There were many memorable times spent on the Anglin family farm when I was a child. June stands out in my mind as especially fun because of all the work/fun activities. There was a large strawberry patch just south of the old grape arbor It was easily accessible from the side of the gently sloping front yard. Straw was applied and reapplied to keep berries clean. Birds were discouraged - although I do not remember how. When the strawberries were right at their flavor peak . Aunts, uncles and cousins were called in to pick, clean and hull. While the strawberries were being prepared, Grandma Grace would get out her tried and trusty rich shortcake recipe. Several batches were put into the jumbo sized oven at the exact right time. The result was nothing like the little sponge cake cups we experience now in the grocery store right next to the old tired ,sometimes tasteless strawberries.
A couple of the aunts would have been stirring up ice cream to be distributed between three or four huge hand crank freezers. there was a running argument about which ice cream (always vanilla) recipe was best -the one made with eggs and cooked like a custard first or the one made with rennet, a natural thickener. I won't tell where rennet comes from. Once in a while they would use both.
Then the men were called in and things got real interesting. There would be an unspoken challenge to get the first freezer finished. Of course Uncle Dal would usually win because he was the first to hook up the crank to the jacked up wheel of his car. The bung hole on the freezer had to be watched closely to make sure the salt did not plug it and cause the water to get onto the lid which could ruin that freezer of ice cream.
Since I was the only one staying over most nights breakfast would be strawberries and melted ice cream on my cereal. YUM!!!!
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