Frank’s Favorite Strawberry Cake | Shirley Dunaway Outen When Shirley Dunaway Outen and her husband, Frank, were newly married, his parents owned a small farm west of Plant City. His mother gave Shirley his favorite cake recipe, which she made over the years. Shirley’s husband died in August 2012, shortly after their 50th wedding anniversary. […]
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Glazed Strawberry Tarts
Glazed Strawberry Tarts | Judy Wise Judy Wise found this strawberry tart recipe handwritten in her mother’s cookbook. It’s at least from the 1960s, and Judy says it tastes wonderful and is so pretty. INGREDIENTS 1 quart strawberries ½ cup confectioners’ sugar 1 cup water ½ to 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch Red […]
Continue ReadingClean Eating Strawberry Shortcake
Clean Eating Strawberry Shortcake | Emilie Plants After making a complete body transformation in the past year, former Florida Strawberry Festival Queen’s Court member Emilie Plants has started her own personal training bootcamp. She loves to peruse the web for health and fitness blogs. She found this paleo-friend option online. SHORTCAKE INGREDIENTS 1/3 cup coconut […]
Continue ReadingStrawberry Smoothie
Strawberry Smoothie | Devon Higginbotham During the winter strawberry season, when the berries are plentiful, Devon Higginbotham stashes her excess in the freezer for smoothies. If you want to keep them from freezer burn, use a vacuum sealer to remove the air so they stay fresh longer. INGREDIENTS Dozen frozen berries (or about a cup […]
Continue ReadingStrawberry Goat Cheese Flatbread Salad
Strawberry Goat Cheese Flatbread Salad | Wish Farms There’s no shortage of delicious strawberry-themed recipes on Wish Farm’s website. From desserts to breakfast, there’s something for everyone. Family Foodie is the blogger that developed the flatbread salad for Wish Farms. INGREDIENTS 4 Naan flat breads 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 2 teaspoons unsalted butter 1 […]
Continue ReadingBREAKING NEWS: Ronnie Milsap cancels festival show
The Florida Strawberry Festival announced today that Ronnie Milsap, the entertainer scheduled to perform at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, has been replaced with BJ Thomas. “Still recovering from recent surgery, and under doctor’s supervision, Ronnie Milsap has not been cleared to travel and/or perform and must regretfully cancel his scheduled appearance at the Florida Strawberry Festival,” said a Milsap […]
Continue ReadingWin two tickets to Rascal Flatts!
Youth pop band NRG and the Plant City Times & Observer are teaming up to give one lucky winner tickets to one of this year’s hottest concerts! The Rascal Flatts prize pack includes two general admission tickets, as well as two tickets to the concert, which takes place at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 2. Plant […]
Continue ReadingFlorida Strawberry Festival Ticket Winner: Rachel Green
We received many, many entries for the first of our NRG/Plant City Times & Observer Florida Strawberry Festival ticket giveaways. Some made us laugh, while others tugged at our heartstrings. In the end, Rachel Green’s entry stood out above the rest: “I am thrilled to get the chance to share my special story with you,” […]
Continue ReadingPAST & PRESENCE: Albert Schneider: Festival’s first president
For the onset of Florida Strawberry Festival season, we decided to take a look back at the beginning of the festival. As noted historian D. E. Bailey Jr. wrote, “Harvest festivals have long been traditional with every country in the land.” Plant City was going to have one. The role of strawberry production and sales […]
Continue ReadingVIDEO: Meet the 2014 Florida Strawberry Festival Queen and Court
Associate Editor Amber Jurgensen met with the 2014 Florida Strawberry Festival Queen and Court for the first time Jan. 28, for this exclusive video. We hope you enjoy. Special thanks to 2014 Queen Jessi Rae Varnum, First Maid Lindsey English and court members Macaley Barrow, Kallee Cook and Caitlyn Kent!
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