For the Love of the Pound Cake

I thought it might be fun if I started posting my Times Column on the blog for you precious friends who read my ramblings here and may or may not read our local newspaper.  As you probably know, I write a column that appears there every 2nd and 4th Wednesday.  This particular one is all about the Pound Cake.  Mercy, I can't think of a better topic.  

For the Love of the Pound Cake

Let’s discuss the Pound Cake.  The pound cake was originally given this name because the ingredients consisted of a pound each of flour, sugar, eggs and butter.  That’s pretty straight forward and a good start.    I’ve always been a pound cake groupie but found myself usually sticking with the traditional buttermilk, sour cream or five-flavor variety when baking.  However, I got the itch to expand my horizons last fall so I embarked on a 16-week journey chronicled on my blog, cookingwithcrevolyn.com, that I affectionately called The Pound Cake Challenge.   I had a friend tell me the challenge would be not to gain the pounds!  Oh, so true.

Each week I made a pound cake recipe I had never made before.   I quickly found out that there were some seriously good pound cake recipes out there I had never even explored.   During the challenge, folks asked me which pound cake was my favorite but honestly, I couldn’t decide.   Imagine the yumminess of these varieties and  I’ll think you’ll understand the dilemma: Hummingbird Pound Cake; Coffee Cake Pound Cake; Key Lime Pound Cake; Caramel Pound Cake and my personal favorite (specifically for Christmas)  Red Velvet Peppermint Pound Cake just to name a few.   In addition, the Coconut Cream Pound Cake got the most hits on the blog of all the pound cake recipes which earned it a spot on the Best of 2013 Cooking with Crevolyn Recipes.  And rightfully so.  It is pretty amazing. 

I have found several things make for the perfect pound cake:  1. Before combining any of the ingredients, make sure they are at room temperature.  This will result in a cake with a perfect texture.   2.  Take time to properly cream the butter and sugar together until it’s fluffy and light.  3.  Resist the urge to over-mix once the dry ingredients are added.  4.  Prep the cake pan well.  I prefer butter and sugar to coat.  5.  When baking, place the cake pan in the center of the oven and keep the oven door closed until reaching the minimum baking time.  

After 16 amazing pound cake recipes during this challenge plus my tried-and-true favorites, it is my firm belief that you just can’t beat a good pound cake for dessert.  Truth be told, I’ve been known to eat pound cake for breakfast.   It’s a versatile food, you know.   So what you have here is a recipe for Peach Pound Cake, combining a pretty fabulous cake recipe with the most perfect of summer fruits, the peach.  I think you’ll agree it’s the best of both worlds. 

 

Peach Pound Cake

Ingredients:

Butter and sugar for coating pan

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh or frozen peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Coat a 10-inch tube pan with butter and then dust with white sugar.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla.  Reserve ¼ cup of flour and sift together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.  Gradually stir into the creamed mixture.   Use the reserved ¼ cup flour to coat the peaches then fold the floured peaches into the batter.  Spread evenly into the prepared pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.  Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

 

 

Name Something that Follows the Word Pork

 

Oh y'all.  I needed a good laugh this morning and this did not disappoint.  Happy Monday!

 

 

A Life Well Lived

 I honestly don't know how to express what I'm feeling.  Sadness. Heartbreak. Mourning. Joy.  Sounds like which one is not like the other doesn't it?  Maybe I can explain.  On Tuesday morning, D called.  Through his tears, I heard the words I had been dreading.  I heard him say that Keaton had been rushed to the ER and it was not good.  He was on his way to  the  hospital.  I just sat there...frozen.  I couldn't move.  All I could do was cry.   And pray.   I tried to get up to get in the shower but I couldn't.  How in the world did this happen?  How could the 18 year old son of our dear friends be just hanging on to this life? 

