Strawberries

The strawberries are ripening. As a kid I could not get enough of my mom's strawberry shortcake topped with whipped cream. Homemade shortcake, fresh strawberries, and a dolllop of real cream whipped cream-- divided EIGHT ways! I was a member of a big family, and the good things in life inevitably were shared.

My son is an only child. He necessarily gets all my love. Sharing is not at the top of his to-do list pile. He's always had his own room, his own toys. In some small way, it has probably shaped his personality. He never compares his slice of life, time, dessert... and found it... lacking.

The closest he comes to brothers is his basketball team. These boys play basketball about ten months a year and have since they were 8 years old. The team would come to the house after school and have supper and then go to practice. I still remember the lost sound in his voice after the first time they came over and he came out to the kitchen. He looked troubled.

"Honey, what's the matter?"

"Mom...they're all playing with...my...toys...."

"Did you think they wouldn't?"

Now as an adult, I can grow all the strawberries I want; and only my waistline determines how much the shortcake I consume. My son will eat the shortcakes, spraying them down with hydrogenated whipped oil (whipped cream shots--UGH!), but he can truly take or leave the strawberries and the whole strawberry shortcake as dessert presentation. As an athlete, he is really a "bring-on-the-carbs!" sort of guy.

So it comes as a surprise that fruit smoothies with strawberries as a major ingredient are a huge treat for him. His favorite is this one.

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

In a blender:

6 ice cubes
1 banana
1 cup of strawberries, cleaned and hulled
1cup water
3 T. sugar
2 T. frozen cranberry juice concentrate

(You could substitute a cup of cranberry juice for the frozen concentrate and cup of water.)

Mix, pour, and enjoy.