Anyhow, the whole Front Range is covered with lovely soft gray clouds, and the temp's gone down a good bit, as well. The Waldo Canyon fire down south is about 70% contained now, thank God.
You can almost hear a collective "ahhh" from the parched earth and green stuff.
Think I'll make a pound cake for tomorrow's festivities... and have Daughter #1 make me a batch of pesto while she's here, as well. Steaks on the barbecue, pesto with tossed pasta, watermelon, a salad, then pound cake with strawberries -- how does that sound?
MAMA'S POUND CAKE (courtesy of Paula Deen and the Food Network -- link here)
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, plus more for pan
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I'll use a bit less than this)
- 3 cups sugar
- 5 eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
With a mixer, cream butter and shortening together. Add sugar, a
little at a time. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl and add to mixer alternately
with milk, starting with the flour and ending with the flour. Mix in
vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake for 1 to 1
1/2 hours, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes
out clean.Sprinkle cake with powdered sugar, slice and serve with strawberries. Makes from 6-12 servings, depending on your crowd.
NEVER-FAIL PESTO (from AllRecipes.com -- link's here.)
- 3 cups packed fresh basil leaves
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Directions
- Combine basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and nuts in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend to a smooth paste. Add parsley if desired. (I usually don't.)
- Makes 2 cups. Stir into hot cooked pasta, or spread on garlic bread or multi-grain crackers.
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