Two years ago this strong vibrant football player got the news.  He had cancer.  Brain cancer.  For the past two years I have watched his amazing parents do everything humanly possible to find treatment for this horrible disease that had invaded the body of their youngest son.  We followed their journey through countless doctors visits, tests, hospital stays, clinical trial opportunities, all the while, praying for a miracle.  We've sat in hospital and waiting rooms anxiously awaiting some good news.  I have watched two parents whose love for their child drove them to explore every possible medical avenue imaginable.  I also witnessed a family whose faith never wavered.

Our families have been friends for many years.  When the children were younger the dads decided they would take the boys on a ski trip.  This began a tradition of an annual Spring Break trip to snow covered mountains all over the nation.  They had some great times but most of all, they made some great memories.   Eventually, the boys got older and had other commitments that made it impossible to schedule a group trip.  But they had laid a foundation of friendship that would last through the years.  Keaton was usually the youngest one to go along on the trips.  But rest assured, that didn't stop him from doing anything the other boys did ... and more.  When Keaton was first diagnosed, his friends and family began a group called "Keaton's Warriors."  Keaton was a warrior, never complaining, always positive throughout his journey.  He was an inspiration.  His parents continue to be an inspiration. 

On Tuesday evening I found myself sitting in Keaton's hospital room with three dear friends.  Keaton's mom had asked us to stay with him so he wouldn't be alone until the funeral home staff arrived.  Yes, I sat there with the shell of Keaton's physical body.  The angels had already taken him to heaven.  I know this  because several of our church staff witnessed the angels lifting his arms as they ushered him into the gates of heaven.   They saw it.  And I believe it.  I have never in my life experienced anything like this before but for some reason God had placed me in this room.  And I am so thankful He did.   I cried and then I prayed.  I prayed for our friends who were experiencing immeasurable grief.  I prayed for comfort for the days ahead as they began this horrendous journey that no parent should ever have to go on.  And then my grief took a turn.  I looked at this young man and I thought, he is now seeing Jesus!   He is now in the presence of our Holy God.  I imagined Keaton running, fully healed now, straight into the arms of the God he loved so much.  My grief somehow turned to joy.  Joy that can only come from the hope that Jesus gives for eternal life.  Joy that comes from accepting Jesus as your Savior and then living a life that honors Him.  Keaton did just that.  As I walked out of that hospital room, I kissed that precious boy on the forehead with a peace in my soul that He was finally home.  This is not the end of Keaton's story.  As believers, death in this world is not the end of our story.  Our eternal life begins when we go through that veil from this earth into heaven; when Jesus welcomes us to our heavenly home.    Yes, our hearts are broken but we are not hopeless.  Jesus binds up the broken hearted and gives hope to the hopeless.  Praise Him! 

Keaton, we'll miss you buddy. And as my Daddy said to me right before the angels took him, "I'll see you on the other side."

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demon neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."    Romans 8:38-39

Amelia Island GFIA Trip Recap

Well, I know that I said I would update from Amelia but there was the eating, and the laying by the pool and then of course the reading.  So basically, I didn't have a single minute to do anything.  I really did do more than that I promise. 

When we got to The Plantation on Thursday, I quickly realized that I wouldn't want to leave this place anytime soon.  This is the view from our room:

Not only was the view amazing, the room itself was gorgeous.  I could not keep my eyes off of this group of photos that was placed over the desk area.

And this chair and ottoman.  The ottoman has a leather tufted top.  Get out.  The large pillow was off of the bed.  This room was exquisite. 

Then of course, there was more fabulousness and things of beauty when we went to supper Thursday night in downtown Fernandina at Brett's Waterway Café.  This was the BBQ shrimp over a bed of grits and turnip green.  And oh yeah, there were Vidalia onion rings involved.  I ate every.single.drop. that was in that bowl. 

 

Then we were back to the resort for the Best Bagger Contest.  Our girl, Katie didn't win but she did us proud and represented us well.  And on top of that she is just the sweetest thing ever.  This bagger contest is face-paced and intense.  There are two rounds:  one for plastic and one for reusable.  They have no idea what the grocery items are going to be that are to be bagged until they walk up on the stage. The score is based on weight distribution of the bags as well as their timing.   And they're up in front of about 300 people.  It's pretty nerve racking and I was just watching. 

