A Summer Staple

Alright, so it's not exactly summer yet, but down here in the desert it certainly FEELS like summer. The forecast for the next week includes triple digit temperatures every day. Yikes.

Anyhow, last week some time (I don't really recall the exact day, they all kind of seem the same, lol) the kid and I made what should have been a quick run to Wal-Mart. I needed some household items along with a few grocery items.

OF COURSE, I had to start meandering around looking in sections that I had no business being in, which consequently resulted in me spending more than I should have (once again). I'm pathetic. I even put Evie in her stroller  to help curb my incessant shopping because there's less room to put stuff... *sigh*

One of the items that I purchased was this enormous container of strawberries. First of all, they smelled DIVINE--like they were fresh off of the farm. Second, this large container (which is the size of two of those rectangular ones that I usually see strawberries in) was on sale for $2.48.

It would have been a crime for me to pass it up!

So, with the strawberries purchased, brought home, cleaned and cut up, I was left to decide what to do with my tasty purchase. Then, it came to me...

Strawberry shortcakes!!

I scoured the internet for a recipe that was
A. Tasty (meaning that there were good reviews)
B. Only contained ingredients that I already had on hand because after the shopping trip to Wal-Mart, I in no way needed to add even MORE items to my pantry

And I stumbled across this bad boy: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Perfect-Berry-Shortcakes/Detail.aspx?prop31=4

(I only used the recipe for the cakes, not the fruit topping)

What was really interesting was that the recipe called for freezing a stick of butter and then grating it into the cake mixture. I think this helped to keep the mixture from getting too liquid-y (if it was room temp). Anyhow, it was an interesting way of adding butter and it was far easier to do than grating baby carrots (like in my attempt to make carrot cake: Who Eats Carrot Cake? )

The mixture came out WICKED sticky and although the recipe didn't call for flouring your hands or your work space, I would suggest doing so.

I popped the cakes into the oven and cooked them for ten and half minutes.

Which turned out to be a tad too long (I'm inclined to believe that gas ovens cook 'hotter' than electric). The bottoms were a smidgen TOO golden brown.

See?

Not burned, per se. And still edible. I think that I may use some parchment paper next time and cut down on the baking time by a minute or so.

As you may have surmised, a little golden brown color on the bottom wasn't going to stop me from eating a delicious strawberry shortcake! I plopped a cake into a bowl, added the fresh strawberries and a few spoonfuls of cool-whip (yes, I eat partially hydrogenated vegetable oil and I think it's freakin' delish).

Tada!

Enjoy!