Sweet Swimmers

Weekend and a New Recipe

This weekend I worked on getting some "stuff" for Goodwill together. We also had a birthday meal on Sunday evening for Jerry (it was a real special # for him!).

The new recipe I tried was for Southern Cornbread Salad. We liked it. Here's the recipe.

2 cups cooked cornbread cut in 1 inch cubes
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
diced onion
diced bell pepper
diced fresh tomatoes
grated cheese
8 oz. buttermilk ranch dressing

Layer in order as listed above. Chill a couple of hours.

** I actually made this up the day before. However, I saved the cheese and chilled buttermilk dressing to put on the next day. Worked great!

Birthday Blessing

The best gift I received for my birthday this past Wednesday was GOOD NEWS when Rick had his 4th MRI. The tumor seems to have gotten just a little smaller. The neurosurgeon saw nothing to lead him to believe it is anything but benign! He continues to deal with the vision issue he was left with when the tumor "stroked." He will return to work on August 1. I am so thankful for the report and his ability to get back to work.

Road Trip

Since Rick is still on short-term disability at work I decided to take him on a road trip to pass some time. (We go back for his next MRI and doctor's appointment Wednesday.) So we took off to his favorite vacation spot---Colorado. I knew the cooler temps in the mountains would be awesome. We went to the South Central area. We stayed in a cabin at Southfork; we also enjoyed day trips to Creede, Lake City, and Pagosa Springs. Our temps every day for a whole week stayed between 50 and 70 degrees!! Now that in itself was worth the drive.

**Wish our flowers looked so healthy and vibrant. But thanks to grasshoppers and drought conditions, it's not happening.

We Scream for Ice Cream!

What can top off a trip to Chuck E. Cheese? Well, of course......ice cream.

Coffee Cake Pound Cake 

I made this version of a coffee cake to take to a thing at church. I didn't get to taste it (except for the batter!). But it was gone...so I took that as a good sign. I've included the recipe; it's from Southern Living Magazine.

• PECAN STREUSEL
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter 
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• POUND CAKE BATTER
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 cup butter, softened 
• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 
• 6 large eggs 
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preparation

1. 1. Prepare Pecan Streusel: Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles small peas. Stir in 3/4 cup pecans.
2. 2. Prepare Pound Cake Batter: Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 1 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Cool 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
3. 3. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
4. 4. Stir together flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
5. 5. Pour half of batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) tube pan. Stir together toasted pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter. Spoon remaining batter over pecan mixture; sprinkle with Pecan Streusel.
6. 6. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

So True!

Camping in the Hill Country

Earlier in spring, Rick and I cleared the calendars for a little camping trip that we both needed. We took the 5th wheel to Fredricksburg again. We had been camping there a couple of years ago; we always have such a good time in this area. On the previous trip, we had actually stayed in Johnson City, but this time we decided to stay in Fredricksburg itself. Good move!

We loved the campground. It was very close to downtown and had everything we needed it to have. You know like.....great wi-fi service!

While we were there, we also enjoyed:

**the new National Museum of the Pacific War carrying George H. W. Bush's name as well as the Nimitz which has been there for many years

**our drive to Luckenbach 

**meals and music on the patio of the Silver Creek Grill

**music show at the Rockbox Theater

**carshow (vintage cars)

**and........ an ice cream treat. Just one though!

Rick's Special Birthday

I also realized in my lack of posts this spring I never documented Rick's 60th! We did celebrate it sort of low key at the house. Marilyn made a cute cake complete with pictures and race cars!

4th Fun!

Hope for Our Country!

Enjoy your July 4th. God is good!

Water Gun Fun

Jenna brought Jonah and Glory new water guns this weekend. Yeah!!