Strawberries are for smashing.

It has been a rainy, rainy, gray, and weird week here in Michigan weather wise.  So, why not head out to pick strawberries with two toddlers, right? Right.  I've never been berry picking, not being a huge connoisseur of fruit myself so I was kind of excited to give it a go.  And............it was okay.  I think I had higher expectations than I reasonably should have.  We were there for about twenty minutes when it started to rain intermittently and after about twenty more minutes of rain getting harder and harder we gave up and went home.  We did get enough berries for two pies and some pretty cute pictures of Georgia and her friend Emma.  Notice Emma's very appropriate outfit for strawberry picking.  She must have a really good mom. 

Hmmm.....These just didn't look like the hormone induced big beautiful strawberries I buy at the grocery story for double the price.  The consumer in me, stupid as she is, really likes those big beautiful berries.

Georgia wanted to pick the green berries.  She just couldn't understand why I wasn't going to pay for them.  She was sure that a green strawberry pie would be delicious.  I told her it would just be crunchy. 

Emma was sure we were here to smash strawberries. And really, who can blame her.  They just collapse so nicely in your hands when pressure is applied.  And only a two year old would relish that red, sticky juice dripping down their arm to their elbows. 

Yep.  You know what she's about to do.  Only the camera was there to catch her. 

We've entered the silly phase.  Anything she can do to be crazy, weird, goofy, get a laugh, and even get a lecture....she's all over it. 

Really.  We really can't get these green ones?

See the hand with the palm up?  This is why I love this picture.  It is so quintessentially Georgia.  She is no doubt delivering some kind of monologue here, as evidenced by the hand.  She can often be found in her room giving a speech to one of her animals, hands flying, chin down, voice raised.  Future motivational speaker or just plain bossy.  I'll go with the latter.

So,  that's it.  We picked the strawberries. We made a pie. We ate it.  Berry picking is fine.  I'm glad if you love it.  I will give you this little hint--it's about the pie.  When you make a strawberry pie mix together about one full tub of cream cheese with about a cup of powdered sugar.  Spread that into the bottom of the pie crust.  Then load in your strawberries and glaze and refrigerate.  That little filling on the bottom is the best.  I can often be found scraping aside the strawberries just to eat that cream cheese bottom.  But again....fruit has never been my best friend.  I'm strange, I know.