Delicious Strawberry Shortcake

I posted a comment on Facebook Sunday about a strawberry shortcake that I made from scratch for my family, and promised to share the recipe here on my blog. I had gotten a flat of strawberries on Saturday from a friend of mine, whose family gets them direct from California, so in an attempt to come up with some ideas on things I could make with them, I went on Pinterest to look up some fun strawberry recipes (after we ate several pints of these irresistible, succulent berries, of course. Haha).

Aren't these beautiful? They were so delicious, I hate myself. ;)

Instantly, I thought of strawberry shortcake, as these strawberries were so fresh, and tasted absolutely amazing - and strawberry shortcake just happens to be one of my favorite desserts. I happened upon this recipe from Personalrecipe.com, and decided I would try it out for dessert at my mom's house for Sunday dinner.

Sensational Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  35 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 3 pints fresh strawberries
• ½ cup white sugar
• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup shortening
• 1 egg
• ⅔ cup milk
• 2 cups whipped heavy cream

Instructions:

Slice the strawberries and toss them with ½ cup of white sugar. Set aside.

Strawberries and sugar...sooo yummy!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease and flour one 8-inch round cake pan. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, 2 tablespoons white sugar and the salt. With a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (I used butter-flavored shortening, and it gave the shortcake a light, buttery flavor - delish!). Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg and milk. Stir until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. 

Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool partially in pan on wire rack.

I placed the partially-cooled cake on a plate before cutting it.

Slice partially cooled cake in half, making two layers. Place half of the strawberries on one layer and top with the other layer. Top with remaining strawberries and cover with the whipped cream. 

Yum!

And voila. There you have it - delicious, decadent strawberry shortcake. You're welcome, America. ;) It was a huge hit with my family. My mom even said that she liked it better than the store-bought stuff we usually make. ((pats self on the back)) Hehe.

Anyway, hope you get a chance to try this amazing recipe. In the meantime, check back on the blog tomorrow for a yummy strawberry jam recipe. <3

**Recipe found on PersonalRecipe.com.

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

"I'm Gonna Wreck It! "

I was watching Wreck It Ralph with my kids yesterday (for like the 100th time since my 2-year-old got it in his Easter basket. Haha), and it occurred to me what an incredibly amazing movie it is. I mean, when I first saw it in theaters, I fell in love with the characters and thought the storyline was super creative, but I had a little epiphany while watching it this time around. I don't know - maybe seeing it again for the 100th time triggered something new in my mind, which is usually otherwise preoccupied with dinner menues and to-do lists. ;)

So, for those of you who haven't seen the movie yet, let me warn you in advance that there are some spoilers in this blog post. I don't want to be accused of ruining the movie for anyone who lives in La-La Land and hasn't been subjected to the AWESOMENESS that is Wreck It Ralph. Who knows - maybe you don't have any kids, or maybe you are just opposed to puppy dogs and rainbows - and basically all things happy. lol. Seriously though, if you haven't seen the movie yet, SEE IT! Then come back here and read this post! You're welcome, America. ;)

Anyway, Wreck It Ralph is about a "bad guy" character in a video game that suddenly, after 30 years of being the bad guy, has an existential epiphany and begins to wonder if there is more to life than being bad. The opening scene in the Bad Anon meeting is absolutely hilarious, but it's also when we first get a glimpse into the heart of this big, "bad guy" named Ralph. In the meeting, Ralph is surrounded by bad guy characters from other classic video games, and he begins to express his doubts about being a bad guy. He communicates a curiosity for how life would be if he could just once experience life through the eyes of the hero, which in his game, happens to be the oh-so-revered Fix-It Felix, Jr., who follows behind Ralph fixing everything he wrecks with a magical hammer that he received from his dad. Fix-It Felix, Jr. is loved and adored by all of the "Nicelanders," who are constantly praising him and bringing him pies.

Upon hearing his desires, the other bad guys in the meeting express their concerns that Ralph is losing his mind - and perhaps that he is "going Turbo." They just can't seem to fathom how any bad guy in his right mind would WANT to be good.

“Turbo? No, I'm not going Turbo! C'mon guys! Is it 'Turbo' to want a friend? Or a medal? Or a piece of pie every once in a while? Is it 'Turbo' to want more out of life?” 

