family favorite: sour cream pound cake

Paula Deen has her Golden Ring recipes [recipes that are just apart of her].  This sour cream pound cake is one of my "Golden Ring" recipes.

I think I could make it in my sleep.  Whenever someone at work has a birth, illness or death, this is what I always contribute to the meal.  When I need a cake for a cake walk at school, this is my go-to cake.  It is good with any meal.  I have even been known to eat it for breakfast!

The main ingredients...



Allow 6 eggs, 2 sticks of butter and an 8 oz. carton of sour cream come to room temperature.

Then cream the 2 sticks of butter with 3 c. of sugar...



While my butter and sugar is creaming, I grease and flour a tube pan...



And sift together 3 c. flour, 1 t. salt and ¼ t. baking soda...



Once the butter and sugar is creamed, add 6 eggs [one at a time]...



...beating well after each addition.

Add 1 t. vanilla and 1 t. butter flavoring...



Add dry ingredients...



...alternately with the sour cream...



...stirring to mix after each addition, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Set mixer on cake speed and beat for 3-4 minutes...



Pour the batter into the prepared pan...



...and burp lightly.

Bake in a preheated 325° for 1 hour.  Let cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes...



...before dumping it out to cool completely.



Serve plain or with fresh berries and whipped cream...



Or slice and toast for a delicious & delightful breakfast.

And if you are feeling really nice, you can let you children lick the bowl...





Sour Cream Pound Cake
3 c. flour
1 t. salt

¼ t. baking soda

2 sticks butter

3 c. sugar

6 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 t. butter flavoring

8 oz. sour cream

Grease and flour a tubepan.  Preheat oven to 325°.  Sift flour, salt and soda.  Cream butter.  Add sugar and beat well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.  Add flavorings.  Add dry ingredients, alternately with sour cream, stirring to mix after each addition and starting and ending with flour.  Set mixer on cake speed and beat 3-4 minutes.  Pour into a pan and burp lightly.  Bake for 1 hour.

winding down :: gearing up

It hit me like a ton of bricks this morning.  Summer vacation is officially winding down, time to gear up for a new school year.  [I will admit.  I am ready.  We function much better as a family on a routine.]  We made one last trip to the library to help complete our summer reading requirements...



I looked at the due date when we were walking out.  8/15/2011.  Hey wait, that is the first day of school.  Holy Cow, that is only 3 weeks away!

With school supply lists in hand, we hit Target.  It is confusing enough with my 3 kids and 2 separate supply lists, so I try to go early to avoid the rush.  We made it through and got everything on both lists...



I love school supply shopping.  I love watching them carefully pick out each item like it is a major decision.  Banks stuck to solid colors while Mary Reese ventured out.  She stocked up on items with flowers, hearts and peace signs.

Little Brother is still pissed he didn't get to pick out any school supplies.  I am telling you, he thinks he is as big as them.

We got them home & unpacked...



...sorted, labeled and packed back up.  I love how colorful everything is!  Hopefully they can make it 3 weeks without getting used!

2 school boxes, 48 #2 pencils, 3 boxes of crayons, 3 bottles of liquid glue, 14 glue sticks, 3 boxes of markers, 1 box of colored pencils, 6 dry erase markers, 3 black Sharpies, 1 yellow highlighter, 2 pairs of scissors, 1 pink eraser, 1 wood ruler, 2 clipboards, 1-1" binder, 15 folders with pockets and brads, 4 spiral notebooks, 2 composition notebooks, 1 grid notebook, 3 packs of wide rule paper, 1 package of unlined index cards, 1 package of construction paper, 5 boxes of tissue, 1 package antibacterial wipes & 1 bottle of germ x to the tune of $93.33...



Getting to spend the morning with my children, watching how excited they got over school supplies = PRICELESS

ASA Baseball Camp

Banks attended ASA Baseball Camp Thursday - Saturday...



His BFF Eppes attended with him...



They are like twins [only born about a month apart to different families].  We were cracking up about their numbers yesterday...8 & 9.

ASA had an awesome lineup helping out...several of the area high school baseball coaches, a couple of local college coaches and even a helpers from the major league!

The first day they worked on fielding, the second day they worked on hitting and the last day was defense.  They ended the camp with a little scrimmage...



...to show off all they learned.  It was so fun to watch...it was just like good old neighborhood game [that I wish they could do every Saturday].

Coach Alan started off pitching to the field Banks and Eppes were on...



Alan grew up back door neighbors with Jody.  They ended up at college in the same frat.  They have been friends forever.  Alan works with Banks during the off season to prevent him from getting rusty [you can make appointments with him here].  He is fabulous with the kids!

During the scrimmage they rotated between batting, infield and outfield.

Banks up to bat...







Base Hit!

Halfway through the "game" Coach Morson [the head baseball coach at our high school] came in as pitcher.

Playing shortstop during one of his turns in the infield...



...with Eppes on 3rd [told you they were inseparable].

At the end of camp on Friday, John Rocker gave them a little talk about the game.  He pitched for the Braves in the late '90s, early 2000's.  He told them they had to believe in themselves.  Super nice guy.  Afterwards he was set up for autographs...



Banks just happened to have a baseball in his bag.  We now have it displayed on a "golden glove" in our room.

"Papa Jack" Ron Jackson worked the camp all three days.  He was signing autographs as well [his autograph is on the same ball as John's].  Then on Saturday after the camp, he let Banks try on his world series ring...



From the Boston Red Sox...



Maybe on day he will have one of his own...isn't that every little boy's dream?

Daddy and his baseball player...



I asked Banks and Eppes to "pose" for a picture after the camp and this is what I got...







