God Made Strawberries for Me

Plump, Red, Delicious Strawberries. God made strawberries for me. I believe when he was creating all things on Earth, he caught me in the glimpse of his eye long before I was even born. From that moment on, he was compelled to present me with strawberries.

What is it About a Strawberry?

What is so captivating about strawberries? Is it their succulent sweetness when they are just a hint over perfectly ripe? Or is the tart of the strawberry at the point when it is not quite ripe. That tartness of the firmer strawberry.

Is it possibly the degree of red on the strawberry? Because the color of the strawberries also is indicative of the level of tartness to sweetness. The lighter and brighter the red, then the more tart the strawberry. The darker and deeper the red, the strawberry is sweeter. Ironically, two of strawberries best pals are chocolate and wine and it is said, the deeper the red wine, the darker the chocolate. Mother Nature has not been a fool. She and God had this planned from the beginning!

How to Eat Strawberries

When God made strawberries for me, he knew that like Eve, I would not be able to resist eating them straight from the garden. A fresh strawberry plucked from the vine is the ultimate strawberry. It’s the freshness of the strawberry but there is something more about eating it from the vine. It’s not explainable. But it is definitely…heavenly! By far, the best strawberries are fresh.

Fresh Strawberries Are Dippable in:

Yogurt
Whipped cream
Whipped cream cheese
Chocolate
and many more…

Any of these dippable suggestions also pair well with red or white wines. Strawberries are a great way to share love with Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Anniversaries, and other special dates or romantic events. Especially when combined with chocolates and wine.

Fresh Strawberries In a Bowl:

Cream and sugar
Milk and honey
Ice Cream
Mixed with other fresh berries
Granola or other cold cereal
Of course, there is my favorite. The way God made strawberries for me! In a bowl; whole strawberries – by themselves!

Salad and Strawberries Growing Up

Growing up, salad was not a big thing in our family. Unless it was potato salad. We had plenty of potato salad, always! Or fruit salad. The fruit salad we had was a combination of halved grapes, halved and sliced bananas, fruit cocktail (drained) and mayonnaise. But never strawberries.

As I grew up, I started to see more versions of pasta salads. Macaroni Salad – which was nearly identical to the potato salad just didn’t have eggs; and the noodles stood in for the potatoes. Italian Pasta Salad – which was boxed quick salad with the seasoning packet included and suggested added ingredients. Our version usually included cucumbers and tomatoes only. Tossed green salad started appearing at our dinner table around the time I was 15 or 16 years old. But strawberries were off the vine, over ice cream, in a bowl with milk, or not likely at all.

A New Strawberry Salad

My mom was busy working multiple jobs and cooking was never her forte. Our meals were simple. However, all of us kids have grown; and mom is now retired. Several years ago, my mom started expanding on her salad repertoire. She was inspired by a salad she had somewhere. Now she creates this beautiful salad of fresh spinach, strawberries, cucumbers, and more. This is her recipe (coming soon).

Decadent Strawberries – Other Applications

I recall grandma cutting up strawberries into a small pot and adding sugar and water. Then she would let it cook on low, slowly, until the strawberries became mushy and more like a thick, chunky syrup. Instead of fresh strawberries, she would pour this over our ice cream for dessert after church. Grandma also made a strawberry rhubarb pie. Now, for full disclosure, another favorite garden pick to eat fresh and raw was a good ol’ stalk of rhubarb. That tart and sour had me puckered up! I loved it!

Today, I see people skewer and grill strawberries, blend them for smoothies, serve them as a garnish for grilled chicken breasts, dehydrated as a snack or as an ingredient in a pre-packaged box of cereal or oatmeal. Strawberries are in cakes, in tarts and a gazillion other recipes. It is fair to say strawberries have been included in these other applications for years. My own ignorance has kept me exploring the vast Universe of the ways of strawberries.

Said and Done…God Made Strawberries for Me!

When all has been said and done, I love that strawberries can be used in all these different ways. It pleasures me seeing their brightness adorn salads and plates of chicken and vegetables. Yet, at the end of the day, I still prefer my strawberries the way God Made Strawberries for Me! Ripe off the vine!

Check out how you can grow strawberries in the ultimate organic garden using aquaponics. It’s a fascinating way to have the best garden with the best results using ancient techniques with modern day tweaks!