The day started out normal enough.  There were plans for a lazy morning, errand running, blackberry picking with a friend at the bushes a short walk from our house, all followed by a picnic dinner at the free concert in the park.  After breakfast, the boys and I headed out to run those errands.  But then the weather got nice and, well there was a cute little park right on our way home.  We popped over to the park for a bit of playtime and while there I caught up on my email and checked Facebook.  A friend of mine had posted on my wall that a little market, which just happened to be right down the road, had a sale on flats of strawberries; five dollars but only yesterday.  Now if you remember this then you know my love of berries runs deep.  While strawberries are not my favorite berry, they do rank up there in the top five.  I sat there gnashing my teeth thinking of all the berries I missed out on.  When it was time to leave I decided to drive by the store just to see if they had one of their signs out proclaiming a five dollar flat sale.  They did.  In my typical bite-off-more-that-you-can-chew-iness I bought two.

The rest of the day was consumed by berries, of the black and straw variety.  The boys and I picked enough blackberries to fill two large cookie sheets to freeze and then distribute into freezer bags.

Fabulous and free for the pickin'.

Then in a rather mad and frenzied rush I cooked.  I made enough strawberry pie filling for two pies, making one pie for eating now and freezing the rest for later (never done this so will be interesting to see how well it survives freezing).

The store bought pie crust (I am ashamed to admit to using such things) shrunk and did funky things. The pie still tasted good!

I also made two freezer strawberry pies – the kind you blend the heck out of, fold in cool whip, pour into ready-made graham cracker or chocolate crumb crusts and freeze.  The kids also did their part by eating lots of those sweet red berries.  During my kitchen berry freak out I also made a quiche a la provencale to take with us as dinner to the concert in the park.  I don’t know if it was the wild look in my eye or when I started turning in circles with a cutting board and sharp knife in my hand looking for empty counter space but Husband quietly took the boys outside to play at some point during all this.

It is now a new day and I still have one whole flat of berries left.  I think I will try this strawberry crumble or maybe this.  Perhaps both.  Or I will become sick of being in the kitchen and just mash and freeze them.  What is your favorite thing to make with strawberries?