My column this week is dedicated to family. I know mine is not perfect but it is what I have to work with. I know I am not perfect but I try to be a good person. All I have left are my sisters and brother. They have children, but all I have are three lives permanently connected to me by powers greater than me.
We have been through trials and tribulations throughout life but so has everyone else. We have had our ups and downs, the peaks and valleys of life. Right now we are in a valley that is going to take strength and fortitude to climb out of. I know faith is a very strong ally to have on your side and I hope there is an abundance of it for us to draw on.
I am not a “church person” per say but that does not mean I don’t believe in God. He is a strong influence in all our lives if we just let Him in. I try to lead a good life and so does my family. I would like to ask everyone out there to send up a prayer for a special member of my family, that I love very much, is going through a very tough time right now. Momma Said, “The power of prayer is stronger than medicine sometimes.”
I want my family to know they mean the world to me and I would do anything in my power to help them. I hope everyone out there has a family to fall back on when times are tough. A life is not something to waste, every one is precious and you have to make the best of what life has handed you. Momma Said, “Sometimes you just have to take those lemons and make lemonade.”
BUTTERMILK BLUEBERRY BREAKFAST CAKE
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon
- ⅞ cup* + 1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups flour (set aside ¼ cup of this to toss with the blueberries)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- ½ cup buttermilk***
*⅞ cup = ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons
***To make homemade buttermilk, place 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Fill cup with milk until it reaches the 1/2-cup line. Let stand for five minutes.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and ⅞ cup of the sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.
- Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.) Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
