It's A Wonderful Life

It was a sunny afternoon on April 15th eight years ago that Stone and I said our vows.  A precious man by the name of Mr. Harry L. Whittington performed our ceremony, and told us of his love for his late wife Edna of 60 years.  Several weeks following our nuptials we received a letter from Mr. Whittington, thanking Stone and I for allowing him to share our special moment.  He was an adorable man with a big heart.  

Immediately following our commemoration, driving by the Hot Now sign, we stopped at Krispy Kreme and shared donuts and a diet coke.  Go ahead and say it, I know you want to, how romantic!  

We made what most people consider to be an unhappy day, Tax Day, into a very happy one.  And by getting married on tax day, we were guaranteed not to ever forget our anniversary.  Well, maybe once someone did.  I'm not mentioning any names.  

Happy Anniversary To Us

Abingdon, VA  a quant little town located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is where we spent our anniversary this year. 

 As we have on numerous occasions, we stayed at The Martha Washington Inn & Spa.  Legend has it that the Martha Washington has been home to ghost since the Civil War, where it served as a hospital. 

   

The Martha Washington Inn &  Spa was built in 1832.

 Virginia Is For Lovers

Ducks on the lawn of the Martha Washington Inn & Spa.

 Enjoying our wine in the library prior to going to dinner.

"Hello"

The Barter Theatre,where we attended the musical Big Fish, is honored as the State Theatre of Virginia.

 And of course as always, we had dinner at The Tavern.  Built in 1779, it was originally used as a tavern and overnight inn for stagecoach traveler's.  Today The Tavern is a place where you can relax and enjoy fine food.

 Brie Cheese

Our favorite appetizer when we eat at The Tavern.  It's baked with honey, brown sugar and toasted almonds. And then it is served in a toasted bread bowl.

  

 We couldn't leave Abingdon without walking some of the Virginia Creeper Trail.  The last time we were here, my daughter Abby Gail was with us.  We biked the trail and it was covered with snow.  How do you bike on a trail with snow you ask?  Very slowly!

 This trail passes through the scenic backcountry of Western Virginia.  It stretches 35 miles from Abingdon to the North Carolina State Line.

Of course it being our anniversary, I just had to bake a cake.  This year I chose a citrusy treat with orange cream filling and a vanilla bean frosting.  And yes, we took some with us on our road trip!

Orange Creamsicle Cake

Ingredients for the Orange Creamsicle Cake:

2 1/4 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

2 Tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

zest of one orange

4 egg yolks

Directions for the Orange Creamsicle Cake:

Preheat oven to 350'.  

Prepare three 6" cake pans with baking spray and parchment paper.  Set aside.  

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, stir together the sour cream, milk, and vanilla.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth.  Add in the sugar and zest.  Mix on medium for about 3-5 minutes until fluffy and pale in color.  Turn the mixer to medium-low and add in the egg yolks, one at a time.  Stop mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.  

With the mixer on low, add in half of the flour mixture.  Add in the sour cream mixture and mix until combined.  Stop mixer and scrape down the bowl.  Turn mixer back to low and add in the remaining flour mixture.  Mix on medium-low for no more than 20-30 seconds once the last traces of flour combine.

Evenly distribute between the three prepared pans.  Bake for about 24-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.   Let cool for 10-15 minutes before removing the cakes from their pans.

Ingredients for the Orange Simple Syrup:

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

2 Tablespoons water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Directions for the orange Simple Syrup:

Place all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Heat over medium-high and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 8-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool before use.

Ingredients for the Orange Cream Filling:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups confectioner's sugar

6 Tablespoons cream cheese

zest of 1/2 large orange

fresh orange juice to thin out to desired consistency (about 1-2 Tablespoons)

Directions for the Orange Cream Filling:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth.  With the mixer on lox, gradually add in the confectioner's sugar until combined.  Add in the cream cheese, orange zest and orange juice and mix on medium-low until smooth.  Be sure not to over-mix the filling once the cream cheese has been added.

Ingredients for the Vanilla Bean Buttercream:

3 egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened

1/2 vanilla bean-seeds scraped out

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions for the Vanilla Bean Buttercream:

Combine egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Whisk together.  Fill a medium saucepan with a few inches of water and heat over medium-high.  Place the mixing bowl on top of the saucepan to create a double-boiler.  Heat the egg white mixture until it registers 155' on a candy thermometer.

Once hot, carefully transfer the mixing bowl back to the stand mixer.  Fitted with the whisk attachment, beat on high until the outside of the mixing bowl returns to too temperature-about 10 minutes-and you have medium-stiff glossy peaks.  With the mixer on low, add in the vanilla, vanilla bean, and butter-a few Tablespoons at a time.  Turn mixer up to medium-high and mix until silky smooth.  Recipe adapted from: http://thecakeblog.com/2015/05/orange-creamsicle-cake.html

For the Assemble:

Generously brush each layer of cake with the simple syrup.  Fill the cake layers with the orange cream filling and frost with the buttercream.

