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May 22, 2003 It is finally the time of year when I envision some delicious treats to make for my family. The sun is shining, the weekends are spent camping, playing outside, taking walks, and enjoying nature. It is also the time of eating berries. Lots and lots of berries! I mean forget it, I dont have a favorite and I cant get enough of them. But there isnt anything prettier than a pink concoction sitting in a glass or piece of angle food cake with berries strewn everywhere. And for those not on a diet-you get your scoop of cool whip or mounds of whipped cream. My favorite things to whip up are strawberry shortcakes, smoothies, shakes, pudding, jello with fruit, and fruit salads. Smoothies are the ultimate. When I am drinking a smoothie I am immediately taken back to my childhood and feel like running along the beach with just my trainers on, splashing in the water, and finding pleasure in everything around me. Somedays it does pay to be a kid again! Taking some vanilla ice cream, a little milk, splenda, ice cubes and a ton of any kind of berry and you are going to be enjoying yourself. Trust me, better than a blizzard or something at the ice cream store. Making your own means you can have as much as you want! Now currently I am on a diet and therefore I cannot have ice cream, so I just do berries, splenda, ice, about one fourth cup of milk, and blend that together until I have a nice frothy drink-no need for ice cream at all! It quenches my thirst, gives me my fruit for the day, and is a nice light way to finish a meal. Give me any kind of berry and I am happy. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, boysenberries, huckleberries, marionberries, gooseberries, I dont care berry, they are all fabulous. Shakes, smoothies, pies, tarts, shortcake, they are all greatly improved upon with the goodness of berries. I havent been berry picking in a long time, I got stung a few times and I think developed a complex, but this year I plan on being brave and taking those berries on! My son used to be picky when it came to eating berries. They are good for you, I would say. I dont like them, they taste funny, he would reply. So add a little sugar, I suggested. No way, he answered. This went on for eight years. Finally at the ripe old age of ten I said there will be no more asking, he is going to eat berries! So I bought the little shortcake cups, filled the center with ice cream, placed cut strawberries around it so it looked like the rays of a sun, and one strawberry right in the middle. Then I added a smidgeon of whipped cream. The presentation alone was worth a four star rating. I took his dinner plate away and told him dessert was coming up. Here you go, strawberry shortcake like youve never had it, I said. Holy crabby patties, he exclaimed. Course my fiancies eyes just about popped out of his head and I got a nice big kiss on the cheek before he proceeded to eat his in about four heaping gulps! My son meanwhile kept turning the bowl, looking at it all, wondering, trying to decide if I covered enough bases that he would actually attempt to eat a strawberry. I sat down across from him eating my non ice cream raspberry smoothie (on the diet) and watched him take his first bite. This is great, he said. No other words were spoken until after his bowl was empty but there were a lot of mmmmmms and ahhhhhhhhs floating around. So you dont really mind strawberries, do you, I asked casually when he was through. I guess they are okay, he said, trying to be nonchalant. I knew better. Slowly I have weaned him away from needing all the other things to get him to eat it, and a month later I am happy to report that he eats strawberries plain. Next up on the menu is getting him to like raspberries and blueberries. I figure I can win easier with the blueberries. But we shall see. No matter how you eat it, berries are good. They are colorful, have a refreshing bit of juice inside, and make any dessert taste top notch. If only I could figure out a way to do the same with vegetables, that would save a lot of hassle at the dinner table! ------------ About the author: Nancy Jackson is a full time author and poet with works in Literati, Twilight Times, Anotherealm, Sonny World, and various anthologies. Her pasttimes include spending time with her loved ones, drinking wine, and lots of writing! Email Nancy Jackson: coryann93@yahoo.com Comment on this column in the forum. ------------ |
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