The Great Strawberry Debacle!

What does one do when they realize that as the days pass they are becoming more and more of a mirror reflection of the person who they aspire to be like?

My Grandmother, Helen Bock, the Muse for my baking adventures if you will, would always purchase produce at the Supermarket when it was on sale because, well just because it was on sale and it was just too great of a value to turn down! So the other day, I'm at Super Target and see that Driscoll's Strawberries are on sale for $2.04 per pound? What??? I love Strawberries, I love Driscoll's so of course I decide to purchase 3 pounds without thinking what the heck am I going to do with all of these Strawberries?

The final decision? How could I utilize Strawberries at the peak of their perfection, when there is no question they are in season and amazing? My idea, Strawberry Bread! Like, Banana Bread but different, BETTER!

My recipe below has been adapted from several different sources so I don't wish to claim it to be my own recipe, because I'm not a plagiarist or a thief!

Strawberry Bread: I doubled the recipe due to the volume of strawberries I currently have in my possession. 

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
4 ounces cream cheese, room temp
2 eggs, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups AP flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temp if using fresh (I personally use powdered buttermilk - directions are on the container to compensate for liquid)
2 cups strawberries, rinsed, dried and chopped

Directions
- Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan
- With electric mixer cream butter, sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, sift together, then whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

- Using a Spatula, fold the flour mixture with butter mixture just until blended. Add buttermilk and only stir until just combined; do not over mix.
- Carefully fold in strawberries. Dough mixture will be thick.
- Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean or with a few crumbs stuck to it. 

- One removed from the oven allow the loaf/loaves to cool in their pans for about 10 minutes. Then invert and then re-invert the loaf/loaves onto cooling racks to finish cooling.

- Keep your Golden Retriever named Atticus out of the kitchen who is stealth like and is somehow able to jump up on counters and take something off of it without you even noticing. He also has quite the penchant for cappuccino made by Mommy, but that's another story for another time! 

Okay, so what we have here is the gorgeous loaf - or loaves in this case. They are not overly sweet, which is refreshing, but the fresh strawberry flavor is definitely present in every bite which was my goal in this feat!