berry picking & recipe

We went berry picking today - yum! Don't they look delicious!

I cut them up and put them in freezer bags - the kids love to use them in smoothies.

This was a drink recipe that I found in the July 2013 issue of Better Homes and Gardens. But of course we modified it --- into more of a smoothie. You can see it is more than half gone before I even got to snapping a picture --- it was very, very good and refreshing on a hot day.

Strawberry Coconut Cream Soda
3 cups fresh strawberries - cut up
2/3 cup sugar (we didn't use this at all - and it was wonderfully good without it - berries have their own sweetness)
3/4 cup refrigerated coconut milk
3 to 4 cups club soda or carbonated water, chilled (we used carbonated water - the blue cans of Lacroix - and we used 1 soda can)

In a medium bowl combine strawberries and sugar. Stir well to combine. Using a pastry blender, coarsely mash the strawberries. (Okay - we didn't do this - we don't like large pieces in our drinks --- so we put all the ingredients except the carbonated water in a blender - and blended - once blended we added the carbonated water. And it was done - quick easy and very, very delicious!)

If you do the other way - here are the rest of the directions - Place 1/3 cup of the mashed strawberries in each of six glasses. To each glass add ice, 2 Tbsp coconut milk and 1/2 to 2/3 cup club soda or carbonated water. Stir drinks just before serving.

Again - we blended and it was fabulously delicious. We also did not add any sugar. Healthier that way - and still yummy.