Strawberry Trifle

I made this for a coworker a while back and it was so yummy! It was the first time I whipped my own cream, awesome!! Also, I prefer this recipe to others because it doesn't use pudding, I hate pudding. Okay, exception, banana pudding is good only because it has banana slices and nilla wafers included, but pudding alone, no way!! Oh, and the almond extract, one of my favorite things (more on that in another post)... ENJOY!!

1 large, store-bought angel food cake (about 10 inches, or 2 smaller ones), cut or torn into cubes
3 pints strawberries (I usually use two quarts), sliced or quartered
1.5 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
almond extract
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 pint whipping cream, chilled
vanilla extract

1. In a bowl, mix the strawberries with the granulated sugar and some almond extract. Set aside to macerate.

2. Beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, and 3/4 cup powdered sugar until smooth*. In a separate bowl, beat the whipped cream, adding 3/4 cup powdered sugar and some vanilla extract when it begins to look almost done (firm peaks). Fold the whipped cream gently into the cream cheese mixture.

3. Layer the ingredients in a large bowl or trifle dish, starting with cake, followed by strawberries, then cream. You should be able to make 3 layers. The trifle is best chilled for a while before serving.

*the cream cheese mixture can be lumpy if your ingredients are too cold. You can use a food processor if this is a problem.

**I used pound cake instead of angel food.

Happy Birthday!

Where has the month gone? I can't believe it is almost over. Thanks to everyone who made my 30th birthday a special one. Many celebrations, thanks for everything, I am a very lucky girl!!

National Geographic

My work is like National Geographic. The doctor I work for is an avid hunter who loves the outdoors and it is obvious by the way our office is decorated and where we are located. Yesterday a patient put it perfectly when she said to me "this place is so full of life for being filled with death" referring to the dead animals decorating our office.

So last night after work Dr. Stoer was out feeding the turkey and I had to ask him a quick question so I walked out to the back porch and he said "come here, you gotta see this." Let me preface this by saying we have been seeing our resident gator "Stumpy" sunning on the bank of our pond. Stumpy got his name because he is missing a chunk of his tail, as a result, we think, from a battle earlier in life.

Anyways back to the story, I reluctantly go off of our back porch to see the "must see." I walk over to the pond and Stumpy is lounging in the water and I am about 5 feet from him. I was pretty nervous but Dr. Stoer said "don't worry he is too full to try to get us," meanwhile I am not so convinced. He said "come over here, you won't believe this," I said "what, did he get a turkey?" He said "No, bigger than that" Then I see it, the poor deer, submerged in the water and it's backside gone. The gator had killed it and had been feasting on it. Circle of Life/Survival of the Fittest

So today my co-worker Chris and I decided to go take some pictures. We walk out to the pond looking everywhere for the gator(s). There has also been a second gator on the property in the last couple of days, at one point one gator was seen chasing the other. It is mating season so I guess they are even more aggressive/feisty. We got to the deer first then we saw him resting on the bank, Stumpy. He heard us coming and he started moving so we didn't get too close. He was still guarding his kill about 10 feet apart.

Poor Deer

Stumpy

Who needs National Geographic or the Discovery Channel when you have Dr. Stoer's office at Serenola Plantation. This is one of the many things I love about being back in Gainesville!!