When #Homeschooling you can think outside the box when teaching our children and teach stuff your children in interested in. You don’t have to follow a Public School and do what they do. For Charlie we would do a lot of events and attend attractions around our area.
One of the #FieldTrips I always wanted to check Charlie on was to a #Butterfly event and also a Pick Your Own Fruit Farm like Blueberries for my father in law or Strawberries for David. Then we could have come home and created recipes using the food we purchased in our #Homeschool Cooking Class.
Even though Charlie has finished school I wanted to share this #Holiday with you that works perfectly as a Homeschool Resource: May 20 National Pick Strawberries Day #PickStrawberriesDay especially with School ending this week and Summer beginning.
Learning doesn’t have to stop if you visit a Farm and pick your own Strawberries and come home and make a Strawberry Pie or Smoothies for your children to share with there friends and family. Do you have a recipe you love making that includes #Strawberries if so leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite Strawberry recipe is and why.
Come and join me and let’s celebrate National Pick Strawberries Day which had fallen on May 20th. Here is a fun fact to share with your children Strawberries are a Summer fruit. Strawberries are loved and cherished by many for the nostalgia of sunny days Strawberries brings.
Did you know more than half the children in the U.S. go pick Strawberries from special farming and gardening areas around this time. Picking Strawberries is a fun activity in itself, and Strawberry picking allows for quality time to be spent with nature and loved ones. Strawberry picking get us up and moving which is a Godsend and it gets us off the electronics another plus bringing friends and family closer together allowing them to spend one-on-one time together.
Strawberries offer amazing nutritional value and these red Berries are full of antioxidants, vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, etc. As if these qualities weren’t enough, the tasty Fruit is also a cousin of the beautiful Rose plant. Now that’s beauty on the inside and out. Isn’t it?
Did you know there’s no record of when the first National Pick Strawberries Day was celebrated, but the history of the activity and the Fruit goes way back. In ancient times, Wild Strawberries were used mainly for medicinal and therapeutic purposes. There are mentions of the Fruit in Roman records that date to the first century A.D.
In other centuries, the wonders of the Fruit were also proclaimed in literary texts, and one prominent example includes the words of William Butler, a 16th-Century writer/poet, who said, “Doubtless God could have made a better Berry, but doubtless God never did”.
The great properties of Strawberries have also led to other historical figures using Strawberries. Madame Tallien, a renowned figure from the French revolution, took baths in tubs full of Strawberries to keep her skin glowing and radiant. Another example is of Fontenelle, a centenarian writer from the 18th Century, credited his long and healthy life to his Strawberry consumption.
As time went by, Strawberries started being cultivated for mass consumption, with the first instance taking place in the 13th Century. Initially, Strawberries were only found in North and South America. However, globalization led to the Fruit traveling great distances into other Continents.
After several failed attempts to grow the Plant in France, the French horticulturalists finally succeeded in their endeavors in the 1750s. The resulting Strawberry variety from the 1750s is one of the most produced varieties today. Strawberries are not only enjoyed by humans for their great taste and nutrients but are also used by Bees for their nectar and pollination.
Lets Celebrate National Pick A Strawberry Day
- If you have the means and the opportunity take a day and go Strawberry picking. You can get together with your friends and family for the activity. Which will it be fun, but will also make you appreciate the Fruit and nature in general.
- Give your green thumb a chance by trying your hand at planting and tending to a Strawberry Plant.
- Strawberries, unfortunately, are one of the fruits that you will always find on a list of Fruits with high pesticide concentrations. By growing your own Strawberry Plants yourself, you will have organic and much healthier Strawberries on your hands.
- Strawberries are loved worldwide and you can find a number of recipes that incorporate Strawberries.
- You can also use the Fruit for skincare and scented candles.
Facts About Strawberries
- Annually, Americans consume three-and-a-half pounds of Strawberries on average! That’s a whole lot of Strawberries.
- Strawberries have about 200 seeds on average, and Botanists consider each seed to be its own individual Fruit.
- Did you know you don’t only get red Strawberries, but blue, white, yellow, black, and purple ones, too!
- Strawberries contain more vitamin C than Oranges.
Why People Love National Pick Strawberries Day
Strawberries have much to offer in terms of their taste, scent, and nutritional values and this is why Strawberries have been celebrated and used for Centuries now.
Going to pick Strawberries allows for a breather from our hectic lives at the end of the day, you get to devour the beautiful and tasty Strawberries that you spent time picking.
From the cold Winter to the cool Springtime, and then to balmy, warm Summers, the sunny weather brings with it great outdoor activities. While you can always get Strawberries pre-packaged and ready to eat from your local Supermarkets, those hand-picked warm Strawberries just taste so much better.
Recipe for Strawberry Turnovers
Prep Time:15minutes mins Cook Time: 18minutes mins Total Time: 33minutes mins
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 2 cups strawberries washed and diced
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 sheets puff pastry thawed
- Sprinkle of flour
- 1 egg white
For the Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
In a saucepan on medium-low heat add the strawberries, water, sugar, and cornstarch and mix. Cooke for 3-4 minutes and using a potato masher or fork smash the strawberries a bit. Remove from the stovetop and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Sprinkle some flour on a cutting board and lay out the puff pastry. Using a rolling pin or cup roll out the creases in the puff pastry. Cut the puff pastry into four large squares.
Add about 2 tablespoons of the strawberry filling into the middle of the squares.
Fold the corner over to form a triangle. Using a fork crimp the edges to seal.
Transfer the turnovers to a baking sheet and brush the top with the egg whites. Using a small knife make to small slit in the top.
Bake 15-18 minutes.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
