Red goodness

Loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants, berries are among the healthiest foods in the world to eat. Strawberries can help reduce inflammation, regulate blood sugar, strengthen the cardiovascular system, and even help prevent cancer. Berries are a regular part of our family's diet all year long. Each summer, our goal is to pick and freeze enough blueberries and strawberries to last us until the next season. Once or twice a week, we make yogurt smoothies for breakfast. We also use berries to make yummy things like cobbler or muffins. My children often eat our berries frozen right out of the bag. This year we will also try dehydrating our strawberries with our new Excalibur.

Today was our first day of the season picking strawberries. We went to Berry Creek Farms in Bay City, Michigan. They do not use any pesticides and they hand pull all their weeds. We paid $1.19 a pound and the five of us (including a 10 year old and 3 year old who only like to eat and a 7 year old who was a great help) picked 44# of strawberries in less than three hours. Let the freezing begin!