 

 

On Friday morning, I attended a seminar with Darrell and then decided to go into downtown Fernandina to do a little shopping while he was still in meetings.  I adore this little town.  There are such great shops and restaurants.  But I wasn't out for a leisurely stroll.  I was on a shopping mission.  Last fall, we stayed on Amelia during the Georgia Florida game and were able to spend some free time in Fernandina.  That's when I found my most favorite pair of pants ever.  They were the cutest, most comfortable pair of pants I think I've ever had and I wore them all winter.  They were black (surprise, I know) so I thought maybe a brown pair might be a good idea.  And guess what?  they had them in brown.  I snatched them right up and skipped all the way home. 

Friday night at the GFIA convention is so fun.  There is dinner, a live auction and a seriously good dance band.  We danced and danced and just had the best time.

Then Saturday was the food show which was amazing.  Of course, there is food galore but there is always a place I find my way to first.  The book table.  They give away, get this, FREE books.  Yes, I pretty much think I have died and gone to heaven when I get there.  I quickly filled up my bag with all I could carry.  On Saturday night we got all dressed up for the Chairman's Dinner.  Here we are in our finest. 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Amelia Island Plantation!  We sure had a good time!

Hope to see you soon. 

 

Love,

The Wileys

 

On the Road Again ... to Amelia Island

I'm scheduling this blog post ahead of time because this is our travel day to Amelia for the Georgia Food Industry Association Convention.   Like I've said before this is a big working trip for D and E so this will prove to be a jam packed 4 days for them.  JandJ will participate in the Best Bagging Contest on Thursday night so that is always fun.  Maybe we'll come away the winner for the state of Georgia!   The Best Bagger Contest is combined with a fabulous silent auction.   I can't wait to show you what the store's contribution was to this auction.  It's awesome.   This is the first time we have gone to The Plantation since it was purchased by the Omni Hotel Groups and has been renovated.  I'll be giving updates over the next few days.

On a totally unrelated note, when I got home late Sunday night from Atlanta, a box was waiting for me.  I had ordered these books a several days ago and was so excited to see them on my doorstep.  I LOVE beautiful books and these two did not disappoint.  I've just looked quickly but have them packed in my suitcase already preparing for my leisure time at the beach.   Just in case you are needing some inspiration, need a new coffee table book or are like me and just love spending time with books like these, you'll want to check them out.    They are scrumptious. 

Something that you may not know about me is that I'm somewhat of a book hoarder. Oh really, you didn't know?   If I see a book that piques my interest, I go ahead and buy it for when I might get around to reading it.  I have a stockpile ready at any time.  So when a trip comes along I go to my bookcase and pull out what sounds good.   These are the ones I'm taking with me. I know there probably couldn't be three more different books but my reading tastes are kinda eclectic.    Let's see, we've got "Bossy Pants" by Tina Fey;  "On Folly Beach" by Karen White;  and "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak.   Also, I wanted to show you the devotion book that I'm loving by Beth Moore, "Whispers of Hope, 40 Weeks of Devotional Prayer."   I mean I'm really loving it.  I might do another post just about this book.  It's that good.

4th of July Weekend Recap

How was your 4th weekend?  I hope you waved flags, watched fireworks and ate some good food.  Ours didn't go as planned.  The plan was to stay in Atlanta Thursday night and E, N and D would run the Peachtree on Friday.  I'm happy to report that part went as clockwork.  All 3 of them smoked that 'ole road race with great race times.  Go Team Wiley/Williams!  My plan was to stay in the comforts of my hotel room until they got back and D's mom would do the same.   Then, once D was showered and ready, we would head to Tennessee to see his sister and family.  This is where we ran into a snag.  I big one.  While D, N, and E were all at the race, I got a call from D's mom that she had fallen getting in the shower and thought she had broken her ankle.  Which come to find out, she did.  So we spent the weekend of the 4th in the Atlanta Medical Center.  As you can imagine, it's not your first choice for a holiday weekend excursion. 

