Strawberry Stampede

Today was a so-busy-I-didn't-even-take-pictures type of day. Several of us picked 52 quarts of strawberries (some from our garden, where the strawberry plants are literally dying before our eyes from too much water last week) and some from my sister-in-law's garden. We topped them and washed them and smashed them (with sugar added) and froze them in freezer cartons for winter enjoyment. There are a few quarts left, so tomorrow we will make strawberry jam. Of course we eat them fresh. My favorite food in the whole world is strawberry shortcake. Here's a family heirloom recipe:

Grandma Ovens' Strawberry Shortcake

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
2-1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup milk

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and continue to cream. Add salt, baking powder and alternately add flour and milk , beating until smooth. Bake in two 8" round greased pans or one 9" x 13" greased pan for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Cake should be lightly browned when done. Serve warm with LOTS of mashed strawberries (lightly sweetened) on top.

I must have had strawberries on the brain when I listed a pair of The Farmer's socks in our etsy shop. They're called Strawberry Stampede.

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