For the drip, mix desired amount of powdered sugar with orange juice to make a runny, but not too runny glaze.  Add food coloring.

Daughters Of The American Revolution

For over 30 years I've wanted to be a part of the largest women's group in the United States.  The DAR, an organization of women who share a familiar connection of having an ancestor who helped contribute to securing the Independence of the United States of America.  Today that dream came true.  As we gathered at the Fox Den Country Club, I was sworn in and pinned as we also celebrated the 58th birthday of the Andrew Bogle Chapter and the 125th birthday of the DAR.

To become a member I had to prove I was a descendant from a patriot of the American Revolution.  I had to be a direct and traceable blood relation in order to qualify.  So here I am, a member of the Andrew Bogle Chapter, a fabulous group of patriotic women who make a difference in our community and whom I enjoy spending time with and getting to know.  As I've discovered from speaking to several of the DAR ladies, sometimes it takes years to find the information you need. With the lack of bookkeeping, war and fires, you are not able to discover the evidence needed.  Mine came easy although it didn't seem like it at the time.  I wanted immediate results.

Not only did I find a soldier, (George Long) in my family, I found many.  As my mama say's, "our family practically won the war!"

There has been several notable DAR members such as Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, former Attorney General Janet Reno, actresses Ginger Rogers and Bo Derek, first ladies Laura Bush, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, Mamie Eisenhower, Rosalyn Carter and my husband's friend,  Physician and NASA Astronaut Margaret Rhea Seddon, just to name a few.

Kathy Chippendale, a long time friend and fellow DAR member and I.

Susan Dakak, standing to the left was born in Baghdad, Iraq an immigrated to the United States in 1978 with her family.  She graduated with a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Tennessee Tech in 1983.

She returned to Iraq during the Iraq War to help her people in their struggle for independence.  She volunteered with the Coalition Provincial Authority by using her 26 years of technical knowledge to assist the people of Iraq.

Her U.S. citizenship is a precious gift to her.  "Becoming a U.S. citizen for us immigrants means the dream of being protected by the Constitution and Bill of Rights of the United States is finally real."

She has written articles for the Knoxville News Sentinel, one of which was written to G.I. "You dear soldier are the fruit of the Blessed American People."

Family history is something that I have been interested in for a long time.  I wanted to discover my roots.  Back before we had a computer it was just to difficult.  You would have to travel to where the leads took you, and with four children that was out of the question.  More than once, I've wondered where my people came from and who they were.  What mysteries lurked in their closets.
My mama and I often wondered what really happened to Great Grandma Janie May.  Was she murdered, like the story goes?  Did she and my Great Grandfather move from Texas to Arizona and why?  These and more are some of the mysteries I have begun to solve.

Great Grandma Janie May-Great Grandpa John Sherman-Grandpa L.M.-Great Aunt Odessa

My oldest daughter, Malia, loves looking at all the family wills I have found. She was very interested in the wordings like  (bequeath) and the things that were important to them that they passed on to their spouse and children.   A large percent of my people were farmers and some had plantations.  Many were slave owners, something that I'm not proud of, but is however documented in black and white.

There are some things you just don't mess with when it comes to my mama like the American flag and many other things. She's a strong and proud Texas woman just like me.  My mama flies her flag and worries when a storm is coming. She will go out if a storm is coming to take her flag down and bring it in to safety.  Sometimes the wind is so strong it nearly blows her away, but she protects her flag.  There's one thing you cannot call my mama and that's unpatriotic.  The red, white and blue are her favorite colors.

Our speaker, Kira Jones of the Boys & Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley

A tasty lunch was served.  

Chicken Piccata, green beans with almonds, salad, rolls, baked potato, and a  beverage.

And lastly the most important, at least to me, Birthday Cake.

As Julia Child said, "a party without cake is just a meeting."
This definitely was no ordinary meeting, but a party as we celebrated two very important birthdays.

Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home

Stone and I spent a week in Pennsylvania helping Delia and Michael move and settle into their first house.  We carried boxes up and down stairs.  We painted, trimmed hedges, cleaned windows, ran errands, shopped and took care of Speck, who slept with Stone and I many of these nights.  This I didn't tell our Lucy who would have been JEALOUS!!!!  

Lucy

While Stone and I were visiting, Delia and Michael attended the Exceptional Care for Children's 7th Annual  Spring Gala in New Jersey.  Exceptional Care for Children provides transitional, long-term, and end of life or palliative care to children who are all medically fragile and dependent on medical technology for survival.

Stone assisting Michael with his pocket square.

