Strawberry photos

These photos are potential illustrations for an article on strawberries for Backwoods Home Magazine. They are posted so the editor can choose which ones she wants.

Photo 1 (low resolution only): Our first strawberry bed

Photo 2 (low resolution only): Our first strawberry bed after the deer found it

Photo 3 (low resolution only): Netting the strawberries with a bird-net "teepee"

Photo 4 (low resolution only): The deer pushes aside the base of the netting and ate the plants

Photo 5 (low resolution only): Robins discover the strawberries, growing in tire beds

Photo 6 (low resolution only): Netting the strawberry tires

Photo 7 (low resolution only): Netting the strawberry tires

Photo 8 (low resolution only): Netted strawberry beds on a misty morning

Photo 9 (low resolution only): Snake caught in the netting (we freed it, don't worry)

Photo 10 (low resolution only): Snake caught in the netting

Photo 11 (high resolution): Chipmunk eating a strawberry

Photo 12 (high resolution): Pineberries sending out runners

Photo 13 (high resolution): Pineberries sending out runners

Photo 14 (high resolution): Pineberries sending out runners

Photo 15 (high resolution): Pineberries sending out runners

Photo 16 (high resolution): Pineberries runners, close up

Photo 17 (low resolution only): Picking strawberries

Photo 18 (high resolution)

Photo 19 (low resolution only): One of our ever-bearing beds (June-bearing tires in the background)

Photo 20 (low resolution only): Ten tires of June-bearing strawberries

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Photo 22 (low resolution only): Examples of huge strawberries

Photo 23 (high resolution): Examples of huge strawberries

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Photo 39 (low resolution only): Bagged up and ready to freeze

Photo 40 (low resolution only): Strawberry cheesecake trifle

Photo 41 (low resolution only): Making fruit leather

Photo 42 (low resolution only): Making fruit leather

Photo 43 (high resolution): Fruit leather in the morning sun

Photo 44 (low resolution): Fruit leather rolled up in waxed paper, ready to freeze

Photo 45 (high resolution): Strawberry shortcake

Cream puffs

Last weekend it was our turn turn to bring dessert to our neighborhood potluck. What to bring?

Younger Daughter asked for cream puffs, so that's what I made. Years ago I copied over this recipe from somewhere, but I don't remember where. I doubled the recipe since we usually have about twelve people at the potluck.

The cream puff shells are quite easy. Start with two cups water, one cup butter/margarine (remember, I doubled the recipe). Meanwhile preheat the oven to 400F.

Bring the water to a boil and the butter will melt into the water.

Once the butter is melted, I turned the heat to low and added two cups of flour, about half a cup at a time. At first it's all lumpy...

...but then it forms a sort of dough ball. At this point I turn off the heat.

Now comes the fun part: EIGHT eggs, added one at a time. I had to raid the chicken coop for this part.

With each successive egg, it gets harder and harder to stir the egg into the dough. Whatever you do, make sure your wooden spoon is sturdy.

But eventually all the eggs got mixed, then I dropped quarter-cup globs on cookie sheets.

Baked 35 to 40 minutes until golden.

Once cool, the idea is to slice them open, pull out the filaments to sort of "hollow" out the puff, and then fill it with something yummy.

The cream puff recipe includes a recipe for the cream filling, which is essentially a custard. I duly made this...

...but after chilling it for several hours, it never "set" and remained liquidy. So I chucked it and instead made the cream filling I use in trifle.

This consists of whipped cream...

...beaten cream cheese, which is then beaten again with sour cream...

...and instant vanilla pudding beaten with some milk.

This is all mixed together to make a beautiful creamy filling.

When it came time to assemble the cream puffs, I sliced them open...

...hollowed them out a little bit...

And then filled.

Yum!