But you know you have to look on the bright side... her injuries weren't life-threatening.  (Sidenote:  we were staying at Hotel Indigo right across from the Fox Theatre on Peachtree.  It is a fabulous hotel but the bathrooms are tiny and I mean t.i.n.y.  It's an older building and they have done the best they could with renovations but you just can't change some things.  All of that to say, it's a  miracle she didn't hit her head on some hard surface on the way down. So, for that we are thankful.  It could have been worse).

Second, you know one of my July goals was to eat at a great restaurant with D that we had never been to before.  Well, guess what?  that was accomplished.  We were at the hospital ALL day on Friday and ALL day on Saturday so by Saturday night, we were exhausted and tired of eating hospital food.  So after we left the hospital, we decided to venture out for a late supper.  And we are so glad we did.  We ended up at Six Feet Under on 11th Street.  It was awesome!  I had crab cakes and a spinach salad and D had a combo basket which included shrimp, catfish, cod and the best homemade potato chips I have ever put in my mouth.  This trip turned out to be the high point of the whole weekend.  It's not really how I planned to accomplish this July goal but hey, I'll take it. 

D's mom finally made it home last night.  She was supposed to travel with us tomorrow to Amelia but it doesn't look like that is going to happen.  I so hate that because she was really looking forward to it. 

I wish I had some great photos to show of us in our red, white and blue waving flags and eating hot dogs but I don't.  It's okay.  That's the way life goes sometimes.   But I do have this great picture of our racers taken in the hotel lobby at 6:15 a.m. Friday morning as they were heading out to run!  They were lookin' good! 

July Goals!

So I read a lot of blogs.  I love blogs because it gives you a peek into somebody's life.  May be the reason you're reading ... maybe?  It's okay, I totally get it.  So one blogger that I love has started doing monthly goals.  I'm a goal-oriented person so this speaks right to my heart.  So I thought maybe I should make monthly goals as a way to hold myself accountable.  Sounds reasonable, right?  I'll be honest.  Some are going to be easy to keep and some, not so much.  I know enough from business school that goals need to be measurable and attainable.  I'm only going to do 5 or less per month and then we'll evaluate my success on the last day of the month.

Goal #1: Read 2 books this month.  Thought I would start off with one I could keep. ha!   I love to read!!   I'll be spending a few days vacationing this month so that means I'll be reading.  Even if I'm not vacationing, I'm reading.  So this one for me ... easy.  I might share what I'm reading here over the course of the month.

Goal #2:  Try a restaurant with Darrell that we've never been to before.  I think this will be fun!  I've already got a list started.

Goal #3:  Go on a picnic with Darrell.  You know, July should be the month of all months that we go on a picnic.  We're going to do it.

Goal #4: Start buying a few Christmas gifts.  I say this every year and by golly, this year I'm going to do some early shopping.  Because I told you I was.  See?  makes me accountable. 

Goal #5:   Because July is a laid back month for me by intention, I use it for planning and gearing up for the rest of the year.  So something I want to accomplish is to set up my recipe plan for Cooking with Crevolyn for the rest of the year.  I usually do this twice a year, creating weekly plans for ideas for recipes.   So now is the time. 

Okay, I'll be back at the end of the month to report. 

Happy Happy Happy 4th!

For the past couple of years, Jay Stein from SteinMart has sent this video with his 4th of July message through email.  And every year I think, I just love this so much.  So I thought I would share, too.  Wishing you a happy and safe celebration of freedom.

Lemon Blueberry Cream Pie!

How about we talk about my new favorite summertime pie?  I have featured this in the newspaper column, on the Cooking with Crevolyn blog and now here.  Suffice it to say, I am crazy about this pie.  Honestly, a no-bake pie in the hot of the summer is the best thing ever.    You're gonna love it, I promise.   Feel free to thank me later.