Aww...poor Ralph. We're sorry, Buddy. We feel ya on that score - especially where the pie is concerned. ;)

So yeah, Ralph sets out on a mission to win a medal in order to prove to the Nicelanders that just because you're a "bad guy," it doesn't mean you have to be a BAD guy. He eventually wins a medal in a game called Heroe's Duty - which he in turn loses to a ridiculously annoying, and oh-so-hilarious character, Vanellope von Schweetz. They then join forces to try and win a race that would be their ticket to a new life. Together, they overcome the evil "King Candy," and in the process, Ralph discovers what it is to be a true friend - and ultimately, that anyone CAN be a good guy.

It was a heart-warming film (yes, I shed a few tears - in more than one spot during the movie), which shows the human's potential to love and to sacrifice of oneself. It also serves as a great example of how each of us can overcome the "programming" and the obstacles we are born with in order to rise above what is natural and choose the right. I know that our society wants us to believe in this enormously annoying idea that we have to accept what we are (the natural man), and give in to our innate desires - because, "Baby, I was born this way." Well, I am sorry, but that is a load of garbage - and thankfully, the gospel teaches a higher law.

As children of our Heavenly Father, we have such amazing, divine potential. And yes, we ARE born with certain obstacles - some more severe than others. But as His children, whose desire in coming to this Earth was to prove our faith and return to Him, we are each expected to overcome the trials which we are dealt in this life.

It's nice to see a movie in this day and age that has a good, powerful message for once. So yeah - Ralph, you are my hero. ;)

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest

2012 in a Nutshell: Blues Clues, Tubas, and Babies, Oh My!

Wow - 2013! I can't even begin to express how quickly this last year has flown by. So many amazing things happened though. Our oldest daughter turned 12 and started the Young Women's program. She also started middle school (I am sure you remember all of her interesting 6th grade drama. Haha), began playing the tuba, and also joined the Civil Air Patrol. She has become quite the busy, little gal. Our two-year-old son started speech therapy and has been increasing his vocabulary and interacting skills by leaps and bounds. We also welcomed a new addition to our family this past year. Our beautiful baby girl is now 8 months old and is already pulling herself up to her feet, trying to walk along the couch. I seriously feel sometimes like you blink and time just flies right on by. They are all growing up way too quickly.

My husband opened up The Smith Center with The Las Vegas Philharmonic to Mahler 2 back in March, 2012. He also successfully coached another student through the audition process of the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band. Said student was his first tuba student to audition and be selected for the program. He continues to attend classes at UNLV, and plans to graduate with a Bachelor Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in the spring of 2013.

Aside from giving birth to my third child (a Vbac, I might add - it was absolutely amazing) back in April 2012, and doing the whole mom thing - all while trying to adjust to how different life can be with three kids, I have spent these past several months of 2012 building my baby - The Luckiest. Though my blog is still in its infancy, I have had such a stellar time learning the ropes, sharing in some incredible blogging experiences (the Thirty Days of Gratitude Challenge, Slice of Life, etc...), and exploring the inner most reaches of my soul in order to share my thoughts, dreams and aspirations with my readers. It has been an amazing journey thus far, and I look forward to all that 2013 has in store for my writing ventures, ;)

Blues Clues...Yay! :-P

Unfortunately; however, New Year's Eve 2013 was not all that exciting around our house. My husband worked a 12 hour shift at his "day" job, and I was home sick (with walking pneumonia) with both of the babies. {M} is in Oklahoma visiting her dad, so the babies and I basically just lounged out in the living room all night, flipping back and forth between episodes of Blues Clues and Army Wives on Netflix. Haha. {L Bear}, my two-year-old and I had an understanding - an episode for an episode. That's how we roll. hehe. He's hard core too, I tell you. The minute the credits start rolling on my show, he jumps up and down, popping his fingers open and closed shouting, "Blue Blue." For a kid who doesn't talk a whole lot, he sure knows how to get what he wants. His cuteness factor plays a huge roll in that too, I am sure. ;)

I hadn't even planned on staying up to ring in the new year, but because of a late nap (L Bear didn't wake up until 8pm yesterday evening), he was still wired at 11:30 p.m. when I was starting to crash out. I ended up just turning off all the lights, bringing him into bed with me, handing him my iphone, and crashing at about 11:40 p.m. lol. I have no idea what time he finally went to sleep, but he was quite the party animal, and partied on way past midnight without me. :-P

Anyway, there are some fun and exciting things to look forward to here on the blog in this new year. I hope everyone had a safe and awesome New Year's Eve, and I wish you all a happy 2013! :)

Source: twowritingteachers.wordpress.com via The Purple on Pinterest