Aunt Mona's Family Recipe Strawberry Cake

I made a cake last night. Wait. Thats not right. I made the best cake of my life last night.

I jumped in a recipe tree bandwagon in college and ended up getting this recipe from my friend Laura's Aunt. I think Laura was the only friend that actually participated. Thanks friends.

Here it is. The BEST strawberry cake with strawberry cream cheese icing. I kid you not. 

CAKE

1 Box of White Cake Mix (I used French Vanilla Cake Mix)

1 lb. Frozen Strawberries (thawed and well-drained)

1 Box of Strawberry Jello Gelatin Mix

1/4 Cup of Water

3/4 Cup Wesson oil

4 Eggs

Mix cake mix and jello mix together.

In a separate bowl mix together water, oil and eggs. After that's well mixed, add it to the dry ingredients. Fold in 1/2 the package of strawberries...Use mixer to blend.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes and let cool completely. (Always important)

ICING

1 (or 2) boxes of confectioners sugar

1 stick of butter

1/2 the bag of drained strawberries, or fresh

Cream Cheese Optional (Thats what is said on the recipe, but cream cheese is NEVER optional. It is VITAL!)

Just mix all of this together! I actually used a food processor for the strawberries and it worked great! Use the strawberries sparingly. It makes the icing really liquidy. 

And then frost your little heart out!

I wish I had taken pictures, but it just eaten so quickly by my ravenous co-workers that I didn't have time. 

Disclaimer: This is NOT a credit to my baking skills. The recipe is just that good!

Blue Shelled Crabs & Wind Blown Hair

Fairhope, Alabama. I'm thankful for this place.

This place reminds me of college. Precious Anne of Green Gables sort of friends from college. Road trips too many to count. Small and big towns.  Southern culture different from any Texas culture that I had experienced. 

Oh, the trees in this place. 

Favorite time of the day. This dock saw card games, bathing suit mishaps, guitar playing, margarita mixing and lots of chatter.

Blue shelled crabs. Messy. Delicious.

Are we in a movie?

Felt so good to have wind other than the gusts of dirty air from subway traffic blowing through my hair.  

What a blessing.

In L-O-V-E

I just got back from spending the weekend with my very best friends from college. 13 to be exact. Sounds like a ridiculous number of friends. What can you do? 

We spent the weekend in Fairhope, Alabama at the Outlaw bay house. Bold uninhibited personalities + constant supply of puppy chow and Diet Coke + perfect summer weather=

 13 very happy campers.

Here they are. 

        

More to come on our rosy little weekend at the bay....

I'm craving...

A massive chocolate chip cookie from Levain Bakery.
This treat of a place is nestled in a tiny basement at West 74th and Broadway. The cookies are a little pricey, but absolutely worth it.

Pick Me Up

I'm drained and frazzled. Work is sucking the life right out of me.
Ha. Well not exactly. I'm just feeling dramatic.

Revlon lipstick in Earthy seems like the perfect compliment to my spicy little mood.

A coworker just told me I look dissheveled. Is it the crazy lady bun on the top of my head or the Don't Ask ME Another Question look across my face that gave me away?