Strawberry Cake

It is a tradition in my family that we get to pick what kind of cake we want for our birthday and Aunt Lisa, Lisa Condrey to many of you, makes it for us.  This is a frequently requested one by family members.  One bite and you will know exactly why.  My birthday is less than a month away and this recipe has me clicking my heels and chanting "There's no place like home".

Ingredients

1 white cake mix     1 pkg. Strawberry Jello,sm

¾ cup oil                   ½ cup warm water

4 eggs                         1 pkg. Frozen strawberries

                                     (crushed)

Directions 

Mix eggs and oil.  Add cake mix.  Dissolve Jello

In the ½ cup warm water and add to the mix.

Add ¾ of the crushed strawberries.  Bake in

Three layers in a 350 degree oven for 35-40

Minutes.

 

Icing:

1 stick butter

1box powdered sugar(10X)

Remaining strawberries

Mix together the butter and sugar and add

Strawberries as needed until spreading consistency(I use ALL the strawberries).  At

This point I add 3 oz.cream cheese.

Strawberry Jam (Freezer and Cooked)

                                                                    MAKIN JAM

We ate our last jar of strawberry jam last week.  It was a distressful day for me be

cause I just knew any moment Joaquin would ask for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich J  He did and I put honey on it in hopes of satisfying the desire for jam…need I tell you…it did NOT work.  So I began a search for strawberries.  We have a wonderful market here in Utah called “The Sunflower Market”.  They sell great local produce at super low prices and thankfully theystill had some strawberries. 

I bought 12 pints without translating that into “jam work hours”.  Can you say C.R.A.Z.Y.?J.    I used Suregell (recipe for making both freezer jam and cooked jams inside package) and made 15- 8oz jars of freezer jam and 128oz of cooked jam.  Not as a pat on my own back but, as a warning to all others….I did this by myself with the exception of prepping the strawberries to be crushed.  Thankfully, Rodrigo did this for me because even with his help this was a two day project.  I don’t recommend the “go it alone” idea.  Anyhow, the jam is supper yummy.  And even with my mistake of re-using the flat lids...this is not recommended by pro jam makers as it is highly likely they won't seal properly.  Everyone of mine did.  This is some, I repeat some of the damage my house sustained while my focus was jam bound.   Having to clean the house after the jam work was done nearly put me in my grave, or so it felt like it :) 

Here is Zeke enjoying some strawberries....he is a berry monster.  Notice the next picture a few days later with a blackberry.