Summer Rain...

A break in the heat

away from the front

no thunder, no lightning,

just rain, warm rain

falling near dusk

falling on eager ground

steaming blacktop

hungry plants

thirsty

turning toward the clouds

cooling, soothing rain

splashing in sudden puddles

catching in open screens

that certain smell

of summer rain

by Raymond A. Foss

one year ago...

One year ago, this past Sunday (July 27, 2007 to be exact), I married my green-eyed best friend and lover. The one that I wanted to find. The one who "gets me". The one who loves me for me. My rock upon which I stand (A Coldplay song called "Green-Eyes" describes it perfectly).
And you know that old saying, "Time flies when you're having fun"?... Well, it does. Has it really been a year already? It seems just like the other day we were playing on the beach with our best friends, soaking up the sun, eating fish tacos and having the best time. Lots of wonderful memories I will never forget.
Looking back at our first year of marriage, I have to say that it was, to say the least, blissful. It was relatively uneventful (for a blended family), except for the tiny occurrence of expecting a baby. "The fruit of our love"... A way I heard it described this past weekend at a wedding ceremony we attended. And just seconds after processing what I had just heard it made me want to have lots of fruit with this man... hmmm...
Ok, all fruit thinking aside. I spent the rest of this past weekend reminiscing about the lovely, magical moments in time that we shared with our closest friends becoming husband and wife and family.
Here are a few of my favorite pictures from a year ago...

Happily Married,
Ralonda

sometimes...

A girl just needs a big refreshing salad for dinner...

Especially when it's this freakin' HOT!

Hope y'all are keepin' cool!

xo

Ralonda

PW's Yogurt-Marmalade Cake My Way...

My mouth has been watering since Pioneer Woman posted this recipe the other day for her Yogurt-Marmalade Cake. Except for one part of it... the Orange Marmalade. I don't know why. I don't have a previous experience with the stuff. It just doesn't look that appealing to me in the jar. So instead, I decided to try something different. I used Strawberry Preserves... which is much more appealing to me. Yum!
And now that I've made it, I realize that you could use any type of your favorite preserves.
Now, lets get started making this deliciously, moist cake!

First, you're gonna need; Flour, Sugar, Baking Powder, Plain Yogurt, Salt, Eggs, Vanilla, Oil and your favorite Preserves or Marmalade.
Then, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour your loaf pan (or you could just spray the heck of if with a cooking spray).





Start by sifting 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt together.

In a seperate bowl dump a heaping cup of plain yogurt.

Add a cup of sugar,

three eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Whisk it until it's combined.

Then pour it into the flour mixture and as you're mixing, add 1/2 cup oil and mix it gently until just combined. Don't over mix it... lumps are good!

Pour the mixture into your prepared loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes... now, my loaf pan is not that big, so I halved the batter and made two cakes baking only 35 minutes for each.

When it's done baking (oh, it smells wonderful), cool it on a rack for about 20 to 30 minutes... and for goodness sake, keep the dogs away... especially a little one named Mae Belle!

While the cake is cooling, put 1/2 cup your favorite preserves (I used Strawberry) into a pan over low heat.

Stir a few times until it's melted.

Then add a heaping 1/4 cup plain yogurt, turn off the heat and combine thoroughly.

After you put your cake onto a fancy platter, pour on the icing... oh boy!

And lastly, enjoy!

Now, I did omit one of PW's ingredients... Lemon Zest. Why? Well, because I'm not a big fan of that stuff either. Plus, I think that if you change up the fruit topping on the top then the lemon zest wouldn't be so tasty in the cake... just my opinion. Maybe that's a texture thing for me. But for what it's worth, the cake is delicious and I didn't miss the zest!

Yogurt-Marmalade Cake... My Way!

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 heaping cup plain yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup orange marmalade... or your favorite preserves
1/4 cup yogurt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray loaf pan with a nonstick spray.
Sift together flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.
In a seperate bowl, mix together yogurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
Pour over dry ingredients and as your mixing add the oil and mix gently until combined... don't overbeat!
Pour into loaf pan and back for 45 minutes.
Remove and cool slightly.
While cake is cooking, pour marmalade (or preserves) into pan over low heat. Heat until melted, stirring a few times.
Add yogurt and remove from heat. Stir until combined and slowly pour over cake.

Enjoy!

I really had fun making this cake. It was extremely easy (even for a pregnant woman) and sooo yummy... it almost melts in your mouth!

xo
Ralonda