Strawberry Poke Cake Recipe

As promised, here is the easy peasy recipe for the Strawberry Poke Cake I made on Easter. Also known as Refrigerator Cake, this type of baking method is perfect for those Spring and Summer get-togethers. It tastes cool, fresh and moist, but this version also tastes very similar to strawberry shortcake, but with less fuss. Some people make it with white cake, but I prefer using strawberry to bring out the flavor all the more. Give this version a try to use any cake/gelatin combo that suits your taste!

STRAWBERRY POKE CAKE

INGREDIENTS

1 Box Strawberry Cake Mix
1 cup Boiling Water
1 pkg. (3 oz) Strawberry Jello
1/2 cup Cold Water
1 tub (8 oz) Whipped Topping, thawed
1 pint Fresh or Frozen Strawberries


DIRECTIONS

Bake cake as directed on package in 13x9 inch pan. Cool cake in pan 15 min. Pierce cake with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals.

Add boiling water to gelatin mix in small bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water; pour over cake. Refrigerate 3 hours.

Frost cake with whipped topping and top with fresh strawberries.

Our Easter

Hope you all had a blessed Easter! We had a wonderful day. First we enjoyed a few goodies from our Easter basket before getting ready for church. Instead of chocolate bunnies, we each got a Russell Stover chocolate Jesus Fish, which I thought was so neat! I also picked up these vintage Minnie & Mickey stickers at a little shop with vintage postcards, stickers, print etc. My husband was sure to choose the purple Peeps for me, and I was sure to get him some Whoppers Robin's Eggs (which he gets every year all to himself as I hate those things)! We also each got a mini milk carton of Reeses Pieces, some mini caramel eggs and an egg carton of chocolate marshmallow eggs to share. The rest was just misc. fun sized candy, which were all layered at the bottom of the basket. ANd speaking of this basket, I picked it up a couple weeks ago and a thrift store and absolutely fell in love with it!


Church service was lovely and the message was inspiring. The pastor spoke out our hope as Christians in the afterlife, which was appropriate since our pastor lost his wife to cancer exactly one year ago. Afterward we headed over to my sister's for Easter dinner with the family. I made some deviled eggs and a strawberry cake (which I will post the recipe to tomorrow). We also played a fun new game called Likewise. You write answers on dry eraser paddles and try to match answers with other players for points. It's one of those great party games that is quick to learn, like Apples To Apples. I highly recommend it if you are looking for something new to play with family and friends!


We also made some time to watch a few Easter specials and decorate. Here is a photo of our media stand with these little bunny houses I picked up at Goodwill. Some of these items I even picked up at the dollar store, but I liked how they had a bit of vintage style to them. I don't have much Easter decor, but it's amazing how much you can do even on a budget. I also got some adorable pastel colored egg lights (not pictured) from Target for only $3 each!!


I'd also be remissed if I didn't mention pulling out one of my favorite Easter records, Here Come Peter Cottontail by The Mr. Pickwick Players And Singers. It is hard to find on vinyl, but you can purchase it on mp3 from Amazon. It's a collection of fun little songs, including the title track, The Bunny Hop, Easter Parade and some other little songs not directly related to Easter, but still fitting. It also features a short reading of a story about Peter Rabbit. Definitely worth having for kids and novelty record enthusiasts.


Well, that's about all for us this year. It was a special time, reflecting on both the fun and spiritual aspect of the holiday. Enjoy the rest of this beautiful Spring as we turn to thoughts of Mother's Day and Memorial Day in May!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! Whether your mother is close by, lives far away or has even passed away, we all have one and can celebrate them in some special way. Here is a sweet song from "The Chipmunk Adventure" that sums up the importance of a mother's role perfectly. Enjoy and have a truly blessed day!

LYRICS:

It's hard to remember
Summer or winter
When she hasn't been there for me

A friend and companion
I can always depend on
My mother, that's who I mean

I've taken for granted
The seeds that she's planted
She's always behind everything

A teacher, a seeker
A both arms out-reacher
My mother, that's who I mean

Wish I could slow down the hands of time
Keep things the way they are
If she said so I would give her the world
If I could, I would

My love and my laughter
From here ever after
Is all that she says that she needs
A friend and companion
I can always depend on
My mother, that's who I mean

A Cemetery Walk

OK, not exactly a seasonal or holiday event, but a fun and interesting spring doing for us nonetheless!

