Spring is officially here, the lawn has been mowed. The mower fired up on the first pull so that was a good start. The yard looked like an old man that needed a hair cut. Now it is manicured and dapper.
Mom would have mowed about six times by now. She was fanatic about the lawn. There were no high spots in the yard, because she mowed so low everything was scraped level. More dirt flew through her mower than grass. I can still see her out there with curlers in her hair and a bandana wrapped around her head, flying around the yard like a banshee. Momma Said, “If you are going to do a job you need to do it right.”
She went full tilt with everything she did. It was all or nothing with her and that is one trait I loved most about her. Whatever she endeavored to do, she did it to the max. I try to do things like she would have and I hope I would have made her proud. I miss the opportunities to converse with her about life. She was not finished teaching me things I need to know.
That is one aspect of losing a loved one that hurts the most. I wish I had more time with her so she could have taught me more about life. She loved life and it really hurt to see her go downhill so fast. To see her slow done and not enjoy the things she loved the most. I guess we all slow down as we age and I don’t feel that I am ready for that yet.
Momma Said, “Live life to the fullest while you can because you just never know what tomorrow will bring.” So as for the now, I give you a recipe that will put a little lift in your step.
Brown Sugar Carmel Pound Cake
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups butter softened
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1 8oz bag toffee chips
1 cup pecans, chopped
Caramel Drizzle:
1 – 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 spray a 12 cup Bundt pan with cooking spray with flour
Beat butter until creamy. Add sugars beating until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mix to batter alternately with milk, beat until just combined. Stir in toffee buts and pecans. Spoon batter into pan and bake 85 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean. To prevent excess browning, cover cake with foil while baking.
Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Spoon Caramel Drizzle over cooled cake.
Directions for Caramel Drizzle
In a medium saucepan, combine condensed milk and brown sugar; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently. Reduce heat, and SIMMER for 8 minutes, whisking frequently. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla. Let cool for 5 minutes before using. NOTE: Make sure you drizzle the caramel while it’s still HOT.
