Strawberry Cream Cheese

Ella will be turning 5 this week and so are many of her friends. Our calendar is full of a endless series of birthday parties for the next several weeks. Last weekend we had the pleasure of attending a all girl tea party. Ella was a little anxious about the event because she tends to roll with the boys and she could not possibly imagine why no boys were being invited. When we arrived, we found it to be a very dignified event. Girls were wearing pretty party dresses, as they calmly, patiently waited in line to have their hair done and temporary tattoos applied. Classical music played. A table was filled with plates of food; little finger sandwiches, fresh fruit, vegetables, salads, pitchers of juices, and a bowl of chocolate chips! There is no question, Ella was most excited about the food. And it was a feast. The girls were seated and served, official tea party style. Zorayda, the mom of the birthday girl, made special sandwiches for Ella to eat that were wheat and nut free. And then she cut them into shapes (hearts and stars) and festooned them with beautiful purple flowers. The sandwiches were strawberry cream cheese, turkey with cucumber and strawberry jam with banana slices. Ella was beside herself! She was thrilled to be able to sit at a table and eat the same things that her friends were eating. We were touched by the effort that Zorayda made to make Ella feel comfortable. It was a very special afternoon.

Ella has been talking about it all week. Before the party, she had always refused any kind of cream cheese. But I encouraged her to try the sandwich as it was prepared for her and she LOVED it. So much so, that she begged me to make her some to have on sandwiches for school. This is my recipe for the Strawberry Cream Cheese. We also used it on celery sticks and made "butterflies" with GF pretzels (for wings) and dried bluberries (eyes). Yummy and addictive...

Strawberry Cream Cheese

(1) 8 oz. package of cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar (optional)

Whip the cream cheese in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the strawberries, gradually and incorporate into the cream cheese. Slowly add the sugar. Mix well. Taste. If you wish, you may add more sugar or omit it entirely, depending on your taste.

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Probably won't last that long! Enjoy!