Hysterical together.

Mary Reese thought the scrimmage might be a little to hot for her.  She opted to work with Debbie at the Light House.  Owen never misses a trip to the fields.  The icing on the cake for him...



...there were tractors working on the other fields.

We are getting geared up for fall baseball.  Banks is moving up a league this year.  It is more like real baseball...pitching and stealing bases.

little girls cheer clinic

For the second summer the cheerleaders at one of our local high schools put on a cheer clinic for all the little Red Raiders.  It is precious and truly the highlight of Mary Reese's summer.

She loves getting together with all her friends and hanging out with the big girls for 2 days.



Mary Reese & Frances [out of focus.  My camera was acting up and I couldn't figure out why.  Mary Reese admitted Owen may have knocked it off the desk the day before.  Great...just in time for the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year.]

They learned some cheers...



Yell out your colors, Raiders
Red, Black

They learned dances to songs like Justin Bieber's Baby, Beyonce's All the Single Ladies and Buckwheat Boyz Ice Cream and Cake [our personal favorite]...





The K and 1st Grade group...



They had 85 girls from age 3 to 6th Grade.  Precious and all the little girls love feeling big for a few days!

Mary Reese has been cheering and dancing for 2 days.  She is ready for football season so she can can cheer on her R A I D E R S !

big bed :: take 2

We have officially moved onto a new phase of our lives.  We have had the baby bed up for pretty much 9 years.  On Sunday, we took it down for the last time [at least until we have grandchildren, which I hope is quite a while off].



Once it was down, Jody asked me if I was going to cry.  Honestly it didn't really bother me.  Owen will always be my baby no matter what kind of bed he sleeps in.

Owen decided back in April to transition himself into his big bed.  He slept in their great for about a month.  Then he wanted back in his baby bed.  He slept there until we went to the beach in June.  At the beach, Banks and Owen shared a bed.  When we got home, he moved himself back to his big bed [hey, whatever works] and has been there ever since.  Now if we can just get interested in potty training!

Patrick Murphree Memorial Golf :: take 4

Another year, another sucessful tournament [to recap PLM Golf 1, PLM Golf 2 & PLM Golf 3]...



We spend Friday afternoon getting set up.  I think we iced drinks down for 3 hours!

Saturday was the day.  It was HOT but we survived! [At one point Owen and I got in my car, cranked up the ac and drove around for about 20 minutes just to cool off.]

Mary Reese and Banks helped Suzanne and I register the 108 golfers.  This year we had 27 teams...the most we have ever had!  [We feel very fortunate because the staff at the golf course said we were the only tournament this year which had grown in numbers.]

After a pizza and wing lunch graciously donated by Andy Villarreal at Domino's Pizza, Andy explained the rules for the scramble.  At 1:00 everyone loaded up their coolers with Pepsi products [donated by Ronnie Dukes @ Pepsi] and Budwiser products [partially donated by Valley Bud]...



...and headed to their first hole.

Banks spent majority of the day riding the course with anyone who was going out.  Mary Reese took a break from the heat and left with Debbie for a few hours.  Owen spent hours practicing his putting...





We were extremely fortunate to have Tony Chachere & crew back for their third year. 



[Keith & GT]

Last year he did some fried pork chops for the crew under the tent during tournament play.  They got rave reviews and were requested again.  He just breads the chops in his fry mix...



Word got out we had chops so several golfers stopped by for a snack...



...and I believe there were even a few deliveries made out on the course.  Tony like to eat his with pepper jelly.  He snagged some from my basement.  The combo is delicious...you should try it!

After all the score cards were turned in, everyone gathered under the tent...



...for some fried catfish, shrimp & french fries...



Yummo!  He coats his catfish in plain old yellow mustard before breading it in his fry.  The shrimp just gets coated with the fry.  Amazing!

After everyone loaded up with food, Patrick's family presented Tony with a new fishing pole...



For the past 3 years, he has driven 9 hours donating his time and food to feed the golfers after play.  We are truly grrateful for all his generosity.

Then it was time for the awards.  This year we gave away Academy gift cards for 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place in 2 flights.  We also gave away 5 pairs of Costa sunglasses as closest to the pin & longest drive prizes.  [We always buy them from here...great store, check it out.]  Then we always do a drawing for door prizes.  This year they were all gift cards to manly places like Bass Pro Shop, Outback, The Brick, BB Perrins, Wintzell's, Bennett's & Hooters [always the favorite].

I love that all the families join their golfers after the tournament.  The kids always have a blast running wild during the awards ceremony. 



They love playing on the golf carts.  I had to hide a few keys after Owen drove one for a few feet.

Cousin Carter and One-Eyed Owie catch a ride on back...



Jody and Tony [one last shot before he loaded up the crew and headed back home]...


  

The results for the tournament:

• over $18,000 grossed
• 108 golfers - the most we have ever had
• $2800 in Academy gift cards awarded to the 1st, 2nd & 3rd place teams in 2 Flights
• 5 pairs of Costas awarded to 4 Closest to the Pins & 1 Longest Drive
• Hundreds of dollars in gift cards to places like Outback, Bass Pro Shop & Hooters given away as doorprizes
• 50 cases of Budwiser products (about half donated by Valley Bud)
• Cases of Pepsi products (all donated by Pepsi of Decatur)
• Pizzas & Wings for lunch (donated by Domino's Pizza)
• Fried Catfish & Shrimp for dinner (donated by Tony Chachere's)
• We even had one of the scholarship recipients in attendance 

A big thanks to all those who helped out.  The tournament could not have been a success with out your help.  We look forward to another fabulous tournament next year!