Mango Cake

Our Sunday School class gets together once a month for a meal or some sort of outing. This month it was a "pot luck" evening meal in the church fellowship hall. I was on the mend from a migraine headache but I was feeling well enough to go. I figured I could get to town and buy something, but where's the fun in that? Before the headache knocked me flat, I had bought some mangoes and had planned to make mango bread. The mangoes were still in the fridge, but "bread" didn't seem quite right.

A Google search for mango cake recipes gave pathetic results: too fussy, too many ingredients I didn't have, too "meh." Aha! This one looked promising: Chunky Fresh Mango Cake. Hold the phone. This makes a 6" round cake? Who makes a SIX-INCH cake??

This is the cutey-patootey pic from Taste of Home.

Never fear. I'm pretty good at math. I simply quadrupled the recipe and had enough for two 9" round pans. If you only need a 6" cake, hit the link above. However, if you want enough so someone else can also have a piece or two, use "my" recipe below.

Chunky Fresh Mango Cake (makes two 9" rounds)

2 c. sugar

1-1/3 c. unsweetened applesauce

4 eggs

2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

3 c. peeled, chopped mango

1 c. chopped pecans

[Preheat oven to 375°]

In a large bowl, beat the sugar, applesauce and eggs until well-blended. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture and mix well. Fold in the mango and pecans.

Pour into two 9" round pans [greased or sprayed with "baking" spray!] and bake for 45 minutes. Use the fabulous toothpick trick to make sure it's done. Cool on wire racks for 10+ minutes; then remove from pans to finish cooling on wire racks.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Some whipped cream on top adds just the right finishing touch.

YUM! Enjoy!

A final word to Taste of Home.com - Thank You!

One Thing Led to Another

A dear neighbor stopped by on Wednesday evening and asked if we'd like some corn. Since corn didn't get planted in the garden this year, of course we would! I was expecting enough for a couple meals, but he gave us plenty to freeze. Weldon thought I'd work it up on Thursday, but I said, "No way! I work tomorrow and I won't be doing corn before or after work."

So then came the task of making enough room in the fridge for all that corn. In the process, I was reminded how desperately the fridge needed cleaning. Oh, well. This wasn't the time to worry about that!


After Weldon came in from chores this morning (Friday) and we'd had breakfast, I asked him if he'd cut the woody stalk off the cobs of corn. Of course he would! I got all the corn out of the fridge and onto the porch where he started working. When I got out there to husk the corn, he asked if I just meant that he should cut off the woody stalk or if he should husk the whole thing. "All I asked is that you cut that hard end off, but if you want to husk them, have at it!" And he did! And I did! And we finished the job in record time.

Too late I realized working up corn would make a good blog post. I didn't get a picture of Weldon doing his thing, but here are the husks. :)

The next step was to boil the corn on the cobs for about 2 minutes. Getting the water to the boiling point in this canner took a while, of course. And then I had to do it again for the second batch.

While cooling down the corn cobs in plastic dish pans, I thought I'd add a little ice to make the job go faster. What adding ice really did was make me see how the underside and bottom inside of the ice maker was totally covered with ice ... where it didn't belong! So, another job to do.

Weldon washed the frosty icy crystals away before I could take a picture. It's nice and clean now, back in the freezer, and making lots of new ice.

It was already 11:00 and near 90° but I knew I didn't want to mess with corn in the kitchen. I got my tools together and went outside to a shady spot.

Weldon hadn't headed out to his farmer-ly duties yet, so I asked him to take a couple pictures.

Nibbling the nubbins on the ends of the cob. Lunch!

How did I ever "do" corn without the Pampered Chef Kernel Cutter?

Bagging it up and ready for the freezer.

I mentioned how gross the lower drawers of the refrigerator were. I had a pretty good excuse for letting it get to such a deplorable state: The fridge door has to be opened ALL the way in order to get the shelves and drawers out. But where the refrigerator sits, the door doesn't have room to open ALL the way out. I couldn't move the fridge by myself, so ... no move, no clean. Since all the drawers had been emptied on Wednesday night to hold the corn, and now all the corn had been moved out, I took the next brave step. "Weldon, would you please move the fridge out far enough so I can fully open the door?" He did.

Yup. Dead gnats, bugs, and icky stuff under the bottom shelf. I knew they were there, but I couldn't get at them ... until I asked Weldon to move the fridge. It only took a year or two for me to ask.

Here are the cleaned-up shelves and drawers. Yay!

All clean and pretty and in their rightful place.

Now I just have to ask Weldon to move the refrigerator back into its corner, snug against the kitchen cabinet. I'll give him the evening off and ask him to do it tomorrow morning.

So, how to wrap up this busy day? I went to Zaxby's to pick up some chicken strips and French fries for supper. I still had to boil a couple ears of corn and make a salad for Weldon, but I kept it as simple as possible.

And now I'm going to do my Friday Night Nothing! Yay, Me!

