Hummingbird Cake

Ok, this is going on my to do list! It's from the Food Network magazine. Its looks like a winner.

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter, for greasing
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 3 ripe bananas, chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil

For the Frosting:

• 2 packages cream cheese (8 ounces each), at room temperature
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and dust with flour.

Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant and toasted, about 8 minutes. Let cool slightly, then roughly chop. Toss with the bananas, pineapple and 1/2 cup flour in a small bowl.

Whisk the remaining 2 1/4 cups flour, the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Beat the eggs and granulated sugar in a separate bowl with a mixer on high speed until thick and light, 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the vegetable oil.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the egg mixture, then gently fold to make a thick batter. Fold in the pecan-fruit mixture, then transfer the batter to the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are firm and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pans on a rack, 25 minutes, then invert the cakes onto the rack to cool completely.

Make the frosting: Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer until fluffy, then gradually beat in the butter until combined. Sift the confectioners' sugar over the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth. Add the lemon zest and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.

Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about half of the frosting on top, then cover with the other cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake.

T.G.I.F.

I am so glad it's the weekend. It's not like we have big plans or anything. As a matter of fact my husband will be working tomorrow. It just feels like this has been the longest week ever! I think we are going to open the pool up. The frogs won't be happy. They have started a whole frog family on the cover. There are babies everywhere. They make so much noise at night. I've threatened to get my frog gigger out several times!

For those of you that know me, you know that I have a 12 year old boy trapped inside me. I laugh at the stupidest (is that a word?) stuff. Today was no exception. I saw this soup package in the store today and within minutes had tears rolling down my face.


People were looking at me like I had lost my mind!! Who names it this though? Really? I will never make it, but I had to buy it. Ha!

I think I'm going to let the laundry wait and go relax with one of these............

Have a great weekend!

Heaven On Earth With An Onion Slice

May is National Hamburger Month. I love burgers on the grill. The classic cheeseburger is always good, but sometimes you want to spice it up a bit. That's when I make Black and Blue burgers. They are so good!

Black and Blue Burgers

6 burgers

* 1 lb ground chuck
* 1 lb ground beef round
* 6 fresh kaiser rolls, split
* 3-6 leaves romaine lettuce, torn
* 2 tomatoes, sliced
* 1 red onion, sliced
* 1/3 lb premium blue cheese (not crumbled)

For the Blackened Spice Mix

* 2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 2 teaspoons dried thyme
* 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
* 1 tablespoon onion powder

For the Dressing

* 3 ounces premium blue cheese
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise
* 1/4 cup sour cream
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1. You will need 1/2 pound blue cheese total (get the block type cheese, not the crumbled stuff in packages).
2. Prepare your dressing by crumbling 3 ounces of cheese and mixing it thoroughly with the other dressing ingredients and setting aside to chill (do not do this more than a few hours before).
3. Mix together your spice mix in a large shallow bowl or plate and set aside until needed.
4. Mix together chuck and round, then separate mixture into 1/3 pound pieces (just over 5 ounces)- you should have 6.
5. Divide each piece in half and form into a thin patty and place onto wax paper on whatever platter you are working with.
6. Take the 1/3 pound of blue cheese and cut into 6 divided sections (approximate) and place thin slices onto 6 of the patties you have formed.
7. Cover these patties with the remaining 6 patties and form a pinched seal around the edges, making it tight.
8. Pick up each patty, and gently reform the burger and pat it back out to thinness, if needed; rest them on waxed paper.
9. Take patties one by one and coat in the seasoning mixture, not forgetting to coat the side edges and patting them nicely flat when finished; rest on waxed paper.
10. Cook over heated coals or on gas grill until it is cooked through or temperature reads 160F (do not press on patties while grilling).
11. Allow patties to rest 10-15 minutes after cooking for cheese to settle.
12. Serve on split kaiser rolls (may toast them if you like) with appropriate condiments: lettuce, tomato, sliced red onion, and a little blue cheese dressing (instead of mayo; optional).

And wouldn't it be cute to show up for you Memorial Day cookout wearing this hamburger dress?? Too funny!
I'm not too sure about the dress, but you can't go wrong with the recipe!

What would National Hamburger Month be without a little Cheeseburger in Paradise?

We're Gonna Fuel The Fire, Gonna Stoke It Up

I love a good bonfire. We have quiet a few of them in the summer. We turn the music on in the "yard cabin," the kids draw or play cards.


It's a great time to hang out with the neighbors and share a s'mores and a Blue Moon.

Or a hot dog or two!

Bonfires are also great for teaching your boys about fire safety. ;)

And don't forget the ghost stories. Here's one of my favorites..........

The Hook

The reports had been on the radio all day, though she hadn't paid much attention to them. Some crazy man had escaped from the state asylum. They were calling him the Hook Man since he had lost his right arm and had it replaced with a hook. He was a killer, and everyone in the region was warned to keep watch and report anything suspicious. But this didn't interest her. She was more worried about what to wear on her date.

After several consultation calls with friends, she chose a blue outfit in the very latest style and was ready and waiting on the porch when her boyfriend came to pick her up in his car. They went to a drive-in movie with another couple, then dropped them off and went parking in the local lover's lane. The blue outfit was a hit, and she cuddled close to her boyfriend as they kissed to the sound of romantic music on the radio.

