Wedgies

My Dad frequently exclaimed, "It's the berries!" to signify something that got his enthusiastic approval. He would use it for things as various as foods he liked, experiences he relished and people he enjoyed. It was his go-to expression of pleasure and there was a lot in life that he enjoyed.

One day in summer in Connecticut, when we were all staying at my grandmother's house in Connecticut, Mom bought fresh strawberries for dessert and we all pigged out. When we could eat no more, it was my turn to do the dishes and I noted that there were just enough berries left for one person to have for breakfast. Mentally, I "dibsed" those few berries as I wrapped them and put them in the fridge.

When I awoke the next morning, my very first thought was of those strawberries. The rest of the family seemed still soundly asleep, so I crept downstairs and opened the fridge - no berries! Just then, my older brother came in from jogging and when I asked him, "What happened to the strawberries??" with more than a little whine to my voice, he grinned broadly and stole Dad's line, "I ate them," he said, "and they were the berries!"

These days, I'm still that young girl who hoards her berries, but now I make sure I get my share! The other day, I made berry scones using Molly Wizenberg's*** recipe from her book, "A Homemade Life." Her scones are simply out of this world, smaller and lighter than the triangular bricks one sometimes finds and yet not like cake, either. She makes them with ginger and lemon but suggested a handful of berries would make a good substitute for the ginger (which I didn't have) so I used some frozen mixed berries and they made spectacular wedgies filled with pockets of berries bursting with juice and flavor.

What I shoulda done that bright summer morning long ago was take my smug older brother by the waistband of his jogging shorts and given him a wedgie of an entirely different sort!

***Molly is coming again to the bay area on a book tour as her charming memoir-with-recipes, "A Homemade Life" is released in paperback. You can hear her talk and have her sign your copy in Seattle, Boston, Oklahoma City or New York, but it's easier just to come to Corte Madera on March 29th for her talk and book signing at Book Passage bookstore at 7pm. The event is free and open to the public. She is a charming speaker as well as writer - don't miss it!

If you don't live in the bay area, go to Orangette and click on the link under the photo of her book to find out where else you can meet Molly and ask her to sign your copy.