trail mix

trail mix but not the kind you buy at the store but as one you pick as you go, namely berries.

during my week at the cottage i went hiking (if you can call a brisk walk in the forest a hike, that is) every other day. the walk took about an hour, if i didn't stop snacking...these wild strawberries/fraises des bois grow all a long the final strech of road to the cottage







gulping them by fistfulls







see, so many of them!







in the woods then, blueberries. or rather bilberries as their proper scientific name is, see link fo details. but excuse me, i will call them blueberries, always have, always will







that's mom picking blueberries, this picker comes handy







there is plenty to pick. however, not sure when mom will stop picking, she thinks it's a shame to leave them be (never mind the fact that every freezer is bursting with berries...)







this here is how you clean the berries. the picker/rake collects leaves and such with the berries, the slits are narrow enough to keep the berries on the tray, but wide enough for leaves (and such) to fall thru







now, what will i have with these?







best to keep it simple, strawberries and milk







another day, another walk. mom spotted these chanterelles, that were in desperate need of water. maybe mom will go back after it has rained...







these were taken out of the bursting freezer to make room for this year's crop. i love the ruby-red of these cranberries







the cranberries were hidden in this cranberry vanilla coffeecake (that my mom seems to like very much, she has me bake a few almost on every visit to the cottage)







i've made this cake about umphteen times and wish there will one day be a perfect cake. there always seems to be something that i'm not entirely happy with, like with this cake, it's a tad bit too dark for my taste (but it didn't collapse in the middle!)...i will quit baking them once i manage to bake the perfect cake (or when mom's freezer runs out of cranberries)







meanwhile back to the shack...this week i've been taking the dog for morning walks, this route also involves going thru some forested area. for the first few times the dog didn't seem to understand why i was stopping mid-walk to pick these...now he stops and takes the opportunity to eat something as well, his chosen treat is grass...







i have to say, raspberries are my absolute favourite. don't get me wrong, any fresh berry is fine, but raspberries win, no other berry is so sweet, juicy and mellow. now, if i were to think an ultimate yummy treat, it would be raspberries with whipped, sweetened and vanilla flavoured cream. i'll leave you dreaming about it...