Opposites Attract

[I was all set to write a blog post today, but then I saw this one in a saved folder! I wrote it a couple months ago, but I couldn't publish it because of some new Blogger rules. I tried everything I knew to do (which wasn't much), but got so frustrated, I just gave up. In reading it today, I decided it was worth another try, so here it is ... if it actually posts when I hit "Publish."]

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If you've read my book, you know that adapting to life on a farm took me many years. Actually, I'm not sure I've adapted, but at least I've given up on trying to keep the house neat and tidy. Dust (and worse) has simply become part of the home decor.

As if learning about farm ways wasn't enough, I've also had to adjust to the farmer! Something that still amazes me is how different Weldon and I are ... in just about everything. I guess it goes to prove that opposites attract.

Here's just one silly example from today.

Weldon had to go to Winston-Salem for a few farm-related things. He asked if I'd like to go along. I thought, "Sure! Might as well. We haven't done anything together in a while." So, off we went.

We hadn't yet made it to his first stop when I told him I had coupons for Krispy Kreme if he was interested. No. He said there was cake at home and he'd put on a few pounds since the rains had kept him indoors a little more than usual. (Weldon could put on 10 pounds and still be thinner than anyone else I know!) He continued to drive. I saw Dunkin' Donuts just ahead. "Hey! You want to try Dunkin' Donuts for a change?" No. And he kept on driving.

On to the task at hand: getting some much-needed part at Ferguson Plumbing. Weldon was standing at the register and there on the counter were two boxes of Krispy Kreme Donuts and one box of Dunkin' Donuts! The cashier said, "Have one." He said it a couple of times, so I peeked inside and saw the box wasn't full. I asked him, "You mean we can have one? Now? Free?" He said, "Yes. Have as many as you like!" Well, I chose a Dunkin' Donuts donut with sprinkles. Weldon declined.

I nibbled on my donut while Weldon continued talking with the guy at the register. Then another employee saw me and asked if I'd like a cup of coffee with my donut. "Well, sure!" He pointed me in the right direction and I'm having ♫ the time of my life ♫. "Have some more! Do you want some popcorn?" I declined, but I surely was smiling!

I suppose the key here might be willpower. I mean, who (besides Weldon) can resist free donuts and free coffee? But from my point of view, it's Live a little! Enjoy! All work and no play makes Weldon a dull boy. But there's no sense in trying to change Weldon or myself. We'll just keep doing what we do and meet in the middle every once in a while. Ain't life grand!

Eyes That See

Have you missed me? I last posted in January (!) but I spent more than two hours in March writing a fabulous post. Google messed it up big time, so I pretty much lost my work and gave up. All I can figure out is maybe I can't "steal" any more photos from the internet. However, if I have a problem with this post, I'll see it as a sign from the Lord (NOT Google) and call it quits. Here goes.

I had just put a cake in the oven when Weldon opened the door and called in, "Come on. I want to show you something! Get your camera! Bring mine, too." I grabbed his camera and my phone, slipped on my shoes, and headed out, saying "I just put a cake in the oven, so I need to be back within 20 minutes." He had the four-wheeler (the dirty, mud-splattered four-wheeler) and told me to climb on. I obeyed, very gingerly. "Should I have changed my jeans?" "Nah, you'll be fine."

We roared down the road and he turned onto one of the far fields. I didn't notice anything too special when he stopped, but he hopped off and started walking, his camera at the ready. I looked around and asked, "This is it?" He was already taking photos.

And then my eyes were opened and I saw the beauty ... of dandelions! They were everywhere, carpeting the field. My pictures don't begin to show how lovely it was.

I was captivated! Then my eyes were drawn to a tree adorned in beautiful purple blooms. I forgot to ask Weldon what kind of tree it was. Maybe a red bud? Or a purple bud. 😊 Again, the pictures don't do justice to the work of the Master Artist.

Robert Louis Stevenson said it succinctly: "The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings." We get so busy (frustrated, tired, judgmental, lackadaisical) in our own little world that we often miss the "number of [amazing] things" all around us.

When Weldon delivered me to the house, the timer had already gone off, but the cake looked to be just fine. We'll test it out after supper tonight. (It's just a cake mix with a few adjustments and goodies thrown in, so don't be too jealous.)

We're all busy. But in the midst of busy, let's take a moment to see (and delight in) the beauty at hand. Dandelions. Birds. The neighbor who drives you crazy. Fluffy cloud "animals". Kids trying to catch butterflies. Cake. Don't forget cake!

Lord, give us eyes that see!

Let Me 'Splain

Dear Reader,

I kinda sorta regret calling myself an author. I wish I had just proclaimed, "Hey! I wrote a book! You can get a copy from me or on Amazon or at various local bookstores. Yay, Me!"

Instead, I created a Facebook author page. I started "Like"ing and "Follow"ing various authors and way too many writing pages. If an author "Like"d my page, I felt obligated to "Like" his/her page in return. Now I have more than a hundred "author friends" whom I don't even vaguely know and whose books I'll probably never read. What's the point?