Our local historical society and theatre troupe got together to put on a "Cemetery Walk" for our community. The cemetery is just a few blocks from our house and DH and I usually go through it on our walks. Besides the wonderful peace and quiet, the cemetery is interesting because it is so old and full of history.

Often we pause and read a grave-stone here and there. We see many from the Civil War and even before. We see elaborate monuments to obviously wealthy people and others that are barely readable anymore.

This cemetery is typical for New England and a lot of people enjoy walking through them in order to get that sense of history. They don't make tombstones like these anymore! DH and I are always especially struck when we see the graves of children -- often they are in the same family and died the same year, most likely from some epidemic. I am always horrified to think of what those parents went through; they are no different than us.

Beyond these curiosities is the history behind the cemeteries. We have not lived in this town for very long, so I know little about the local history. I figured this was a good chance to learn more. My oldest daughter agreed and came along.

The historical society set up a "check-in" booth and only asked for donations. After that, we were split into two groups and guided to pre-determined grave-sites. Of course, these kind of things often attract senior citizens, but there were other children in the crowd and among the actors, including one of DD's good friends who played the violin.





This woman represented the daughter of a man made famous for his microscopes:





A railroad and newspaper man:





This guy helped build our local high school:





These two were a riot -- esp. the guy on the left. It's hard not to forget their story. He played a man who, at 83 years old, walked 28 miles to a 4th of July picnic. Other details of his life were equally impressive:



This woman was married to one of the richest men in our town. They built a local mansion that is now a gorgeous bed-and-breakfast:



This girl had an important father and brother -- but I can't remember why, LOL:



This man was an artist and, the poor fellow, lost 3 of his 4 young children in the same year:



You never know what you might see in an old, New England cemetery . . .

Enjoying Spring

Spring in New Hampshire. It's very strange, unpredictable, and beautiful. I'm not sure what the rest of the country is like right now, but we are up and down and all over the (weather) map.

We started May with snow and ended in the '90s. Though not quite as hot going into June, it remained warm enough to warrant a visit to the pool and the backyard hose, but a few days ago, late fall decided to pay a little visit. Where else can you go from blasting the AC to shutting all the windows and putting on a sweater all within a 24-hour span?!

I still love spring. I NEED it, as you can imagine, after our long, frigid, dark winter. The seasons feed my soul. There isn't one I don't love in its own way. (Yes, even winter.) I know that I am blessed to live in a place that experiences all four very distinctively, but we get the added bonus of extra beauty and fun, too!

In winter, it is "Currier and Ives" here. It inspired Robert Frost. We are buried in a blanket of white and, more often than not, it remains unspoiled. If you love winter sports, you are at home in NH.

Besides the welcome weather, we relish in the glory of spring here because of our vast variety of flora and fauna. Blooms of many kinds and green as far as the eye can see. (Being 95% forest helps.)

Summer is a divine mix of warm, humid days (thanks to our seacoast) -- perfect for swimming and lounging -- and chilly nights. Wildlife is abundant and it is often comfortable enough to actually enjoy walking around a theme-park in mid-July!

Fall is our crowing glory. The time that brings tourists from all over the world to view our famous foliage. But we locals know there are secret spots all over the state and those cool, crisp days mean everything as we respite from the heat and glory in the holidays ahead. Apple picking, pumpkin patch, and haunted houses abound!

But lest you envy me too much, know that wherever you are, it's beautiful, too. Of course, I can only speak of the USA, but if you reside here, you are golden.

Recently, my DH and I spent a weekend in a big city -- well, big by our standards. It has over 100,000 people and buildings more than 10 stories high. Enough to impress our small-town senses. We sat at an outdoor cafe and watched the traffic and people go by and loved every minute of it! Most people like to escape the city in the summer, but I realized how fun it is to do the opposite. It was just heaven. So much to see and do. I don't care what city (or suburb) you reside in, there is something beautiful and fun to do there!

