Strawberry Whipped Sensation...for your Valentine!

I can't help but keep thinking about the famous quotation..."A rose is a rose, is a rose"...some of you might have heard that famous quotation, by Gertrude Stein, part of a poem in 1913. Actually there is a meaning to the quote.
"Things are the way they are!"...yes, that is so true. The sooner we realize and understand how things are, we will understand what they are!

What I like to do is to see a recipe, especially one with a photo, and do my own spin on the final result. I can tell if the recipe will actually work out or not, and in this case, I totally did a different shape, form, but kept the ingredients... just added more strawberries, and crushed Oreo cookies to the crust! Even though I didn't make this cake for a "romantic significant other"...I did have plenty of raves from my wonderful family. How could you possibly resist the fresh strawberry mousse filling over the most favorite cookie crust, topped with America's all-time favorite Cool Whip topping, and surrounded by Dove heart shaped chocolate pieces!

A rose can say I love you and want you to be mine,

A rose can say I thank you for being so very kind,

A rose can say congratulations, whatever the occasion may be,
A rose can say I miss you and wish you were here with me,
A rose can say I'm sorry if I've hurt you in any way,
A rose can say get well soon, May God bless you today,
A rose can say I wish you happiness, and the best for you each day
A rose can say farewell when someone goes away,
A rose can say hello, I'm thinking of you today,
There's just so many wonderful things that a rose can say,
A rose can say goodbye when a love one is laid to rest,

No matter what there is to say, a rose can say it best. 

~Margie Drive

Linking to:#chocolatelove blog hop, @ Mis Pensamientos
http://mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/
                   http://katherinescorner.com/

                   Be my Valentine Challenge @Very Good Recipes

Strawberry Whipped Sensation

adapted from: Family Circle magazine, March 2003

4 cups fresh strawberries, divided

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tub 8 oz. Cool Whip Whipped Topping thawed, divided

8 Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. butter melted

Line 8x4 inch loaf pan with foil. Mash 2 cups of strawberries in large bowl. Stir in condensed milk, juice and 2 cups of the Cool Whip; pour into pan.

Top with combined chopped cookies and butter; press into mixture. Cover.

Freeze at least 6 hours.To serve, invert onto plate. Remove foil. Frost with remaining Cool Whip. Top with remaining strawberries, Makes 12 servings.

My version of making this cake: I used 16 cookies, and 2 Tbsp. of melted butter, put them in the food processor, and pressed the crushed cookies into a heart shaped springform pan. I filled it with the filling, and topped it with Cool Whip.

I carefully folded my crushed up strawberries into the sweetened condensed milk

Now fold in half of the Cool Whip whipped topping.

Now, cover with aluminum foil, and freeze up to 6 hrs.

Gabby wanted to decorate the cake...instead of using sliced strawberries, she used the most amazing Dove chocolate heart shapes, and just one strawberry on the top. Extra box of strawberries came in handy, to add some halved strawberries on the side, to enjoy!

Beautiful slice of heavenly Whipped Sensation!

This is dessert devoured...before dinner:D

Your MOMENT...YOUR DOVE...saved for last...yumm!









HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
...with Love, to all my friends!

I've been Tagged...Seven Links!

I am so happy to have been tagged by three wonderful and talented blogger friends to participate in the
SEVEN LINKS game. I love it!

Thank you, my beautiful, talented friends...

Ping, @ Ping's Pickings, Lizzy, @That Skinny Chick Can Bake!!! and Tina, @Pinay of Texas Cooking Corner
As a rule: Tag 5 bloggers, but since I've been tagged three times. I will be tagging 15 bloggers to continue this fun tagging game.
I will tag 15 bloggers, 5 for each tagging. I will contact you on your blog to tag you!
Have a beautiful Sunday!

1.THE MOST BEAUTIFUL POST

 I don't do much baking for the simple reason that my daughter does most of the baking in the family, and I have been slacking off in the last few years with my cake baking. I like to come up with easy-breezy stuff, as this No Bake Raspberry Cheesecake that I literally took the recipe from the back  of the box of the graham crackers, and adapted it my way! This was back in April of this year, and I received 50 comments on it! For a simple cake, I thought this was really pretty and light for Spring! (photo was taken with my old camera, and this was the best I could do)

2.THE MOST POPULAR POST

3. THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL POST

# 3-My Homemade Garlic Rolls has to be the most controversial post. I have never made garlic rolls like these. They are like the cinnamon rolls, only with a different twist, filled with herbs and garlic. I was so excited when I first saw this on another blogger's blog. Instead of commenting on the blog that was linked to (which I did later) ...as usual, me...like a little "kid" all happy and excited, commenting, and complimenting how much I love the rolls..."thank you for sharing"...so on, and so forth, just drooling all over their post. Not a word back on their blog, not a "peep" to mine; Do you know how bad, that feels?...the rejection?...the vulnerability, to put yourself out there to a stranger's blog and open up with your feelings, and the "let down" is so sad...but your learn from it! I simply went to the "source" where it was linked from, and not only got a gracious comment, but a "gift" of the yeast she used to send to me from Singapore! So,  as you see...when "one door closes, another door opens up for you!"....a happy ending!

4. THE MOST HELPFUL POST

The most helpful post by far, has to be my Chocolate Chip Biscotti that I baked for the online bake sale for the American Cancer Society, hosted by Becky, @Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves. I have never done an online baking before...did not know the firs rule about it, but there I was participating in the baking to have my biscotti bid on, bake it, and ship it out for the blogger that won the bid. It was quite challenging, for a great cause! I also bid on 2 amazing desserts and had it shipped to me. Totally fun, and a great way to support cancer research for our loved ones, friends, and all the people who are battling this disease, and for the ones that have been cured!
Such a great and rewarding feeling. I cannot go into it any further, because there would be tears of sadness, but mostly tears of joy for the cure!


5. POST THAT WAS SURPRISINGLY SUCCESSFUL

My "Perfect Brownie Pan" Brownie (One Bowl Brownies,) made in the famous brownie pan with the individual dividers. By mistake, I poured the brownie filling into the pan while the dividers were in, instead, before, and it created little collars around the sides when it was done...not intending to make this design.

6. POST THAT DID NOT GET ATTENTION IT DESERVED

I was so proud of my Mushrooms in Adobo Sauce, a true authentic appetizer tapas from Spain, with caramelized onions and homemade adobo...not the powdered seasoning that you buy commercially, but your own.
It really was professionally done, and plated. Could be, that not that many people like mushrooms.

7. POST YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF

The post that I'm most proud of is the simple, yet amazing Carrot Pineapple Cake with Cream Cheese frosting, that I made for my son Joe's birthday, this March. He just published his first novel, and also launched his surfboard art career. We celebrated at a Vegan restaurant since both son wife were both vegetarian at the time (now, my son is not, after one year)
It didn't take long to make this delicious cake, but you must make it the day, or several hours before (I made it the day before) to assure it's flavors combining with all the goodness added. All ingredients are so fresh, and the frosting totally amazing!

Here are the 15 food blogger friends that I'm inviting to join the 7 Links Tag Game!

Joanna-Chic & Gorgeous Treats
Kathy-Bakeaway With Me
Brenda-Brenda's Canadian Kitchen
Junia-Mis Pensamientos
Becky-Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves
Gina-SPCookie Queen
Parsley Sage (Carsley)-Deep Dish
Lora-Cake Duchess
Lindsey-Tiny Skillet
Veronica-Quay Po Cooks
Alisha-The Ardent Epicure
Sandra-Sandra's Easy Cooking
Wendy-The Weekend Gourmet
Shabs-Yum and Delish
Michael-Me, My Food and I