the PBnJ fixins. They are now looking at me with these strange sort of indulgent smiles.....
I think now of Bubba in Forrest Gump....." I know everything there is to know about strawberries...you kin make jam, you kin make shortcake, you kin make sanwiches, you kin make strawberry pineapple dump cake, you kin make...."
Will any of us ever want to see another strawberry?
Every year, we would go at least once to pick strawberries, and come home with a crate of them. NOW that crate would cost about a hundred bucks. I would get the chance to pick my own, and get paid for it, 7 cents a pint. This was when you could get a candy bar for a nickle, and Double Bubble for a penny. I think an 8 ounce coke was still a nickle, and you got it from a machine that would make you run a maze with the bottle after you put your nickle in. Anyway, Grandma would cut up a pair of tube socks, put the tube part over my knees, then send me out to Grandpa. He showed me which strawberries to pick and told me how full the pint container should be.I would pick a pint, go get my 7 cents, then run down the hill to the little neighborhood grocery store to get my goodies. I'd eat them, then go and pick another pint. Didn't get fat, didn't get sick. Miracles, both.
Didn't get berries last year, no place to keep them. But BOY, did I make up for it!! Bought a total of 3 flats, 12 pints each flat. Then, Mom and I got busy. Homemade strawberry jam. Messy, but easy, and oh,so good! I made strawberry shortcake and froze some for later. I started with only 2 flats, then realized I could make Mom some jam, using Splenda, not fair that she should work so hard and not get anything out of it. So, I went back and got the third, made some for her and the next door neighbor. She said it was good, haven't seen the neighbor to ask him. Started giving it away to some neighbors, the rooster took some to work, put some away for the tall kid, and then I started taking it to work.
Another story goes with this one, be patient, I will pull it all back together. Working during Ivan, I had packed survival gear, and food. Our cafeteria in the hospital is on the ground floor, 5 steps below parking lot level, so even a bad rain floods the place. Knew that when we lost power, might not be any good food, and maybe no water. Brought all that. Brought the ultimate PBnJ sandwhiches, made from toasted Hawaiian bread, Honey roast peanut butter, and homemade jam. They sat overnight before they were eaten, soaked in REAL good! Offered one to a coworker, and she turned it down, saying "I don't like PBnJ sandwiches". She watched me eat one, then said maybe she'd take one. Has bugged me ever since,"when are you going to make me your PBnJ sandwiches?". Brought the stuff to work to make them, she had been called off to work the day shift instead........too bad, so sad.
So, by this time I have brought some jam in to eat, bought biscuits in to share with everybody. Shared containers with everybody, then brought the PBnJ fixins. They are now looking at me with these strange sort of indulgent smiles.....
I think now of Bubba in Forrest Gump....." I know everything there is to know about strawberries...you kin make jam, you kin make shortcake, you kin make sanwiches, you kin make strawberry pineapple dump cake, you kin make...."
Will any of us ever want to see another strawberry?
posted by Mommanurse at 11:36 PM
3 Comments:
Home-made strawberry jam PB&J's.....
The bread HAS to be fresh, the Peanut Butter HAS to be crunchy, and the glass of milk HAS to be icy cold!
If there is something better, (clothed), I'd like someone to refresh my memory!
I know I wouldn't even try to top that, I found myself drooling at the thought.(It's Lunchtime)I bet they are soaked with REAL GOOD>
My grandmother and her sister taught me how to make yeast bread. I remember making 3-4 recipes of bread and biscuits almost daily for weeks just getting ready for the 4-H Fair. The house never smelled that good before or since.
Another of Mom's specialties was strawberry jam. Warm bread and strawberry jam on the table will make friends of EVERYone in sight.
In Nebraska, there is a strawberry farm where you pick your own berries and are charged by the weight. They take pickers to the field in a hay wagon and then turn them loose in fields that look like a picture from a magazine -- big luscious berries, shining in the sun, sweet and juicy, as far as the eye can see.
If they had weighed us before and after, it would have cost us a mint to get out of there. They didn’t seem to care if we stuffed ourselves with berries, though. It was certainly obvious that we had -- we couldn’t hide the red stains on our faces.
Gee MommaN, you’ve gotten me so hungry for yeast bread and strawberries! Do you think they are on the South Beach program? I think they are,,, yep,,, pretty sure of it.
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