Feb 24, 2022

Author Shannon Anderson's Strawberry Patch

By Shannon Anderson

Growing up, I had farmers in my family. I loved snapping green beans, husking sweet corn, and digging up potatoes. Of course, the best part, was eating it all.

When I got a house of my own, I couldn’t wait to plant something that I could take care of and harvest. I decided to plant one of my favorite foods…strawberries! I convinced my husband to help me dig up part of the yard and we transplanted over a dozen strawberry plants from his grandpa’s huge strawberry patch to get us started.

It’s fun to watch the progress in the patch each spring, from little white blossoms, to tiny green berries, to juicy, red fruit. During peak season, you can go out and find more strawberries almost every day. We like to eat them plain, on top of ice-cream, in pancakes, and in pies. Yum!

One great thing about having a strawberry patch is that the plants multiply. They have runners that grow long and plant themselves into the dirt, forming new plants. Another bonus is that they are perennial, meaning they come back each spring. You don’t have to buy new plants or start from scratch every new season.

The best thing about having our own strawberry patch is sharing the experience with our kids. Our girls learned about the joy in growing your own food, the work it takes, and the pleasure the end product brings.

In my upcoming book, I Love Strawberries, kids can witness the determination and excitement Jolie has as she takes care of her very own strawberry patch. My hope is that after reading the book, kids will be inspired to grow and take care of something of their own too.

Here is one of my FAVORITE strawberry recipes:

STRAWBERRY DESSERT PIZZA

Ingredients:

• 1 – 16.5 oz package of refrigerated sugar cookie dough

• 1 – 8 oz. package of cream cheese

• ¼ cup sugar

• ½ teaspoon vanilla

• 2-3 cups of sliced strawberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

1. Spread out cookie dough evenly on a pizza pan or cookie sheet.

1. Bake the sugar cookie crust for 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

1. Set the crust aside to cool.

1. To make the topping, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a mixer. Beat until well blended, then spread onto cooled crust in an even layer.

1. Top the pizza with the sliced strawberries, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

1. Cut the Strawberry Pizza into slices and serve. Yum!

*Variation: You can add other types of berries for more color and flavors.