Delicious and Easiest Strawberry Shortcake Dessert!!

Since Venti is home for 10 days I had to make his favorite dessert! Strawberry Shortcake!! It is his favorite! They way I make it is super easy and super delicious!!!

You will need:

1 Classic Yellow Cake Mix
2 Quarts Strawberries (washed and cut in half or smaller)
Large Container of Whipped Topping (thawed out in the fridge)

Bake the cake as directed on the box. I use a rectangular pan, but you could use any size or even 2 rounds.



After the cake has cooled...and be sure its cooled...carefully take it out of the pan onto a sheet of wax paper or paper towels.

Take a long knife and slice through the middle of the cake cutting it into 2...if you use 2 rounds then you won't need to cut it into 2.






Put the bottom layer back into the pan or on a fancy tray if you are making it for a party...set the top layer aside.

Take half of the Whipped topping and cover the bottom layer.



Next place cut up strawberries on top of the whipped topping.



Carefully place the unfinished top layer on the finished bottom layer.



Cover with the remaining whipped topping and strawberries.



And your done!!!!





How simple is that??? It is so easy..so fast...and so good!!! This cake doesn't last but 1 day in this house!

Let me know if you make it and how it turns out!!!

The Pink Towel...

My house is a sea of blue...with 5 males and me in this house pink is a color that isn't seen too often..and when it does it sticks out...so the other day I was out shopping and getting a few new things for our recently remodeled bathrooms and there on a table in the middle of the floor stood a mountain of beautiful pink, fluffy towels!! I walked over to them...my hand brushing against the softness of these solid pink bath towels! I thought I would treat myself to one of the beautiful pink towels! After all they boys have plenty of towels for them! I took it home...washed it and put it under the sink..all ready for me to use.
Well we have a weird bathroom sharing situation in this house...Joe and Venti shower in the master bathroom and me and the rest of the boys use the bathroom in the hallway (I know..its strange)...so imagine the look of horror later on that night when I sat down on the toilet and looked straight ahead and saw this...



My pink towel!!! Which one could have looked and found my beautiful pink towel and USED IT?????? Grande was the first one I asked because he was in his room and BINGO!! He said that he used it because it was nice and soft!!! I said, "didn't the color pink make you think that it was MY towel?? He said no..that he had no idea!!

So I take my lovely pink towel...wash it..fold it and place it nicely back under the sink for ME!!

Imagine what thoughts went through my head when a couple of days later I saw this:



Again!!!!

Someone took my towel!!

My lovely..pink towel!!

I haven't even had a chance to use it yet!! (yes I showered but didn't use MY pink towel).

Found out this time that it was Tall!! He said that it is nice and soft and couldn't understand why he couldn't use it! Mind you we have TONS of other towels in this house but they all want the one and only PINK towel that I bought for myself!!

Maybe next time I'll hide it under my pillow...

High Expectations...

Why did Monday have to start out on a bad note? I just got an email from my employer saying that she now wants us (there are 5 of us) to start using daily call logs for each and every salon that we visit everyday..that means that I know have to account for every second of the day which is a far cry from what all of us are use to. I don't think that I'll be able to continue on like this because she is now setting high expectations for us that I don't think I can fulfill! Its hard enough being a wife and mother to 4 boys and then have the weight of these expectations upon me. I have to give this some really serious thought. My job is so flexible now and that's what I like about it and its been that way since I started..and now its all changing. I've had an upset stomach and a headache since reading her email to us. Ugh...what to do...what to do...I have a relative that owns a salon and just saw her on Friday..she actually offered to train me to become a Nail Technician...I am a licensed Cosmetologist and so all I would need is the training...not sure if I want to do that either but it is an option. I don't think I'd make anywhere near what I'm making now and I don't want to add that stress to our marriage...guess I have alot of thinking to do...:(

Venti is home for 10 days (Spring Break) although I hardly saw him at all this past weekend. Grande has Spring Break too...so everyone is home..lots of cooking to be done!

Swimsuit....

Since joining the fitness center on Sunday I've had to dig down deep in to the bottom of my dresser drawers and pull out the dreaded swimsuit. I hate winter but love it for the fact that sweaters and jeans are good camouflage!! Who in the world wants to shed the layers of clothing for a swimsuit?? Not me! I have 4 or 5 suits and not one of them looked right! I'm sure you can relate right? Each one looked worse then the other. I couldn't possibly have worn these last summer could I? I showed that much skin!!?? It was only 6 months ago and it seems like years! That means I'm 6 months older and my body is 6 months older....but I refuse to acknowledge that fact!!
I have gone to the fitness center every day since Sunday and have worn a different suit each time thinking it would look better then the last one...but it didn't work! I made sure I got into the pool as fast as I could...getting out at the ladder closest to my towel! lol...there's always room for improvement and I think we are each very critical of ourselves.
So since none of those suits "looked right" I decided to go shopping today for a new one. Its very hard to find a suit in March! And yet they decorate for Christmas in July! I ended up finding one at Ross....I got 2 actually....and they are one-pieces...I've never worn a one-piece...I usually go for the tankini's....but not in March...If I get brave enough, I'll maybe take a picture...and maybe post it!

