Off To Be Grandmother In Residence

This is my morning view when I walk in to get my coffee. It's beautiful and different every single day. Such a peaceful way to start my day. I'm posting this here so that for the rest of the week, I can look at this picture for a moment of serenity.

I'm headed down the highway in the morning to be the adult in Mommy's house this week. Three granddaughters and me. Thank goodness one of them is 16 because I know she can help. But it's also exam time for her, so I hope I won't need to call on her. The two little ones have all of their end of school events happening while I'm there. Oh, let me remember where I'm supposed to be each day!

Because I knew way ahead of time that I would be on duty for just over a week while both Mommy and J-Daddy are away (different places) on business, I made sure that Daddy-O has plenty of food, ready to thaw and heat when he comes in from his farm work. It's hay season here. (Why does everything happen at the same time?)

For a couple of months, as I've cooked our normal meals, I've stashed part of what I made in the freezer, packed in small portions for him to easily use. Then it dawned on me. He'll never know what frozen treasure is waiting on him. It's all labeled, but when things are frozen they all kind of look the same. And I know him. He wants to grab and go.

So today I sat down and made a freezer inventory. I was even a little surprised myself when I listed everything that's frozen. Fingers crossed he will cross things off the list as he uses something. Frozen foods keep well, but they do not last forever. So I added "date frozen" to the list, so we can see what needs to be eaten sooner rather than later. I'm thinking when I get home sometime next week, I won't have to cook for a while. That's probably good because I can guarantee that I'll be tired. Fun tired. But still I'll be one tired grandmother.

And I also promised I'd bake and take a cake to Jessica. She lives close enough to Mommy to come get it tomorrow. They have an event later in the week that requires a cake. It just came out of the oven. When it cools, I'll wrap it securely and will suggest she put it in her freezer until next weekend. I'll let her frost it if they want to. We love this frosting recipe from Ellen who goes to church with us. It will be easier for me to transport it unfrosted. And if the truth were told, I like mine best without the frosting.

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

1/2 lb butter (2 sticks), softened

1/2 cup Crisco shortening

3 cups sugar

5 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons cocoa 

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream butter and shortening. Add sugar and cream together well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg. Put flour into a bowl and add baking powder and salt. Sift the cocoa into the flour mixture and whisk all of these dry ingredients together. (Or sift all of the dry ingredients together.)

Add dry ingredients alternately with milk to butter/sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Add vanilla.

Bake in a greased and floured tube pan for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let cool in pan for about 15 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.

And sometime next week, I'll be back here at the farm ready to sit down and catch my breath. So hang on and know that I'll post again when time permits. Maybe I'll have some new stories about the littles and a picture or two. Say a prayer for me that we will have a calm and uneventful week.