Lemon Blueberry Cream Pie

Ingredients:

·         1 prepared graham cracker crust

·         1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened

·         1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

·         1/4 cup powdered sugar

·         1 (3 ounce) package of lemon instant pudding mix

·         2 teaspoons lemon zest

·         1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

·         1 pint fresh blueberries

·         2 tablespoons blueberry preserves or jam

·         Whipped Cream to garnish

Directions:

1.       In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, milk and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until creamy.  Beat in lemon pudding mix, lemon zest and lemon juice until just blended. 

2.       Pour half of your lemon mixture into your prepared pie crust.  Stir together the blueberries with the blueberry preserves in a small bowl.  Pour the blueberry mixture evenly over the top of lemon pie layer. 

3.       Top the blueberry layer with the other half of the lemon mixture.  Chill pie at least two hours.  Remove pie from fridge and cut into wedges.  Serve with a garnish of whipped cream.

As the DVR World Turns

I thought it might be fun for y'all to see what is on my DVR.  People ask me all the time what I watch and why.  Not sure why they ask me that but I seem to get that question a lot.  So, inquiring minds want to know so here we go.

I'm sitting in front of the TV writing this so I'm going right down in order of appearance on the DVR.  This may take awhile.  We have a long list.  However, keep in mind this is the middle of the summer and some of our regular shows aren't on the agenda.  I'll update when the new seasons starts. 

1.  The Bachelorette.  I know, please don't judge. While I usually don't watch it, I am more than intrigued by bachelorette, Andi and Josh Murray.  You know Josh - the twin but not really just brother - of our UGA Bulldawg Aaron Murray.  Seriously, they look just alike which yes, ladies, it means they are both as cute as all get out.  I have actually already watched Monday night's episode and know that Josh is one of the top 4 contenders for Andi's heart.  She will be going to Josh's hometown and meet his family.  Needless to say, I cannot wait for next week's episode.

2.  Sarah 101.  This is a HGTV show that I love.  It comes along about once every 2 months on HGTV and while they still play old episodes, I still keep watching.  Sarah Richardson just has the best design style which I guess that means it's the style that I like. ha! She's the bomb in the design world if you ask me.

3.  The Big Bang Theory.  Yes, still watching.  While D and I have probably seen every episode in the show's 7 seasons, they never get old.  Love this quirky show.

4.  Chrisley Knows Best.  Have a'mercy, this show cracks me up. Have you seen it?  It's a reality show following the Chrisley family of Atlanta on the USA network.  Oh, I can't even describe it.  It's like a train wreck, you just can't look away even if you wanted to.

5.  Castle.  Castle continues to be one of my favorite shows.  Rick and Kate just can't be beat.

6.  Duck Dynasty.  What can you say about the Duck Commander family?  Faith, family and ducks.  That's their motto.   A new season started a few weeks ago so this does offer a much welcome break from every other show's reruns.

7.   And then there is my list of cooking shows .. First, the Pioneer Woman.  Ree Drummond may be my favorite home chef/cooking blogger/cookbook author of all time.  I just love her, her family, the ranch she lives on, the tops and jewelry she wears ... everything about her.  She's a delight.

8.  Trisha's Southern Kitchen.  I'm also a huge fan of Trisha Yearwood and her brand of cooking.  She doesn't take herself too seriously.  I absolutely crack up, even though I've heard it tons of times, when she calls her husband, Garth Brooks, "Gartha Stewart."

9.  Southern at Heart.  This show is my new cooking show addiction.  Damaris Phillips is a winner of the food challenge show, Food Network Star and a trained chef who lives in Kentucky.  She has a fabulous sense of humor and she, too, wears the cutest clothes, aprons, and jewelry. I love when cute aprons are involved.  I think we could be best friends.  She is a breath of fresh air for the Food Channel.

