Strawberry love from our family to yours

Have you noticed the fresh strawberries in the produce section?  With a limited variety of in-season fruit during the winter, it is a welcome sight to see those little heart-shaped, red fruits starting their peak season.  Both our kids love the sweet taste of strawberries and being a mom with a full schedule, I like them because they are such a versatile and convenient food to add more fruit to our family's diet.  Strawberries may be small but they are mighty.... in the health department that is!

Here are just a couple of facts from the University of Illinois Extension on how healthy strawberries are for you:

• Eight strawberries will provide 140 percent of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C for kids.

• Strawberries are fat-free and with only 55 calories for one cup of strawberries, they are a low-calorie food as well.

Also, for some fun trivia, did you know that strawberries are actually a member of the rose family?

Strawberry Sandwiches
Growing up in Holland, my mom used to make delicious strawberry sandwiches for me. She would take two slices of wholesome brown bread with lots of grains and seeds. She then would spread a thin layer of margarine or butter on each slice to ensure the bread wouldn't get soggy. In between the bread slices, she'd pile lots of ripe, red strawberries. Yum!  This sure was one of my favorite lunches and tasted more like a treat! As an alternative to this idea, you can use cream cheese instead of butter.

We also like to use strawberries for an easy, healthy dinner.  I'll make smoothies with quesadillas on a weeknight when we don't have much time to cook but still want to eat well.  This is my favorite recipe for smoothies:

Smoothies with Strawberries

2 ripe bananas

low-fat vanilla yogurt (we love Trader Joe's organic yogurt and Stonyfield low-fat vanilla)

100% orange juice, not from concentrate

a heap of frozen or fresh blueberries (yeah for antioxidants)

and yes, lots of fresh (or frozen if out of season) strawberries

Blend it and enjoy!

Strawberry themed party invitations
Now check out these cute party invitations!  Wouldn't it be fun to throw a strawberry-themed party?  These invites are not designed by me but I wanted to share them with you because they are adorable. They were designed by fellow artists who also work with zazzle to print and ship their designs so you can expect the same excellent quality and customer service.

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What is your favorite way to serve strawberries? Any kid-friendly recipes you can share?  Thanks for leaving a comment!