summertime

Ever since I was a child, nothing has signaled the beginning of summer like the end of school, bowls overflowing with strawberries, and a thick coating of fog enveloping my neighborhood.

Well, I've been out of school for four years now and the fog has finally pushed its way through this heat wave. The strawberries have been plentiful as they always peak around my birthday but they're even sweeter when a surplus arrives at the store and they go on sale for $1 per pound.

However, surplus strawberries aren't always perfect. What to do when some of the bunch are not as firm as you'd like? Turn them into a smoothie! You can't tell the original texture when it's liquefied!

I like to mix my strawberries with unflavored yogurt, the nice and tangy kind. Right now I'm loving French Village yogurt from Trader Joe's but use any that you prefer. Sometimes I add a few blackberries to the mix but not too much; blackberries have a strong flavor and a little goes a long way.

Before...

... and after!