Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

Howdy friends! How is your Monday treating you?

I have been in a baking mood recently. Pinterest, cooking shows, magazines, almost everywhere I look I find inspiration to make something DELICIOUS. This is not very good when I also am trying to work out and get in shape! Counter productive much? 

This weekend we went out to hang out with my parents. My mom and I went to HEB to get some things for dinner, and I decided we needed something good for dessert. I usually go for anything chocolate, but my dad gets migraines and John and Taylor are not big chocolate fans either. 

So enter scene - Strawberry Shortcake . One of mom's favorites also. Win, win, win. :)

I googled some different recipes and took a variety of what I found to make my own. 

There are different variations of Strawberry Shortcake, some use a sponge cake, some use pound cake, and some use a biscuit type cake which is what we will be using today. My favorite! :)

What You Will Need:

For the biscuits:

-2 cups flour

- 1 tbsp baking powder

-1/4 teaspoon salt 

-3 tablespoons sugar

-1 stick butter (chilled)

-3/4 cup milk

For the strawberries:

-2 lb container strawberries
-1/4 cup sugar

-cool whip or whipped cream for topping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Rinse, drain, and slice berries.

Sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar, depending on how sweet you want them to taste.
Mix well and refrigerate.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
*Tip - if you do not have a whisk you can use a fork*

Cut your stick of butter into about 8 or 9 pieces and add to the mixture.
Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the butter into the mixture.

Your mixture will be coarse, with small chunks of butter still remaining.
Next, make a well in the center and add your milk.

Slowly stir it together, until it is just mixed and the dough is moist. It will still be very crumbly and not hold together really well. Let the dough stand for a minute.

Next, turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead gently into a flat piece about 3/4 inches thick.
Remember at this point of mixing and kneading, the less you handle the dough, the better.

Take a round biscuit cutter and cut out your biscuits and transfer to a cookie sheet.

(It helps to have an adorable little helper ;))

Next, brush on a little milk on the tops and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Serve with your strawberries and whip cream and ENJOY!

Dear Four Year Old Taylor...

My baby girl, 

Where do I begin? First I guess I should say you are technically not a "baby" any longer. You can swim all by yourself, pick your own outfits and matching hairclips.



You can recite and write the alphabet, spell and write your own name, and so much more.

You are growing up so quickly, I feel like I just blinked and you went from rocking in my arms, to swinging from the monkey bars.
I am so blessed by your sweet and sensitive heart. You are very eager to obey your momma and daddy and I thank my sweet Jesus for your precious spirit.
If I ask you to clean your room, you are very quick to do it.
You are always ready to help your momma with anything, whether it be cleaning, cooking, or helping me get something for Bubby.
You are definitely momma's little helper.
You do have a sassy side and sometimes your sassiness can get you in trouble. That is usually the only reason you get into trouble, and when you do, the sensitive side comes out and you just get heartbroken (and so does momma).

I love your cute, over the top attitude. You LOVE the disney princesses and you are definitely a little princess yourself.



 I love that you can spend hours in your room (you usually lock your brother out) and I like to stand at the door and listen to your imagination playing out in the lives of your Barbies and baby dolls.

I love that you sing songs at the top of your lungs, no matter if you just learned the words, or know it by heart, you sing. You are always singing. You have such a joyful spirit.

 You love to color, and you are an excellent artist. You also love to do mazes, connect the dots, and color by number.
 You are so smart and mommy is so proud of you. It is hard to believe that in just one year you will be starting school, but I know that you will be more than ready.
You love to dance, and play softball with your daddy.
You love to take care of your baby brother. It makes your mommy's heart happy to see you both getting along.

I love that no matter how much you have grown, there are still parts about you that remind me you are still my baby girl.
You still say "sirsty" for thirsty and you call pretzels "prenzels. You like for me to scratch your back and play with your hair before you go to sleep. Every morning you crawl into my bed to snuggle.
Right now, I am just breathing in every moment with you. They are going by so quickly. 

Baby doll, I love you so much and I am so proud of the little girl that you are growing up to be. 

All my love always, 

Momma