Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Rain!

Is that what you call that watery stuff that's coming out of the sky and landing on the ground? We have it so infrequently that I'm not sure anymore!  :) 
    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

  1. 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.)       
  2.      Makes 2 cups. Stir into hot cooked pasta, or spread on garlic bread or multi-grain crackers.

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