Michael, like all southern men take pride in knowing how to tie a bow-tie.  Therefore he was not happy with the pre-tied that accompanied the tux.  Any bow-tie aficionado would be able to spot the difference.

 Delia and Michael as they where leaving to attend the 

Exceptional Care For Children 7th Annual Spring Gala

Delia looking exquisite in her gown while Michael is smashing in his tux.

After a busy week of moving and unpacking, the first meal was served at the new house.  As Stone would say, "what could be better than waffles?"  My man loves him some waffles, and Delia puts chocolate chips in the ones she makes.  And everyone knows chocolate makes everything just plain YUM.

I loved this!!!

Maybe Speck was sad because Stone and I were heading to the airport.  Could it be he wanted us to stay?  I'm sure he was thinking about all the neck scratches he would be missing.  Stone is Speck's personal neck scratcher.  He's one lucky dog.

So pitiful.

This home is filled with kisses, wagging tails, wet noses and love, just saying!

Speck would drag this rug around the house putting it where he wanted to be.  Until the rest of the furniture arrived he had claimed this spot.

As in my house, there will be many meals and conversations that will take place around their table.

Book Club-The Remains Of The Day

 Our book club, consisting of eight men and women gather monthly if possible.  I have to admit, the books that I enjoy I would not read if it weren't for the book club.  I'm typically not a deep reader, I like Southern novels or as some would say easy reads.   Hey, there is nothing wrong with that!   

One of my favorite books is Roses by Leila Meacham, and just last week I read her pre-sequal to Roses, Somerset. These books take place in Texas, my home state where I was born and bred.  Where ranching is a tradition, rodeo's a sport, and The State Fair is home to Big Tex, a 55' tall cowboy statue.   Why at this very moment the bluebonnets are washing over the rolling hills of Central Texas where I like many parents have placed their children for pictures. 

  

Back to the book club, what is interesting to me is the discussion about the writings we choose.  That's the best part.  Well that, the food and camaraderie.  Tonight we grazed on the many offerings each brought while watching the movie The Remains Of The Day, I loved it!  

This novel makes me think of the popular series Downton Abbey which I, my mama, my oldest daughter and many others watched religiously every Sunday evening.  Then first thing on Monday morning my mama and I would discuss the previous nights broadcast.  I like many will miss this show, maybe they will make a movie about it.

The novel, The Remains Of The Day is mostly about regret.  An English butler, Stevens who dedicated his life to the loyal service of Lord Darlington and later to an American named Mr. Farraday.  Missing out on love and what might have been.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Pie Ingredients:

1 Baked Pie Crust, cooled

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

2/3 cup whole milk

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 Tablespoon lemon zest

5 whole egg yolks, whisk together (save the whites for the meringue)

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Lemon Pie Directions:

In a medium saucepan stir together 1 13 cup granulated sugar and 1/3 cup cornstarch.

Slowly stir in 2/3 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup water and 2/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Add 1 Tablespoon lemon zest and cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken.

In a small bowl whisk together 5 whole egg yolks.

Slowly whisk in cooked lemon mixture 1/4 cup at a time until 1 cup of mixture has been added.

Add egg yolk mixture back into lemon mixture and return to simmer.  Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in 2 Tablespoons butter and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Pour lemon mixture into baked pie crust.

Billowy Meringue Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon cornstarch 

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1/3 cup water

5 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Billowy Meringue Directions:

Preheat oven to 325'.

In a small saucepan add 1 Tablespoon cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon sugar, mix until well combined.

Slowly stir in 1/3 cup water to from a thick mixture.

Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil.

Cook for 20 seconds once boiling.  Set aside and allow mixture to cool.

Beat together 5 egg whites, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter until soft peaks form.

While beating add 1/2 cup granulated sugar until stiff peaks form and mixture is glossy.

Slowly mix in 1 heaping tablespoon at a time of the cooked cornstarch mixture on low speed util well incorporated.

Mixture should hold stiff peaks when finished.

Cover lemon filling with meringue and make sure to anchor meringue into edge of pie crust to prevent shrinking.

Use back of a spoon to form peaks all across meringue.

Bake in a 325' preheated oven for 18-25 minutes until lightly brown on top.

Once cooled slice and serve or chill for a more intensify flavor.

Sawdust Pie

Pie Ingredients:

1 (9") deep pie shell

7 egg whites, whipped, not beaten.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup pecans, chopped, not in a food processor they will be to fine and change the texture.

1 1/2 cup sweetened coconut

1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1//2 cup mini chocolate chips

Whipped Cream, optional

sliced banana's, optional

Pie Instructions:

Preheat oven 350'.
Par bake the pie crust for about 15 minutes at 425".  

Mix all ingredients together and pour into cool par baked pie shell.  

Bake for 25-30 minutes in a 350' oven.

Optional, when cool top with whipped cream and freshly sliced banana's.  Hmmm, just sayin!!!