What's another pound or so?

I remember when I used to go buy things I needed to make something. Now it seems I'm searching for recipes to use up what I have. The two tubs of sour cream seemed like a good idea at the time. Oh, I'll use it. Now there's a quarter left in one, the other hasn't even been opened yet, and they expire in a week. I needed a recipe (or two or three) to use up some of this sour cream.

I pulled out my Paula Deen cookbook, and she came to my rescue. This pound cake is fantastic! Even if I did have a little trouble getting it out of the pan. Next time I'll prepare the pan better. This cake's not light by any means, but is any Paula Deen recipe light? Pound cake has the reputation of being plain, but for all its basic ingredients, it's surprisingly flavorful.

I love this cake all by itself. But, the day after I made it, Smitten Kitchen made a pound cake with strawberry coulis (a strawberry sauce). I was hopeful the coulis would make the cake even better, but I was really disappointed. I suppose it could have been my supermarket strawberries. Those never taste like the ones from a farmers market or, even better, the berries you pick at a farm. But, this is not that season so I settled for the ones at the store. It was okay, but I liked the pound cake better without it. Maybe I'll try again when the berries are in season.

Grandmother Paul's Sour Cream Pound Cake

2 sticks butter

3 c sugar

1 c sour cream (I used light)

3 c all-purpose flour

1/2 t baking soda

6 eggs

1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together; add sour cream. Sift flour and baking soda together. Add to creamed mixture, alternately with eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Add vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan and bake for 1 hour, 20 minutes.

I will make you something!

This is the latest and greatest in blog chain letters--I will make something just for you. (And it may or may not be a baked good.)

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me. This offer does have some restrictions so please read carefully:

- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.
- What I create will be just for you.
- It will be done this year (2009).
- It will be something made in the real world and not something over the internet.
- It can be anything. The anticipation is half the fun.

In return, all you need to do is post this text into a blog of your own and make 5 things for 5 other people. Make sure to comment here that you are interested in my little gifty and then post it in your blog. Void where prohibited, use only as directed, for a limited time only, store in a cool dry place. Let's keep it going!

Hello, My Name is Sara

...and I'm addicted to guacamole. I guess there are worse things one could be addicted to. Yes, avocados have a high fat content, but it's the good fat and they still somehow manage to be low in calories. Plus they have all those good vitamins like E and C and I don't know what else. Too much science for my little brain, but I know they're good for me. And they must be in season because they are so darn cheap right now. Every week, grocery stores are advertising them for 88 cents each, 77 cents each, or (Gasp!) two for $1. Of course, all these sales are only feeding my addiction. I'm a purist, so here's my guacamole recipe.

Guacamole
3 ripe avocados
juice of half a lemon
Kosher salt to taste

Mash together. How easy is that? I find a pastry blender works best.

So, the guacamole is good for me, but the chips I'm eating with it are not. Help me please. What else can I top with guacamole?

Aloha from...Tempe?

I know this week is typically dedicated to all things Irish, but Brian and I took the kids to a Hawaiian festival yesterday. Brian and his friends at work have a couple of favorite places to eat lunch and one of them is Aloha Kitchen. Last time he was there, he picked up a flier for the Arizona Aloha Festival. We were looking for something to do yesterday so we headed to Tempe Beach Park. We ate fantastic Hawaiian barbeque, had fun listening to a lot of ukelele music and watching many hula dancers, and enjoyed this refreshing Hawaiian ice during one of the shows. I wonder if I can make Hawaiian ice at home?

Cheap Eats

Zucchini was on sale for 77 cents a pound this week at Sprout's so, naturally, I over-bought. Luckily, my Cooking Light cookbook had this recipe for zucchini bread. What's more, there's a lemon glaze so I could use another lemon. It's easy to make and you can change it up. Instead of two smaller loaves, make one big loaf or muffins. With the exception of the zucchini and maybe lemon, you most likely have everything you need to make this bread right now. If you need a lemon, call me.

Lemon-Glazed Zucchini Quick Bread

2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 t baking powder

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1/4 t nutmeg

1 cup finely shredded zucchini

1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk

1/4 cup canola oil

2 T lemon zest

1 large egg

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

2 T fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour through nutmeg in a large bowl. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine zucchini, milk, oil, zest and egg in a bowl; add to flour mixture. Stir just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8x4 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool loaf in pan for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan and allow to cool completely on rack. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice with a whisk. Drizzle over loaf.

Coupon Crazy

Tonight at book club, we were talking about using, perhaps over-using, our coupons. Since we attended our Shopping Cents Workshop, we've been stocking up on the products our households use by purchasing as many as we can at rock bottom prices. It's addictive. For some, our cabinets are overflowing with toothpaste. For me, my pantry shelves are full of cereal. We really do love our cereal here, but enough is enough. I've sworn off buying cereal unless I can get it for less then $.50 a box. This is why:

Yes, 31 boxes of cereal should keep us well fed for quite some time.

A New Challenge, Another Blog

I've decided to participate in the Breast Cancer 3-Day this year. I've been thinking about doing this walk for a few years, and this seems like a good year to accomplish that goal. It's a big commitment but it's worth it. My good friend Jennifer and I are going to do this together along with her friend and some of her friends. It's all about women (and some men, too) coming together to fight breast cancer.

To commemorate the experience, I've started a new blog. It's going to be a candid look (which means it will be painfully honest) at my complete 3-Day experience from start to finish. It will be so much more than just documenting my training. To be sure, if all goes well there will be a lot of that, but I plan to include everything from anxiety about fundraising to pains in my feet to the thrill of walking 60 miles in three days! It will be like an online diary. Oh wait. It will be a web log. Check it out.

Sara Walks for 3 Days