Fannie Flagg's Caramel Cake

  Tom's 65th birthday is coming up next week (07/28) so I've been wanting to make him a cake. Recently we read Fannie Flagg's Can't Wait to get to Heaven (2007) and I jotted down  her caramel cake recipe on an envelope. The cake is an important part of the book.

 I found the recipe posted on the web, too. Click here.

 As usual, I take the easy way out with recipes and have baked enough to generally know when I can pull it off. I simply softened the butter, added all the ingredients for the cake batter (flour last), stirred it thoroughly (I just use a tablespoon), poured it into an 8x8" greased metal pan and baked it according to directions.

 It turned out beautifully at 350° for 30 minutes.

 While it cooled I cooked the caramel icing. Again, I simply added everything to the pot (no sense dirtying a bowl) and cooked it until it thickened. Like the cake, the icing should be allowed to begin cooling before applying it to the cake. It certainly spreads better when everything is still warm.

 I took this picture before I was quite done. I used the spoon I applied the icing with to spread it to the very  edges. That'll help seal the cake from air and keep it fresh longer. I love the translucency of the icing.

 Tom thought it had a bit of a "cornbread" taste (which isn't his favorite) but it just tastes caramel to me. Caramel can easily take on a burnt taste but I was careful to neither overbake the cake or overcook the icing.

 In my opinion this cake is delicious and though it takes some time it's well worth the effort. I'm not a believer in heaven (so why did I read the book?) but I am a believer in good desserts. This one is truly heavenly.

Moonflower, too!

  Every fall I collect seeds from our Moonflower and every spring I plant them anew.

 By common definition they're weeds - Jimsonweed - and perhaps don't belong in a flower bed. They're also not good around pets (they're a narcotic). But I'm always taken by those nighttime flowers and this is a weed that draws me back every year.

 A few days ago I noticed a spent flower. I had missed it. But I knew there was plenty more coming. And so, early yesterday, I saw a new bud beginning to unwind. And that's exactly that they do ... twist and spiral themselves open like an umbrella.

 The pinwheel buds are a pretty yellowish tint, a deep ivory. You expect a yellow flower. The leaves are a blue-green and I think the combination is quite beautiful. During blooming season, these plants bloom constantly, one flower right  after the other. If you miss one flower, just wait a day.

 So last evening we walked into the back yard about 10 PM and the flower was almost fully open. And, yes, a first quarter moon hung in a clear summer sky just above the plant.

 Naturally I wanted to see the bud again this morning (about 8:30 AM) and it's just past fully open. It'll  stay open until the sun hits it this afternoon. This plant is growing on the west side of the garage and is hidden from the morning sun. When the sun touches it it will collapse and quickly appear wilted.

 Like our Night Blooming Cereus, these are queens of the night.

Night Blooming Cereus Blooms ... Again!

  I don't know what's with the Night Blooming Cereus because it is supposed to be a rare bloomer. And yet we just had a beautiful bloom on June 27. I won't go into the details of how often it used to bloom because I've written about it before.

[To read about previous blooms use the search tool at the top left. Note: you must be in desktop mode]

Tom I wrote ourselves a note to look at the bloom before bed last evening. We walked outside and looked into the porch through the glass window. What we saw (above) was breathtaking.

 But let me return to earlier days ...

On July 8 while I was watering the plants on the enclosed porch I saw that there was a new bud. That's just eleven days after the last. Probably this bloom is part of the same cycle, though.

 The bud was already somewhat developed by the time I found it. I was a little worried that we'd miss it because we were heading to Michigan on vacation (July 10 - 14) But it held off and opened the night of July 18.

 This is how it looked a bit earlier in the day (about 5 PM). Though it was still light out, the flower was already beginning to open. I've not seen that happen before.

 I've told friends that the blooming of our NBC is a bittersweet event. It was my mother's plant - and her mother's before that - so there's a lot of memories encapsulated in every bloom. I remember each time we'd head to the porch before Mom went to bed and marvel at our good fortune. And I always worried that it might be the last.

 Her mother,  too, had a similar experience. How many times through the years have we enjoyed these magnificent blooms? And yet they've always been rare ... until recently.

 This is the first year in many that I've not carried it outside for the summer. It's simply too big and ungainly at this point. So it's propped against a wall and a window on the south-facing enclosed porch. Apparently it's happy there. Every Thursday when I water it I'm encouraging it to bloom.

 And bloom is does, opening a wealth of memories with every unfurling petal.

 When it's finished (pix takes about 2:30 PM the next day), they look like a burst balloon. They just hang their heads and die.

Michigan Vacation - Day 4 (July 13, 2021)

  This is an important day for me: it's my 72nd birthday.

 And so our final night in Bear Lake was rainy. In fact it poured and stormed during the night. It sounded like our motel room had been moved to beneath a waterfall. By morning it was still raining, though not hard. We headed to the Lakeside Cafe for a birthday breakfast.

 Have you ever seen a prettier omelette? I'm not sure how they gave it so much loft. One friend said it's simply whipped. I ordered a cheese omelette, wheat toast and hash browns. Tom bought this for my birthday. Thanks, Tom!