I grew up in southern Michigan. The cities and towns there are often run down and the suburbs are little better, but there were many pockets of beauty and joy there. Lakes, rivers, parks, zoos . . . even if you are in the heart of concrete, you rarely have to drive very far anywhere in this country to find a rural landscape. Believe me, I've been in and out of New York City several times and if it can happen there it can happen anywhere!

So, get out and enjoy this blessed season -- summer is almost upon us! Get the camera out and start documenting! Pick up your local paper and look for all the fun, outdoor activities and if you are in the deep south, do the opposite (look for indoor. Unless you live by water. If so -- then get thee hence!) This is the time! School is out (or will be soon), vacation time is coming, and you can even stay close to home if you'd like.

Or take a trip to New Hampshire. It's glorious here in the summer. ::grin::

Photographing Spring Blooms

Spring is lovely everywhere you go, but for us northerners there is a special delight in viewing the world renew itself after a long winter's sleep. There is a physical response to the warmth of the sun and the sight of things green that we wouldn't appreciate and respond to so much had it not been for months of a white and barren landscape. Little dots of color in the midst of it all just add pure joy to the experience and wonder at God's artistic hand.

I am compelled to go outside again and take in deep breaths. I glory in the newness around me and dream and plan for the beauty ahead . . . spring and fall are the times I am most compelled to get my camera out and take shots of something besides my children. I MUST try and capture this beauty, and though my attempts are feeble, I never give up. Of course, sharing with others is another great excuse to try and I'm happy to have a forum here.

Here are some early, spring blooms -- some of the more common ones you'll find in the northeast. Of course, they are perennials and only last a little while (thus another reason for photos) and that makes their time even more special. Our first gifts and promises of more to come.

Our fist glimpse of color: crocus. Yellow or purple, they are very much welcome!




Then come the tulips -- my favorite perennial of all:

Little buds all over the bushes -- promises of green and berries:

Lovely tulip magnolia:

And the sunny daffodil:

Part of the fun of photography is capturing the essence of where you live. There are plants, animals, and landscapes unique to your region -- consider getting the camera out and making a small tribute album. It reminds us of what we love about our homes -- and if you don't love your home already, an album like that might change your mind.

Enjoy the remainder of our glorious spring!

Have A Great Memorial Day Weekend!

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, which we basically view as a blast off into Summer! The temperatures around the country have certainly been reflecting that sentiment, with many areas getting past 90 degrees, so I can only assume that most of you have already pulled out your Summer clothes and are ready to fire up the ol' grill. 3 day weekend, here we come!

In many ways this holiday is celebrated much like our Independence Day, except without fireworks. Traditionally we tend to spend our Summer feast with family at the park, or even camping. But like the Fourth Of July, let's be sure to also take time out to remember those brave soldiers who died while serving in the military. Sure, we all enjoy an extra day off of work and hanging with loved ones, but the purpose of the holiday is far greater than just having a BBQ. It's another opportunity to celebrate our freedom and honor those who made it possible!

Coming Out Of Hiding

Sorry, I know it's been quiet here lately. I think most people experience burn out after Christmas, not to mention it's usually a great time to play catch-up with projects we've planned or neglected through the holiday season. Spring and Easter are on their way so I suspect we'll be picking up in the coming months. It's an exciting time of year, and something I think we're all ready for!

Here in San Diego we have been experiencing Spring-like weather for the past month or so. Flowers are blooming and the temps have mainly stayed in the mid-60s. The evenings are a little cooler, but I've found myself venturing out more and more. Taking a walk, going to the park or even opening the windows to let in some fresh air.

My husband and I recently started going back to school, and as part of the requirement we must take 2 physical education classes, so we chose a swimming exercise class that is excellent. That means we spend 2 nights a week in the water, which is something I've been longing for since the end of summer. Aside from being great in recreational terms, physically it's what we've needed after the excess of the holidays. Kind of helps with that New Year's resolution to get back on track in the health department!

This leads me to a quick tip before I close. If you've considered taking some workout classes but didn't want to pay the hefty fitness center fees, consider what your community college offers. At around $26 a class per semester, you can't beat it! It also allows you to take advantage of those wondrous student discounts about town, so you benefit in more ways than one. *wink* Just remember, no matter what it's like outside, there are plenty of way to enjoy life and the beauty of nature.