strawberries anyone?

This morning after forgoing schoolwork to attend a TLM about an hour away, the children and I stopped at a pick-your-own strawberry field just down the road from the church. They were all excited and constantly hollering to each other, "Hey, look at this huge one!" "No, this one is bigger!" The berries were so plentiful that we filled up 5 buckets in all of 8 minutes.

Unfortunately in my enthusiasm I forgot one essential ingredient: cash. We live in such a "charge it please and thank you very much" world that I can go for weeks without seeing a flash of green in the wallet. Luckily the folks were very nice and understanding as I popped everyone in the van to swing by the grocery. All the way home the kids pleaded for shortcake after supper. Of course I need to stop by the store again to get buttermilk and whipped cream. When we go back down on Tuesday for Mass and another strawberry picking day I will try extra hard to remember the $$.

added: less than 24 hours later we have eaten 2/3 of our harvest, mostly due to the fact that I allowed the children to eat strawberry shortcake for breakfast. Instead of the dry Bisquick shortcake my mother used to make or the sponge cake you can buy at the grocery, I prefer a no-fail buttermilk biscuit. Will makes these for breakfast often with honey or jelly smeared inside, so if a 9 year year old can make them, anyone can.

Buttermilk biscuits

2 1/2 cups flour
2 TBL sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup buttermilk

mix the dry ingredients well, add shortening and mix with fingers, add buttermilk and stir and turn out onto counter. Pat out to 1-2 inches high and cut out in circles. Put in pan touching and bake at 425F for about 12 minutes or until sides of biscuits are dry.

Yum!