10.  Shark Tank.  What can I say?  We are entrepreneurs at heart so this shows just speaks to us.

11.  Say Yes to the Dress.  I don't think any explanation is needed for obvious reasons.

12.  Something Borrowed, Something New.  In case you are unfamiliar, this "wedding dress" show takes a different turn and involves a wedding dress heirloom that a designer reworks to rival a brand spanking new dress.  Then the brides has to make the decision between the old-made-new dress or a brand new dress.  It's riveting.  (TLC on Friday Bride Night).

13.  Your Move with Andy Stanley.  I record all of Andy's sermons and watch them.  They are just that good.  I have been known to watch them twice.

That's pretty much it but I think that's enough.  Like I said, the list will change when the likes of Scandal, Dancing with the Stars and The Voice return for a new season.  Until then, happy watching!

What I Love about July 2014

What  a better day to start blogging again than July 1st!  We are halfway through 2014 - can you believe it? The first half of 2014 has flown by with a flurry.  It seems that the older I get the faster time goes.

So before I tell you what I love about 2014, I've got to tell you how today started.  So, I usually get up and shower, do my makeup, roll my hair and then get dressed, all before I take the puppies out.  They are content to lay on the bed and watch me get ready in the bathroom.  This morning I get to this point in my "getting ready process" and then take the dogs out to potty.  As I'm walking around the front yard, waiting patiently for them to do their business, I fall in a little hole.  And twist my ankle.  Fall rear first in the wet grass.  As I regain my senses, I realize that my hair rollers have gone flying across the front yard upon impact.  The dogs sense that I might be hurt (thankfully, I'm not) so they are on top of me ... howling.  Not just quietly, bless them, but howling loudly.  It's really sweet when I think about it but at the time all I could think about is how could anything else draw more attention to me that two dogs pushing me to the wet ground, on top of me, howling on the top of their lungs.  Oh my word.  Swallowing any pride I have left, I assure them that I'm okay, hoping they will hush.  They haven't had a chance to potty yet so I have to stay out there and wait, quietly praying that no one drives by or looks out their window.    It's not like I can make a run to the house at this point.  All of this to say, it was quite the sight.  I had to go in and change clothes and redo my hair but on the bright side, I am not injured, not physically any way.

Okay, on to the happenings of July, 2014.
Note:   July is a slower month for me on purpose.  The wedding business side of my life is crazy during the spring and fall.  I usually try to take a little break in July because I know what the fall looks like.  And this year is no exception.  However, the Cooking with Crevolyn side of my life continues on ... cooking, blogging and writing for the newspaper.   But the month of July is a good time for me to use some extra time for planning ahead for both jobs and for life in general.  Therefore, I love July.  So this list is going to short because as far as major events, we don't have many scheduled.  We like the lazy days of summer around here. 
1.  On Thursday, D and I along with his mom will head down to Atlanta to spend the night so D can be close to the action for the Peachtree Road Race.  E and N will come down to join the running fun.  I will be content to cheer them on.  After the race we will head north to Tennessee for a visit with D's sister and her family for the weekend.   So the 4th will be spent running, riding and hopefully reveling in some fireworks fun somewhere along the way. 
2.  We'll barely get our bags unpacked before we repack for our annual trip to the Georgia Food Industry's convention, this year held at The Plantation at Amelia Island.  This is honestly one of my favorite things we do all year.  While it's a working trip for D and E, I have a great time visiting with friends, sitting by the pool, eating in great restaurants, shopping, and relaxing.  I know, I feel kinda bad. A little bit.  :)
3.  Later in the month, I'm going to take my Momma on a little road trip.  We'll be gone 3 or 4 days to a location that is yet to be determined.  She did, however, remind me that she has a bathing suit and cover up that fit and that she's not afraid to wear it.  Is that not hilarious?  I think we'll definitely go somewhere she can sport that suit and cover-up!

And that, my friends, is about it for major things in July.  See what I mean? I just love it.  Just normal everyday work things with some fun thrown in along the way. 

Now, I'm off to get groceries for some upcoming recipes and to nurse my wounded ego.

Happy July!