Loving Strawberry Season


Hello everyone.  Today we are taking a break from paper crafting to talk about breakfast and strawberry season.  We are "smack dab" in the middle of strawberry season here in South Carolina.  My only problem with Strawberry season is that it is far too short.  As the berry crop began to come in locally, I created a new Pinterest board aptly titled Strawberry Season!  I pinned some really yummy looking strawberry recipes, including these WONDERFUL Strawberry Biscuits.  



So far this season we have had strawberry cobbler and a lot of strawberry shortcake variations - sometimes with ice cream, sometimes on home made biscuits, all with real whipped cream!  As much as we have enjoyed our strawberry desserts, I thought it might be nice to try strawberries for breakfast, other than in my yogurt.  I had pinned three strawberry recipes that looked promising, scones, muffins, and this biscuit recipe.  Well we may never try the muffins because this recipe was THAT good.




Strawberry Biscuits
(recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
1 cup chopped very ripe strawberries
1 cup heavy cream (I used fat free half and half)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
In a large bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add butter and cut it in to the dry ingredients with a pastry blender, until it resembles a coarse meal. Stir in the strawberries carefully, so they get coated in the flour mix. This keeps them evenly distributed in the dough later when you add the liquid. Speaking of liquid… add the heavy cream, then gently fold all the ingredients together. You don’t want to overwork the dough, so don’t worry if everything is completely worked in. It will be.
Generously flour your counter or cutting board, then transfer the dough to the board. Flour the top of the dough and with your hands gently press the dough into a 3/4-inch thick rectangle. Using a 2 1/2-inch biscuit or cookie cutter (or even the top edge of a drinking glass) cut circles out of the dough. Press straight down without twisting (this makes for nice layered edges) as you cut. Carefully transfer the biscuits to prepared baking sheet, leaving a few inches between each one.
You can re-roll the scraps of dough, and continue cutting circles, but don’t worry if the dough appears very wet. The strawberries will have already started to release some of their juice. That’s okay though! They’ll still turn out beautifully.
Bake the biscuits for 15 minutes, until lightly brown at the edges. Cool in pan for a minute, brush on the butter recipe below, then transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm.




I made a quick strawberry butter to slather on top of these beautiful biscuits. Just mash up two large strawberries into 4 TBLS soft butter, then freeze for about 15 minutes. (You can do this while the biscuits bake.) It’s a tiny detail that will make a world of difference in flavor.


My mom, Doug, and I all enjoyed the biscuits for breakfast AND lunch.  John took one home as an afternoon snack when he picked up Avaleigh.

Speaking of Avaleigh - this is from her latest photo shoot. John and Bethany have a variety of funny little costumes for her. This is their little fox pup!  

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!!!


Baby Girl Layout


Hello friends!  This is my week to choose the theme of the Cricut Challenge at the Bitten By the Bug 2 blog.  We all know that I am totally besotted with my new granddaughter with my world revolving around all things Avaleigh!  It was very easy for me to select a theme for this week's Cricut Challenge - NEW BABY CHALLENGE (of course)!  I challenged the Design Team (and our readers) to create a card, layout, home decor project, or other NEW BABY ITEM.  I chose to create a two page layout featuring my favorite little baby girl!


I used four Cricut Cartridges to create these two pages - Baby Steps, First Few Years, Creative Memories Stork's Delivery, and Anna Griffin's Elegant Embellishments.  I confess that I have really been enjoying the Anna Griffin cartridges recently.  I love the elegant, versatile cuts.  I cut the scalloped backgrounds of both pages with Elegant Embellishments. I used Anna Griffin card stock (floral) for the top layer of the background and (blue) for the bottom layer of the background.  


One of the more difficult tasks with this layout was selecting which photos of our sweet baby to use on the pages.  After I found the image of the baby sleeping on the moon and clouds I went with these cute photos.


I used this adorable double layer rattle on the left page, along with sheer ribbon and pink pearl swirls. I also used the sweet baby girl three layer cut as a title on this page.


The right page has two Cricut cut embellishments, the sleeping baby and the baby blocks.  I added pink pearls and a pink bow to the baby cuts and used pop dots to adhere the embellishment to the page.


I hope that each of you will go by the Bitten By the Bug 2 blog and look at the other new baby projects created by the design team.  Also, consider joining us this week.  This is a fun challenge, if I do say so myself!!



A Visit From My Favorite Baby!


Hello friends!  Yes, I really am sharing more baby photos with you!! :)  I had a virus this last week and was on a self-imposed baby restriction for three days!  It was awful... Especially the day that Doug and my mom got to go visit Avaleigh without me!  But by Thursday I was feeling better and on Friday morning, after her one week check up, Avaleigh had her parents bring her by for a visit with gramma (or so I tell myself).



After her tough morning at at the doctor's office, followed by yum-yums from her mommy, Avaleigh was one tired little girl.  She did fight sleep for a bit and try to wake up to play with Gran Doug and I, but finally, sleep won out!


So yes, I got out my camera and took more photos of my favorite baby.  I then looked at all of the photos over and over after she went home!!!  I am so completely smitten!!



Because Avaleigh looks so big in the other photos, I am posting this blurry photo of me holding her so that you can see her real size.  I told her that she now weighs as much as her mommy did at birth! 



I do have a new post for both tomorrow and Monday, so stop back by for updates.


Meet My New Granddaughter!!


Avaleigh Skye Ross.
Born January 22, 2015
7 lb, 13 oz., 20 in.


 
Avaleigh was delivered via c-section so above it the first time Bethany could hold her baby!


Their sweet little family.



 Meeting Gramma for the first time!


Meeting Great Granny for the first time!


So very upset with that mean nurse who gave me my first bath!!!

,

Worn out after her bath, shot, weighing, poking, prodding, hair do, and getting dressed.


We are completely in love with the baby!!


A Poorly Photographed Layout and a Baby Update


Hello everyone.  Today I am going to share another poorly photographed wedding layout with you AND give you an update on my overdue granddaughter. 

Bethany was admitted to the hospital last night, given medication and was hooked up for monitoring. Avaleigh is being a stubborn girl and just does not want to meet us!  However, Bethany's doctor says enough is enough - today is the day!  This morning Bethany will be reevaluated and most likely will receive a Pitocin drip to start labor.  If nothing develops and there is not marked progress, Avaleigh will be delivered via c-section today.  The odds are against them for a natural delivery. The doctor said that 80% of women in Bethany's circumstances (lack of dilation, etc.) end up with a section. Bethany seems to be taking this all in stride, though she and John did call and talk to us last night. But then again that was probably to settle down Doug and I!!!  If all goes well I just might have baby photos to post tomorrow!



Now to paper crafting - this two page layout - again POORLY photographed - was created using printed card stock with solids.  I love, love the sentiment - You put the Happily in my Ever After.  I found this cut and the Mr. & Mrs. cut in the Silhouette America store.  


I used a lot of pearls to embellish this layout.

I hate that the photos are so dark, blurred, glarey, etc.  The layout really is darling when one can actually see it!



Thanks for stopping by today and be sure to check back tomorrow to see if we have baby news!!