Almost every day I search for some article or tidbit to post on my author page, because that's just how I am. When I do something, I want to do it well. (There is probably a series of letters that explains this phenomenon [like AC/DC?], but ... whatever.) After each post, it's usually only my "real" friends and family who comment. That doesn't make me feel bad, but it makes me wonder where all the 500 friends are who "Like" my author page.

Yes, I'm still writing. It's part of who I am. But I don't know if my "scribblings" will result in another book. I'm not worried about it. What I'm "worried" about is wasting too much time on Facebook — especially with people I don't even know.

SO, I'll keep my author page, but I won't try to get more "followers." I don't even know what that means or what the benefit might be. You can "Like" my page, but I won't feel obligated to "Like" you back. I plan to go through my friend list and "get rid of" the people I don't know or haven't personally interacted with on a regular basis.

I'm guessing that, when I share this on Facebook, only my family and friends will read it, and it won't affect them (you!) anyway. But it just felt right to 'splain myself.

Sincerely,
Author Cindy Keiger 😌

Weather or Not

It's the seventh day of December, but we haven't seen much frost in our corner of North Carolina yet ... until yesterday, that is. The frost-covered twigs and leaves on the ground made me think of the famous poem by James Whitcomb Riley, which I have copied below (from poemhunter.com) for your reading enjoyment. Reading it out loud is a little difficult, but it's worth the effort.

When The Frost Is On The Punkin

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey cock
And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence
O, it's then's the times a feller is a-feelin' at his best
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock

They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere
When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here
Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees
And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees
But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days
Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,
And the raspin' of the tangled leaves, as golden as the morn;
The stubble in the furries kindo' lonesome-like, but still
A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;
The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;
The hosses in theyr stalls below the clover over-head!
O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock!

Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps
Is poured around the celler-floor in red and yeller heaps;
And your cider-makin' 's over, and your wimmern-folks is through
With their mince and apple butter, and theyr souse and saussage, too!
I don't know how to tell it but ef sich a thing could be
As the Angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me
I'd want to 'commodate 'em all the whole-indurin' flock
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock

 ~ ~ ~

Now, back to the weather ... or not. Five to eight inches of snow are predicted for our area this Sunday/Monday. I have to get a few groceries today, but I dread going to the store because it will probably be bedlam and lots of empty shelves. Fortunately, I don't need any bread, milk, or toilet paper.

I don't know whom to credit for this photo. I saw it on Facebook.

This is my photo of the bread situation in January 2011.

Weather or not, I'd better get my buns in gear (harhar) and head to town. Stay safe and warm. Be blessed.
 

Dread & Delight

It was a beautiful fall day for a trip to Weatherspoon Art Museum in Greensboro with my older daughter and my older sister-in-law. (I'm feeling quite young after writing that sentence.)

The whole title of the exhibit we went to see is "Dread & Delight: Fairy Tales in an Anxious World." Although fairy tales were originally "riddled with sexual innuendo, child abuse and all manner of violent scenarios" (Tom Patterson in The Winston-Salem Journal, November 11, 2018), I much prefer the simple fairy tales of my childhood. I confess I had a sense of anxiety and couldn't even finish reading the descriptions of some of the artistic depictions.

 Without further ado, here are some pics ... none of which are R-rated or too dreadful. Enjoy!
 

(Rapunzel) Ties of Protection and Safekeeping. MK Guth

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"What is worth protecting?" Participants wrote their responses on red flannel ribbons which tied the synthetic hair braids.

(Little Red Riding Hood) If We Believe in Theory, by Xaviera Simmons.

Individual boys and girls were given the hooded cape and wicker basket and just one prompt: to tell the photographer where the wolf was.

Hansel and Gretel, by Tom Otterness

"Otterness creates a scene that is engagingly playful but reminds us that, for many children, the joy of play is not a given."

(Cinderella) The Ice Queen, by Ana Teresa Fernandez

High heels made from ice, worn while standing over a street grate until they melted away! (This was actually a video of the shoes slowly melting.) "Her Cinderella exhibits the physical and mental strength to withstand and ultimately walk away from the pain of her own accord."

(Cinderella) Motherload, by Timothy Horn

This was created "in response to the life story of a woman named Alma Spreckles.... Alma was a lowly laundress when she met and married the heir to a sugar fortune. Her 'rags to riches' story, however, did not bring her a life filled with joy. This real-life Cinderella found that happiness is really quite fragile." (The carriage is covered in crystallized rock candy!)

That's yours truly on the left with my daughter Anna.

Now onto a few other pieces of art that caught my eye in the museum.

Kill for Peace, by Carol Summers. A protest against the war in Viet Nam.

Mirror/Vortex by Robert Smithson. I took the photo looking down into the mirrors.

Animals, by Andy Warhol. I took this for my husband the farmer. :)

Next, some "people" photos.

And then it was outside for a short stroll to some deliciousness.

A gorgeous blue sky overhead and two dear family members at my side. Life is good!