Hello everyone! As I type this article, the temperature outside is 68 degrees. Such a beautiful few days we’ve had in February. I love this weather, and I’m not going to complain about anything. We are so blessed. I wonder sometimes if we realize how blessed we are.
I had a wonderful childhood, and I hope my children and grands can say the same. I am sure I was no angel and deserved every spanking I got. Actually, my sister, Pam, deserved them. I will admit I was the rotten one. Kids can sure do some funny things and embarrass us often. I’m sure I deserved what was coming to me.
Teachers remember how y’all always loved to do those little questionnaires for Mother’s Day? Y’all would make little crafts and ask the kids about their moms and would write their responses. They got sent home on a little paper teapot or in this case, a placemat.
When Shannon was in kindergarten, she made me a placement. It had several questions on it and they laminated it all fancy. I can’t remember all the questions because after I read this particular question, I wanted to crawl in a hole. Just let your mind go back to the moo moo I told you about when you read this. The question was, “what does your mom do all day?” Shannon’s reply was, “my mom doesn’t do anything all day but lay on the couch in her wedding dress and read magazines.” Talk about embarrassing. I wonder what her teacher thought about that response. I mean could she not have asked her again? Oh well, it could have been worse I guess.
Then comes Jacob. He was always pretty quiet except when you took him to the barbershop. Y’all remember Ronnie Polk? The nicest man in barber ever? Lisa Favela and I took Tanner and Jacob together to get their hair cut by him. He had a little shop in Huntington. As soon as they got in that barber chair, they started asking crazy questions. Tanner was the worst. One time he asked “Pitter Polk,” Mr. Polk, “do you ever cuss?” Good ole “Pitter Polk” would just laugh. Jacob’s turn to be in the chair– “Why do you wear the same shirt every time?” The man was a barber and he always wore a nice white shirt. I wish I had written down all the things they did to “Pitter Polk,” but I didn’t. Oh, the good ole days.
This week’s recipe is from a friend of mine, Shellie Riddle. Don’t knock it till you try it. You will never eat a white cake any other way. It is delicious and oh so simple.
WHITE CAKE AND STRAWBERRIES
1 white cake mix, baked according to package directions. Simple and easy. But the icing is the key,
1 8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
A couple of tablespoons of real butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Soften cream cheese and mix in sugar, butter, and vanilla until sugar is dissolved. Spread on cooled white cake.
You can double the icing if you like more. The cake is so good and moist. You can buy frozen strawberries to serve it with, but I use fresh strawberries. I slice them up and add sugar. Use your best judgment. Mash them with a potato masher and put them in the refrigerator until sugar dissolves. Then, add to cake before serving.
It is such a light, delicious cake. The strawberries just set it off. I used to like strawberries on angel food cake. I will always make the white cake and cream cheese icing for my berries.
Have a blessed week!
