Happy Mother's Day Mom

My mother, a mom of three has celebrated this day for 54 years. Describe my mama.  She is beautiful, caring, strong minded, headstrong, stubborn, hard working, outspoken, practical, and a clean freak.  She is an incredible cook, these days she doesn't do as much as she did back then.  I remember the holiday's she would line the buffet with many different pie's and cake's.  My mother made the best biscuits I have every tasted.  I have had plenty, but none that can equal hers.
   She has a fondness for make-up and has alway said that putting on make-up is like working with a  painter's palette.  She was a makeup artist.   Numerous pots of eye shadows, different brushes, and the many tubes of lipstick line the drawers of her dresser.   Mom taught me how to apply makeup and still today she'll call me up to give me tips.  Most recently about using the appropriate moisturizer.
 And most importantly she had eyes all over town.  We could sneeze and she would find out about it.  Needless to say I was an ideal child so none of that mattered, the others I cannot speak for.  I grew up in a small Texas town that had little to offer the youth other than riding what we called the drag and hanging out in the parking lot of the local court house.   If it wasn't for my mama being so tough, who knows the trouble I would have gotten into. Back then I was a shy little girl, those who know me now find that hard to believe.  I can remember hiding behind my mothers skirt if someone would just look my way.  My first day of school she took me to my room and then left to take my sister to her class.  I chased after my mom not wanting to be left there.
  My mom educated me in the art of sewing, which I did often when I had daughters of my own, making many of their dresses.  She taught me the love of cooking, especially baking.  I can look back on growing up and mom would be in the kitchen preparing dinner and she would have one of us make dessert which we had after all our dinners.  She also taught me to drive by taking me down to the local fair grounds where there was ample space to learn.  I recall that first time, we had an standard transmission car, I got so excited when I initiated  the car I took my foot off the clutch and began screaming and the vehicle began to convulse all over the place.  She and I both survived those years that gave us plenty to laugh about.   My mother taught me to think ahead, make sure you have on clean panties just incase you're in an accident.  Thankfully this has never happened, the accident that is.  My mother also taught me about endurance, she would make me sit at the table until my plate was clean.    This was very difficult for me seeing that I was a picky eater back then and dogs where not allowed into our house to sneak the food to.  I would sit for hours before I would clean my plate.
Becoming a mom, raising my children, three daughters and one son, I now know the things she gave up all because she wanted the best for us and loved us dearly.  She raised her children the way she knew how,  hoping she was making the proper decisions, as did I with my own.  They are not always right, but at the time they seem as though they are.
So on this special day I would like to wish my mom, and all mothers,  Happy Mother's Day!

                                           Strawberry Coconut Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 (18.4 ounce ) box white cake mix
4 Tablespoons strawberry gelatin powder
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup pureed strawberries
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, finely diced
1 cup coconut, finely shredded in food processor

Preheat oven to 350'.
Place all dry ingredients into bowl and blend ingredients.  Blend in eggs, oil, strawberry puree, water, coconut and vanilla extracts.  Mix well.  Stir in coconut and diced strawberries.  Pour into line cupcake pan.  Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
On wire racks cook cupcakes in pans for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool on racks.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter (1 cup) softened
2 (16 ounces) boxes powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add coconut and vanilla extract.  Beat in powdered sugar until desired consistency.  Add Tablespoon of milk if icing is too thick.  (You may have some frosting left over).
To ice cupcakes use a 1M decorating tip to make rosettes.

Me, brother Robert and mom.

Brandon, Stacy and Baileigh

The mama's.  Stacy, Me, and Mom.