Something In The Water

All over Blogland people seem to be nesting, baking, and making yummy stick to your ribs meals these days.  Kim at Savvy Southern Style recently made some yummy soup...where does that girl find the time to paint AND cook?!  And the lovely Jane from Blondie's Journal made the cutest acorn sugar cookies!!  There must be something in the air...or something in the water that's making us all want to cook and bake!

If you come from the land down under I'm sure all of this seems silly since you are coming into your warmest months.  But for some of us, it's getting chilly and downright yucky outside.  Today it rained cats and dogs here and I had to wear my big warm coat to take the dogs out.

Miss Kylee hasn't been feeling up to snuff this week so I've stayed close to home just in case she needs me.  Today was more of the same, and with the bad weather I decided it would be a good time to make something to warm us up for dinner.

A big pot of chili sounded just right, so I made some using my mom's famous chili recipe.  My son Bugs loves it when the weather gets chilly, because he would eat my mother's chili every day of the week if he could!

It was just Bugs and me at home for dinner tonight and after he ate his bowl of chili, along with a big hunk of french baguette, he suggested I make something yummy for dessert.  As much as he loves my mom's chili recipe he also loves her apple nut cake recipe.  After a little persuading I agreed to make it for him and he was happy as a clam!

My mother was a wonderful cook, just like her mother, and she taught all 4 of us how to cook, including my brother.  When I was young I would watch my mother cut up vegetables as though she were a sous-chef at a busy 5 star restaurant.  Even Mr. Tide once commented on how quickly and efficiently my mother could cut up celery, carrots, onions...anything.

 

When I got married I would often call my mom and ask her for this recipe or that recipe and she would always give me the directions over the phone.  Usually the next time I saw her she would have the recipe neatly written out on a recipe card for me to add to my collection.   Her apple nut cake is one of those beloved recipes that still bears her handwriting, something I now treasure.

This cake is delicious, and the frosting will make you need to take a nap it's so sweet...and oh so good!

Apple Nut Cake

1 1/2 cups Wesson Oil

2 cups white sugar

3 eggs

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups finely chopped apples

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (I've used both walnuts and pecans)

3 cups flour (not sifted)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Finely chop the apples and place in a large bowl with the sugar

Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla

Stir in cinnamon, soda, salt, and nuts

Add flour and stir until thoroughly mixed

Pour batter into a greased tube pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out cleanly and the top is a nice golden brown.  Let cool.

Brown Sugar Frosting

1 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 stick butter or margarine

1/2 cup evaporated milk

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan and boil for 4 minutes or until it reaches soft ball stage.  Let cool for 10 minutes and glaze the top and sides of the cake.

My frosting dripped quite a bit because a certain someone was too impatient to wait for it to cool.

It was a yummy meal tonight I must admit, but one small slice of apple cake is plenty for me...it's very rich!  I'd love to hear from any of you that decide to make this delicious apple cake!

And don't forget to enter to win my latest Giveaway... simply click HERE!!!

I heard this song recently and I thought it was cute...enjoy!