 I shot this panorama at the public access point near the Dayton Club. Click on it for the full resolution photo.

 It certainly wasn't a pretty morning. Fog was everywhere but at least the rain had stopped. So we headed to Manistee's First Street Beach.

 This lighthouse is at the end of a long concrete pier.

 The pier isn't very wide and not in the greatest shape. The sides angle down and the metal posts in the center offer trip hazards. But there's a sign warning walkers ahead of time. Every so often there was a metal ladder attached to the side.

 This shot is looking back towards the shore. It was so foggy we couldn't begin to see the land. Back nearer the beach there were several groups of people fishing off the side.

 We stayed  at the Budget Host Alpine Motor Lodge just south of Bear Lake on US-31. The owners were very friendly and the room was clean. Pricing (with tax) was just under $150/night for two,

 By afternoon the sun was breaking through and we headed to Pierport to enjoy some time on the beach. Other than a few nearby homes, there's nothing left but the beach. But Pierport has an interesting history, Click here to read about it.

 Last stop: fill-up at Blarney Castle for the long drive home. Gas was $3.089/gallon.

 That evening I was advised of the conjunction of Mars and Venus. The planets were to be visible at about 5 o'clock compared to the moon. It was a little early and the moon was already low in the west. I decided to wait a while and try again ... and also walk down to US-31 and north of the Alpine where I had a better view to the west.

 And so here it is. Venus is down near the power line. I suppose it was still too bright to see Mars at all.

 I had to laugh about a decal attached to the mirror at the Alpine. We had warning  that fish were not allowed in the rooms (and probably not dog, either), nor was smoking or marijuana allowed. No problem! All we wanted to do was rest, sleep or take a shower when we were there.

 Trip home: Cracker Barrel for blueberry pancakes.

 We got home just after 5 PM.

Note: Steve and Ami leave for Chicago Thursday (07/15) so they're still at the house on Long Lake. Steve sent this picture of sunset tonight there.

Credit: Steve Orr

Michigan Vacation - Day 3 (July 12, 2021)

  Bear Lake isn't far from where we stayed on Long Lake. It was less than 50 miles, I believe.

 Our first order of business was breakfast since we merely got up, had coffee and left Long Lake. We planned to eat at our favorite spot, the Lakeside Cafe on Lake Street. Unfortunately it was closed. Bear Lake Days had been that weekend and the Lakeside was in charge of a pancake breakfast. I suppose they were tuckered out.

 So we drove to Onekema and found the M-22 Grill open. It fit the bill perfectly. We had an excellent breakfast and the wait staff was wonderful. We'll return on our next trip to the area.

 Then, with the promise of another beautiful day, we headed back to Bear Lake and the Dayton-Bear Lake Outing Club. This is where we used to own a cottage.

 I had contacted Joellyn Bashford while still at the M-22 Grill and she said to come ahead. She provided a street-by-street tour and gave us the names of the current and past owners.

 The shore area has lots more recreationally craft than when we used to vacation here.

 This was our cottage circa 1940 to 1980. We sold it since all three guys (Dad, Bob and myself) were working full-time and couldn't get away often enough (or long enough) to justify the expense. It was a major mistake because nowadays prices have gone through the moon and nothing is for sale.

While Joellyn gave us the walking tour, Fred uncovered their pontoon boat. Soon we were on an around-the-lake tour. Oddly, for all the time I've spent on this lake I never once circumnavigated it. I suppose it is several miles around. The ride took about an hour and a half. Talk about unexpected hospitality!

Joellyn (l-r) and Fred Bashford

 I had heard about bald eagles at Bear Lake before we arrived but as we were on the shore Fred pointed to one flying high above. He said he'd show us the nest. This is it, high in  an old pine, with a lofty view of the lake. It's perfect real estate for an eagle.

Tom

 What a wonderful time we add, visiting with the Bashford's, seeing the Dayton Club again, being on the lake!

Bill (l-r), Tom, Fred and Joellyn

 Then to the Arcadia Marsh Nature Preserve ...

 This 313 site offers a 0.75 mile wooden boardwalk which allows for easy (and dry) access. 

 The clouds were gorgeous as we made the walk, But on any day, it's better to look down than up.

 Tom was a botany major at Miami University so this was right up his alley.

 Part of the boardwalk was closed while we were there "to avoid disturbance to several species of birds as they nest in this critical habitat". We were there July 12 as noted. That area is closed only through July 15.

 The swan on the left sounded like a vacuum cleaner, siphoning the algae at an impressive pace.

 This boat was parked near the entrance to the march, perhaps being stored or repaired. I was attracted to the name. [This is not part of the marsh]

 We made a final stop at Bear Lake to say goodbye for this year. We have missed the previous two years due to the COVID pandemic.  I felt lucky to be here at all but I'd have loved to have had more time.

 My little 2017 Chevrolet Cruze got over 49 mpg on the trip up. It was only a couple of miles per gallon less on the ride home/