Then the announcer came on and repeated the warning she had heard that afternoon. An insane killer with a hook in place of his right hand was loose in the area. Suddenly, the dark, moonless night didn't seem so romantic to her. The lover's lane was secluded and off the beaten track. A perfect spot for a deranged mad-man to lurk, she thought, pushing her amorous boyfriend away.

"Maybe we should get out of here," she said. "That Hook Man sounds dangerous."

"Awe, c'mon babe, it's nothing," her boyfriend said, trying to get in another kiss. She pushed him away again.

"No, really. We're all alone out here. I'm scared," she said.

They argued for a moment. Then the car shook a bit, as if something…or someone…had touched it. She gave a shriek and said: "Get us out of here now!"

"Jeeze," her boyfriend said in disgust, but he turned the key and went roaring out of the lover's lane with a screeching of his tires.

They drove home in stony silence, and when they pulled into her driveway, he refused to help her out of the car. He was being so unreasonable, she fumed to herself. She opened the door indignantly and stepped into her driveway with her chin up and her lips set. Whirling around, she slammed the door as hard as she could. And then she screamed.

Her boyfriend leapt out of the car and caught her in his arms. "What is it? What's wrong?" he shouted. Then he saw it. A bloody hook hung from the handle of the passenger-side door.

Three-Six-Five

I haven't been too chatty lately, so I will just share some photos. I'm really loving this 365 challenge.


This is looking into the window of the local elementary school.

This is one of my favorites. The post processing, of course, gives it an old feel, but I also think the lady looks like she could have stepped out of the 70's. I loved the 70's, btw!

This one is priceless! How did he miss the sign?

This is my baby. Hard to believe he will soon be 13. Wow!

Another one with a 70's feel.

Old fire truck in downtown Locust Grove.

This car looks like Andy and Barney's!


This is my grandparents old house in Woolsey.

Unusual angle of a see saw. Whenever I see a see saw, I always remember jumping off and letting the other persons butt slam on the ground. Ha! Y'all did that too right??

I just liked the angels in this one.

This is from my first Jimmy Buffett concert. I painted my friend's "party bus" on all sides. I think this is the only decent picture of the night. I can't imagine why! We had so much fun!

Just random people hanging out on a Sunday afternoon.

Random Project 365 Pictures

I really wish that I would have organized these better. Here is another very random batch.

A house near me built their own hobbit hole. This little sign leading up to it is really cute.

This is a cute street in Macon, Georgia.

Sunset at a local reservoir

You're never too old for milk and cookies!



I love spring time!


Wine labels really interest me. These caught my eye at Publix.


Last but not least, my son wrecked his "new " car. At least it was with a concrete pole and not another car. Thank God for small favors!

Please Vote

Ok y'all there is a little 'vote Jones" button on the side bar. Please click it and vote for my cow photo. If it's chosen it will be featured on a label of Jones Soda. Thanks so much!

Sugary Goodness

My friend and I have have been planning to make The Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls for awhile. They just look so good. Today we finally took a crack at it.

It's really a wonder we got any made at all. Whenever we are together we are constantly laughing.


We've known each other for 19 years. We know each others secrets. We're second moms to each others children. She describes me as the little devil that is always on her shoulder. I'm not sure how I should take that. Ha!

Back to the rolls, they did not look at all like Ree's. Maybe we missed a step from all the cutting up. They were soft and mushy when we were rolling them up.

We couldn't believe how much butter the recipe called for. I think we left some out and still felt like we put in too much. Get a load of that measuring cup. Yep, all butter.

They turned out so ugly, but they were oh so good! I didn't even get a close up picture, they were that hideous. So direct your attention to the nice steaming cup of coffee and away from the flat blobs of sugary goodness.

Here's Ree's recipe. Be sure to go to her blog to see a really nice picture of these delicious rolls!

Ingredients

• 1 quart Whole Milk
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 packages Active Dry Yeast
• 8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
• Plenty Of Melted Butter
• 2 cups Sugar
• Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
• _____
• MAPLE FROSTING:
• 1 bag Powdered Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
• ½ cups Milk
• ¼ cups Melted Butter
• ¼ cups Brewed Coffee
• ⅛ teaspoons Salt

Preparation Instructions

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. “Scald” the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 400 degrees (see note below) until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting.

Note: My rolls don’t work for me at 400 degrees anymore. I now bake them at 375 degrees.

Project 365

I've been meaning to post my photos for the 365 project on a weekly basis. I'm just not organized nor disciplined enough to do that, I guess. So, I will periodically post several at a time! I've really enjoyed doing this, and I'm quiet surprised that I haven't tired of it yet.



This is one of my favorites. My son loves to draw and has gotten really good. He has sold two drawings already. Not bad for the ripe old age of 12!

To add to his drawing talents, he also has a big mouth! ;)

This is my dear sweet mother. She loves planting flowers!

From the book "Romancing the Ordinary"

One of my favorites from a photo shoot with my friends daughter. My boys think I'm weird for taking a picture of her feet! Ha!

Macro water drip

I love fingerling potatoes! They are so hard to find though.

I collect cook books. Love them!

Salad collage.

My middle child texting his friends about his first car. We went out looking for two weekends and couldn't find anything that would meet his dad's standards. We finally found this and drove it home and surprised him.

This picture looks very lonely to me.

Typical Sunday morning breakfast at our house. It's lowfat and all though. ;)

Hunter told me to title this one "cowlick." Gross!

This baboon looks so sad to me.



That's all folks!