Strawberries! Our office was lucky enough to get in on some wonderfully sweet and juicy berries today.

Since tonight’s dinner will consist of leftovers from a Mother’s Day cookout, figuring out the meal this evening won’t be a problem.

Now that I have a few cartons of fresh strawberries, my wonderment turns to using them for dessert or something else.

Of course, you just can’t go wrong if you dip the sweet berries into a mound of whipped cream. That’s my way of thinking at least.

I can remember a time in my past when fresh strawberries sprinkled with sugar and covered in homemade whipped cream was one of the most enjoyable treats ever.

In thinking of how to best use the strawberries I now have in my possession, I began to ponder using them in a recipe for the whole family and not just satisfy my childhood memories.

A strawberry smoothie is good anytime but can make a great start to any morning. This quick and easy recipe is one even the children in the family could whip up for breakfast.

Strawberry Smoothie

2 cups fresh strawberries, stemmed and rinsed

1/2 of a 6-ounce can frozen lemonade concentrate

Sugar to taste

2 1/2 to 3 cups ice cubes

Blend strawberries, lemonade concentrate and sugar until smooth. With blender running, add ice cubes, one at a time, through the lid opening until the mixture becomes a slush. This recipe makes about four servings.

If you need a dessert recipe that’s quick and easy and puts strawberries to good use, try this one. You could cut down on some of the fat and sugar by using sugar-free pudding mix and non-fat whipped topping. If you don’t mind all the sugar and fat, use pound cake instead of angel food cake. Either way, this one can’t be beat.

Strawberry Trifle

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups cold water

1 (1 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (9 inch) prepared angel food cake

4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

whole berries for garnish.

In a bowl, whisk the milk and water. Whisk in the pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set; fold in the whipped topping. Cut cake into 1/2-in. cubes.

Spoon a third of the pudding mixture into a 4-qt. trifle or glass bowl. Top with half of the cake cubes and sliced strawberries. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining pudding mixture. Garnish with whole strawberries.

Enjoy your strawberries while they are at their peak. The season bringing the best berries is quickly passing.

Enjoy your dinner and send along your recipes and ideas. I’d love to hear from you. Simply leave your comment below in the comment portion of this blog, or drop me a line by email at lisa.tindell@brewtonstandard.com.