The best magazine I ever bought, bless its heart.

Sometimes I wonder about me.

Last week Ben and I took a vacation. It was the third time we've gone away without the kids in the 26 years we've been married, and it was wonderful. We get to do what we want, when we want, without anyone's schedule or needs getting in the way. One of the things I love about a vacation is that I don't have to cook, don't have to think about what's for dinner, and don't have to clean up.

So why is it that the first day we were home, I spent all day in the kitchen? I made homemade bread, cooked a pot roast, and made strawberry shortcake. It was compulsive work, like an addict preparing a fix. I kept trying to stop and go do something else, but I kept finding myself in the kitchen with another great idea.

Part of my problem stems from no Wi-Fi in the Atlanta airport. I knew that was going to be bad news. Instead of reading blogs and wasting time on facebook, I bought a magazine, and it will be my downfall. The Best of Fine Cooking: Fresh & Quick. It had me at the cover picture—grilled mozzarella and spinach BLT:

So I sat in the airport dog-earing page after page. One of them was a recipe for Classic Strawberry Shortcakes. The biscuits are made with heavy cream and vanilla, and sprinkled lightly with sugar before baking:

Don't they look incredible? I only made half a recipe since there are only four of us at home now, but here's the recipe to serve nine:

3 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons cold butter
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix it up like you would make biscuits and press into an 8-inch square. Let rest in the refrigerator about 20 minutes. Brush the top with heavy cream and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Cut into 9 squares and bake at 425° for about 20 minutes.

You can let them cool, but why would you? Split one open while it's still very warm and cover with strawberries.

Plop some whipped cream on there (I cheated because I'd been on vacation and didn't have enough heavy cream to make homemade. I squirted mine out of a can.)

and put the top on. Add a few more strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream on the side just to make it pretty. And because you can never have enough whipped cream, even if it does come out of a can with a nozzle.

Enjoy.

Be thankful ~

Karen