Slice of Southern Strawberry Cloud

I have a confession....

I have strawberries up the wazoo!!  I bought a ton of fresh California strawberries last week and I think they must have multiplied in the refrigerator, cause now it seems they are peaking out of every nook and cranny. 

What to do?

Make lemonade!  Strawberry lemonade...yum! and I did...but they didn't go away....and then I tried the Strawberry Banana smoothie...and they were still lurking in there...

So now I've made up a dish I'm calling Slice of Southern Strawberry Cloud.  I know, I should just freeze my extra berries...but I'm obsessed.  Obsessed I tell you! 

This season is producing some BIG JUICY strawberries!  I LOVE THEM!

So, don't mind me but you may see another post or so on this luscious berry while I try and use up the never-ending stash...I swear they are multiplying in there!!!

This is an easy semi-homemade dish.  All you need is three ingredients

1. Strawberries    (how did you guess?)
2. Ice cream  (pick a good flavor!  I couldn't help myself and chose to make this twice each with a different flavor of ice cream.)
3. Angle food cakes  (you can make your own or buy one...doesn't matter.  I found these little 4" discs of angel food cake at my local store and snatched those babies up pronto!)

Here is the assembly.  I sliced the angel food cake disc in half horizontally.  Placed the bottom of the cake on a serving plate.

Then I topped it with a couple of scoops of Cherry Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.  You know...the kind with the whole chuncks of real cherries in there?  Two fruits are better than one, I always say!

Then I added some sliced strawberries to the top of the ice cream.  Make sure to spill some over the sides...it looks purty!

Place the top of the cake on there at an angle, and voila! A Slice of Southern Strawberry Cloud.
Look at this baby!

Here is another version using a wonderful Dutch Chocolate Ice Cream...and a little whipped cream on top!  I know...I like to take it that extra decadent step sometimes...I'm bad like that!

See how yummy!!!  Want some?  Try this you'll like it!  MGG does...and keeps asking for more please!

What's your favorite use of strawberries? Tell me, tell me!

Here's some other strawberry sensations you may enjoy...(just click on the link!)

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Strawberry White Chocolate Trifle

Pecan Sandies

I wanted to share with you one of my mom's favorite cookies. 

One of them, mind you, cause she is a cookie monster!  She loves snacking on cookies...always has them in the house...but this one is a favorite.  Pecan Sandies!

She loves pecans.  Pecans, pecans, pecans.  Pecan pie, pecan bars, and pecan sandies!!  My uncle in Texas had a pecan tree and he would send us fresh pecans every year...heaven!  So mom knows pecans.  (In fact, she still sends me store bought pecans LOL!)

These cookies satisfy that certain craving she gets for something sweet.

So here's a tribute to one mom's favorite cookies.  Bake some and share them with your family and friends.  They will LOVE you!

These are simple to make...as there is only 6 ingredients.  Here we go.

In a large mixing bowl beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add your vanilla and salt.  Mix well.  Use good vanilla, it will make a difference in the taste of your cookie!

With the mixer going, slowly add the flour.  Mix until well combined.

  

Fold in chopped pecans.  Ruff chop is good.

Dough will appear crumbly.  Pull it together with your hands.

Mike dough balls of 1 1/2" round and place them on a cookies sheet about 2" apart.

Flatten the balls slightly.

Bake about 13 min.  Watch them closely!  They will burn...trust me!

Super duper easy....super duper tasty!!! YUMM!

Pecan Sandies

Ingredients

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 c golden brown sugar

1 3/4 t vanilla extract

1/4 t salt

1 c all purpose flour

1 c pecans, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and salt. Mix well.  With mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating just until combined. Fold in pecans.

Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, and place on two baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Lightly flatten each ball.

Bake until cookies are golden brown, 13 - 15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks, and cool.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

It's berry season!!!

Here in California we are BIG on berries.  This weekend is the...

2011 California Strawberry Festival

Saturday and Sunday, May 21st & 22nd, 2011

10:00am to 6:30pm
Strawberry Meadows of College Park
3250 South Rose Avenue in Oxnard


The California Strawberry Festival celebrates the region’s rich agricultural heritage while raising funds for numerous Southland charities. Since its inception, over $3 million dollars has been collected to benefit others. Twenty-four companies harvest and cool more than 207,646 tons of sweet berries in the area from 11,538 acres with annual revenues topping $300 million to ship them worldwide from the region, known as California’s Strawberry Coast.

Ranked among the top Festivals in the nation. Since 1984, Festival guests have enjoyed award-winning attractions, interactive exhibits, gooey contests, the hottest names in entertainment, the largest collection of Fine Arts & Crafts with 200+ booths, and an unbelievable assortment of delicious strawberry foods and beverages. The Strawberry Promenade offers cooking demonstrations and presentations, Strawberryland For Kids boasts free rides, puppet shows, and more.

So if you are in the area try to go to this great festival!



In honor of strawberries I've brought you this great smoothie recipe.  MGG and I love smoothies...don't you?  He says that I make the best smoothies!  He can't seem to get the right balance or consistency down.  I must say I do make a MEAN smoothie!

I find that I make them all summer long while we have an abundance of fruit.....think I'm becoming a smoothie junkie! 

Who needs to go buy a smoothie when you can make healthy, creamy, real fruit smoothies at home!!!  Go make one now...

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Serves 2

1 individual container of vanilla lite yogurt

1 small to medium banana

1/3 c 2% milk

6 medium hulled strawberries

1 cup ice cubes

Place ingredients in blender, putting the liquid ingredients if first.  Blend on high until smooth and all ice and fruit is crushed.  Serve.

 

 

YUM!!

 

 

Great Tips:

Freezing berries for year-round use…

The best method for freezing is first cleaning, hulling, and then pulsing the berries in a blender. By pulsing the berries, you have a more chunky texture. Add a tablespoon of sugar to each blender portion to prevent the pale pink color of the thawed berries. Pour this mixture into sandwich-sized plastic bags and freeze, placing flat in freezer. As needed, open the bags, break off a piece of the frozen product, reseal the bag and replace in freezer. The frozen section can be thawed for use on waffles, meringues, ice cream or in smoothies.

Sprinkle sugar over the berries once thawed to prevent pale pink coloration and maintain ruby color.

Strawberry fields forever...