My hair.....

We just joined a fitness club on Sunday. They were having a one month special for a family for $40! What a great deal huh? Plus the main reason we wanted to join there was because they have a large pool with a curvy slide AND a lap pool. As you know, Short has a bit of a weight issue and he loves to swim so what better exercise in the middle of winter then swimming! Plus I thought we could all use some exercise...including me!!!



Well yesterday myself, Joe, Grande & Short decided to go after dinner for an hour to try it out.....when we got there they were having water aerobics in 2 of the 6 lane lap pool. I decided to grab the first lane as it was empty. Up and down I went...doggy paddle...leg lifts...but never going under. I wouldn't want to get my hair wet now would I? After all its not like I'm in the pool or anything!! Well we had a great time...Short loved the slide...Grande did several laps in my lane and said that he feels out of shape! He is 19 and feels out of shape?? I didn't feel so bad when I got home and realized that every muscle in my body hurt!

So then comes tonight. Joe and Tall were working and Grande didn't want to go. So Short and I get in the car and head over. When we got there the water aerobics was being held in the leisure pool so the entire lap pool was free except for 1 or 2 lanes.


I decided to get into lane 3 because it was open. I got in from the side. Little did I know that the dividers between the lanes were super heavy which meant that you had to go UNDER water to get to the next lane...and then the next...and then to the ladder. The sides are way too tall to lift yourself out...so I realized that I was stuck in there....in the middle of the lap pool! Not wanting to get my hair wet! I'm such a girlie girl! When I go swimming I don't go under! So there I was...doing my laps and the whole time wondering how I was going to get out of there. Short was busy on the slide the whole time and finally came over to me after an hour. I said, "can you lift the rope enough for me to go under without getting my hair wet?"....well poor Short lifted with all his might and the rope only lifted about 2 inches!! OMG...I'm stuck here in the pool! Glancing over at the clock and noticing that it was inching towards the time when we had to leave to pick up Tall! I contemplate this and boy did I contemplate....I know you are thinking whats the big deal...just go under and get out...but I can't!!! Well time got the best of me and I knew we had to leave...I said to Short, "lift up as high as you can and I'll go under"....one...two...three....and he lifts...and I go under....and I come up...and I'm all wet except the very top of my head!! Now realizing that I have 2 more lane to go under! Ugh! Standing in the 2nd lane a Michael Phelps wanna be is barreling down the lane at us...I didn't have alot of time to think about it and so Short lifts again...and under I go...well by the time I got to the ladder I looked like a drowned rat! Stop laughing! I know your getting a visual!! That was traumatizing! lol...I was so worried about my hair that I didn't realize how much I worked my body! Oh the pain! lol..

So here is my hair after it dried on the way home...time to hit the shower!!

So different..

I am so frustrated! How can 1 of my 4 sons be so different then the others?? Not only does he get bad grades, but when we confront him about it he gets an attitude!! I just don't get it. We raised them all the same and yet he is so different. I never try to compare them because they are each individual but they were all brought up the same way...same household...same parents...same everything! I am talking about Tall. He now has 2 F's...one in Algebra and one his American History. Everytime I question him about his grades he gets all defensive and raises his voice at me! Well this does not go over too well with me. None of the other boys do that so why should he?? We even took away his laptop for punishment thinking he was spending too much time on it and not studying but this was a month ago and he only had the one F at the time! I get email reports from his teachers and yesterday I got one that said he got a 60 on his "quiz" in his Am. History class. When I asked Tall he said, "I didn't study because quizzes don't count!!!".....I couldn't believe it when he said that! I had made a roast with potatoes and carrots yesterday...had it cooking all day and it sure did smell delicious! Well when Tall came to the dinner table I asked him about this "quiz" and that's when he raised his voice at me and needless to say, dinner was ruined.

This upsets me. He doesn't even feel bad when he causes a scene like this. He didn't talk to us the rest of the night. He went to bed without fixing anything between us. This has happened before and we've had numerous talks with him about it and yet he still continues to do this....:(

As far as the rest of the weekend went, Short had a basketball tournament....they came in 6th place! 6th out of 6 teams....I'm so proud of him! He even scored a couple of times! They each got a medal:



Venti wasn't home this weekend and so it was quite. Latte starts her chemo today so I will keep you posted on that. Grande went on a date and I saw this morning that his facebook status said this: Girls have got to be the most confusing and complex thing on earth! Poor Grande!

Homebody

Heading off to work today. Why am I dreading it? I'm fine when I'm there but the thought of going vs. staying home are huge! I've noticed I've become such a homebody in the last year or so...why is that? It certainly can't be because I'm getting old!! I don't do that! Well then what is it? I don't dislike my job...I just want to be home! Does anyone else feel this way? I'd much rather be doing this: