Originally Posted by: txladykatthanks, i forgot to mention that i know it isn't from my fingers touching adjacent strings, this isn't a problem for me. i think it is more in the strumming hand, not in the fret hand.

what do you mean by "huge" strums? If I go real, real slow, naturally they sound great, LOL. But if I try to pick up the tempo at all, forget it...u can't recognize the chords.

Try using just your index finger and go down, down, up-up, down, up (repeat) with your hand barely above the strings (even lightly on the strings is fine) so that you can feel the string vibration in your finger. Practice that for a little while (a few minutes or so) and you will hear all the strings ringing.
Then try to do the same thing with just your thumb (remember hand at the strings, distance = death) and you will see how difficult it is to do the same thing. Revert back to the index and make your happy sound again until you feel that you have the rhythm down. Then try using a pick. Instead of holding it at the end (butt), hold it close to the tip (so it doesn't flop around). Allow your index finger to feel the strings on the downstrokes while strumming with the pick. Practice rotating the pick (rolling) between your finger and thumb so that you are able to correct it when the tip tends to go sideways and point it back to the strings. This minor adjustment is common because you want to hold the pick comfortably not with a death grip. It quickly becomes natural especially when strumming. Once you get all that down, start practicing some controlled strumming limited to sounding only a few of the strings (like the three lower strings for instance) for when you're ready to rip some of your favorite Metallica tunes.