Strawberry Dream Cake

Every April or May as a child, my father would drive us 100 miles to Oakland’s Chinatown for dinner and strawberry cake.  Strawberries were in season and the cake they made was to die for - at least I thought.  We’d eat a Chinese dinner family style, and have strawberry cake for dessert.  My father would then buy a whole cake to bring home with us.

That Chinese restaurant is no longer there, as are most restaurants from my childhood, but I can still taste that strawberry cake.

Over the years, I’ve sought to recreate that cake.  Through trial and error, I’ve come very very close.  Now every year while strawberries are in season (which they are now) I have to make a strawberry cake.  I like doing the 4-layer number.  Below are 2 variations using box cake mixes:

This one comes the closest.

Strawberry Dream Cake

Cake:

1 package  (2 layer) yellow cake mix

1 packet Dream Whip Topping Mix

4 eggs

1 cup cold water

Topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 pint strawberries, cleaned and sliced
(reserve a few whole strawberries for garnish on top)

Combine all ingredients for cake in a large bowl.  Blend with electric mixer at medium speed for 4 minutes.  Pour into greased and floured 9” cake pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes in pans; then remove from pans and finish cooling on rack.  If you want a 4-layer cake, after cooling, cut each layer in half.

Whip whipping cream on high until thick and fluffy.  Add sugar to taste.  Spread whipped cream on each layer, then place sliced strawberries on top.  Repeat.  On the top layer decorate with whole strawberries placed in center.

Sour Cream Pound Cake

1 package Duncan Hines Butter Cake Mix

Follow recipe for the Sock-It-To-Me Cake on cake box side (omitting streusel filling)

Proceed with whipping cream as above.

These cakes make a lovely presentation. Try one, I think you will agree!

Lilacs and Spring

As a child, winters seemed to be oh so long. For a child who loved the outdoors being inside was torturous, to say the least.  I was always waiting for winter to end.  One of the sure signs that winter was over, was the blooming of the Lilac tree.

We had a Lilac tree in our backyard.  When it bloomed the much anticipated season had arrived!  We had made it through another Winter. Now when  I smell the heady fragrance of the Lilac tree, those childhood feelings reemerge. The Lilacs in our area are in  bloom.  Another winter has come and gone.  Thank goodness!

Happy Spring!

My Favorite Thing

Well, I'm behind excitement!  I should have posted this blog 2 weeks ago - before the tulips arrived at the market! Each Farmer's market from here on out, the signs of Spring will keep mounting.  The spring flowers are beginning to arrive. This is my favorite time of year at the market.  Oh, the tulips and daffodils!  My friend Bestbirds is a photographer.  He has been sending me pictures of the flowers at the farmer's market for over 6 years.  The pictures featured here are those he has taken over the years at the market. 

This past Saturday at the Market it was rainy, windy  and cold.  But the anticipation for this week kept us going.  Mid seventies this week and into next.  Woo hoo!

Each week from here on out  his camera will be busy getting some of the first shots of spring.  I am looking forward to seeing them!

Winter Doldrums - How to Beat Them!

Winter is just about 3/4 over.  Or another way to put it is we have about 3 or 4 weeks of Winter left to go.  I think I like the latter better!

Fortunately for us on the west coast, winter has been fairly mild and agreeable, little rain and nice temperatures.  It has been woe, though, for the mid and eastern parts of the country.  I'm sure they will be glad when winter is over!

This time of year, we're tired of the cold dreary weather.  We're tired of having to be indoors. We're anxious, we're anxious, we're anxious!   What can we do then to beat the winter doldrums?  Below are some ideas.

One way is, as I mentioned in one of my last blogs,  have a family game night.  Invite others in on the fun.

Buy some fresh flowers even if you have to buy them at the supermarket!  Nothing lifts the spirits more that a vase of lovely fresh flowers, or a colorful plant!
Take an online course.  There are literally thousands of free courses on the web!  For instance, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offers about 2000 free lectures, note, exams and videos in undergraduate and graduate subjects!  To see what I mean go to http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm.

Reconnect with friends.  Throw a foot soaking party!  Invite friends over to chit chat and crack-alack, and  soak their tired feet.  Karita's Handmade http://www.karitashandmade.com/whatsnew111.htm has a foot soaking party kit with everything in it to get the party going!


Do something nice for someone.  A random act of kindness goes a long way.  Bake them something.  Cook them something.  Take them some fresh flowers.  The list  goes on.

There are many other ways to beat the doldrums of Winter.  Be imaginative!  But one thing is certain.  By putting forth an effort, the dark days of Winter will turn into light.  And that light will brighten the  remainder of Winter for someone else!

Gray headedness a crown of beauty?

My hair is gray.  It started turning gray in my thirties.  In my twenties, I would color my hair.    As I started having children, helping my husband with his business and so forth.  I just let it go.

When a classmate of my daughter told her he had seen her grandmother at the store with her dad,  I threatened to dye my hair.  When a acquaintance's child called me a little old lady, I threatened again to dye my hair.  I guess that just comes with the territory.  But the straw that almost broke the camels back, was when a woman asked me if I was my husbands' mother!  I told her, "Look at me, do I look like his mother?"  I attribute the remark she made as bordering on dementia!

The problem, as I see it, with coloring your hair are the roots.  They (like laundry and dishes) just keep coming back!  That would mean dyeing my hair each week or so.  That would be too tedious!  I do fantasize about coloring it, especially when I'm disrespected!

Others, I'm sure face the same dilemma.  But for now, I guess I'll just take the abuse!

Our Family Game Night

I'm hoping to start a tradition this year, by instituting a Family Game Night.  When the children were little, we always played games.  My youngest daughter learned to multiply by playing Yahtzee.  When our family played games, generally it was to win.  Along the way, though, we always had fun!

This past Sunday was the first such game night of this new year.  We played Balderdash.  Balderdash is a bluffing game put out by Mattel, with obscure words and definitions.  If you don't know the word or it's meaning, you make one up!  What fun we had!  Our imaginations ran wild.  It was particularly hilarious when an off the wall definition was chosen as being totally realistic.  One word was Katipo.  I had never heard of that word in my life.  My definition was a specialized racing canoe.  They believed me, ( Ha Ha!) when in fact it is a black poisonous spider with a red stripe!  Another word was deltiologist.  A deltiologist is a collector of postcards - not a professional who studies algae in ponds.  Ha Ha, fooled again! We laughed and laughed!

Family game nights have many benefits.  It promotes family bonding in a relaxed and fun way.  Children learn important social and academic skills.  Family night is a way to enjoy each others company, without forcing conversation.

I googled Family Game Night and came up with some additional benefits of having a family game night.

It's inexpensive*.  It's suitable for all ages.  Everyone can participate.  It educates and entertains.  It allows for wonderful family interactions and builds strong character.  It is also a good way to reach out to others by inviting extended family members or close friends to join in on the fun!

If you decide to have a family night of your own, consider these tips:  Set aside about 2 hours to play. Avoid interruptions.  Have everyone enjoy an easy dinner together.  Provide snacks that aren't messy. 

After our evening of fun and games, I began planning for our next one!  I sincerely hope our Family Game Night will become a cherished  family tradition.

*We found our game at the thrift store for 2 bucks!