Peach Bundt Cake

What a yummy surprise to find this recipe on Pinterest!  I didn't have fresh peaches on hand so I used the delicious Colorado peaches we canned last summer.  I drained the peaches (reserving the peach juice) and removed some of the moisture by resting them on a towel.  I used the reserved peach liquid to create the glaze instead of using 'peach puree' that is in the recipe.  One more change...  I forgot my vanilla bean in the Valley so used regular vanilla here in the mountains at the cabin.

 

So Delish!!

 

Here is the recipe from the site with my modifications: 

 

Peach Vanilla Bean Bundt Cake with Peach Soaking Syrup Makes 10-inch bundt cake, serving 12 to 14

Cake
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds (or 2 tsp. vanilla)
1 cup sour cream
1 ½ cups diced fresh peaches (or canned & drained, reserving juice)

Syrup
Ingredients
⅓ cup fresh peach puree, strained or juice from canned peaches
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice (optional)

Method
Place rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 350. Grease and lightly flour inside of 10 inch bundt pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Using either a stand mixer (paddle attachment) or a hand mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is light in texture and color, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating for 30 to 40 seconds after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary. Beat in vanilla bean. At low speed, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with sour cream. (Add a bit of flour, a bit of sour cream, a bit of flour, a bit of sour cream, a bit of flour.)

Scoop half of batter into pan and spread with spatula. Sprinkle with peaches. Scoop remaining half of batter on top of peaches. Smooth with spatula.

Bake cake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then invert it onto another rack. Place the cake, on the rack, over a baking sheet.

While cake is baking, make syrup. Combine peach puree, sugar, and orange juice in a small non reactive saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Using a pastry brush, dab syrup generously all over surface of the warm cake, allowing it to soak into the cake before reapplying. Let the cake cool completely.

 

Mexican Food? Yes, Please!

We got an earlier than usual start out of town for the holiday weekend.  After settling into the cabin we headed back to town for an early dinner at one of our favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants.  The owner remembers us and actually was our waiter last night.  They recently moved from a small location nearer to our cabin to this spot.  It is actually in the back of the restaurant that serves American breakfasts and lunches - all owned by the same man.  Interesting use of space and it's efficient.

Interesting use of a glass garage door.

 

Book Review

It's been a while since I had time to read and write a book review for something other than school.  This book has been sitting on my shelf for a few months and I finally had time to read it while on break between Spring and Summer classes.

 

Sharon Jaynes speaks to us about experiencing ‘a sudden glory’ in this writing, or as others have called it – ‘a God thing’.  It is those moments when you just know that God is present, speaking to just you.  We need to be open to hearing the words and experiencing the wonder of it in our everyday lives.  As she says, “it is up to us to listen”.  As we think about some of the people in the Bible, they were going about their everyday lives when they heard God speak.  Moses was tending sheep, Gideon was threshing wheat and John was fishing.  We need to be tuned in, if you will, to realize the amazing communication that is possible with God. 

Although portions of the book seem to be repeated throughout, perhaps it works to plant seeds deeper into our thoughts.  At the end of the book are questions that can be helpful in a book study or Bible study group.   There are also a few pages of a Journaling space to get the reader started on writing their own encounters with God.  These are things we can experience every day, but are often not remembered.  A journal will preserve the history so you can go back to remember all the little moments. 

The book is an easy read and recommended for those who want ideas of how to have that continual communication and relationship with God that doesn’t just happen on a Sunday morning sitting in a pew.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

Traveling in the West

I traveled for work this week, visiting some of our smaller hospitals.  The trip took me to Colorado, Wyoming and through a bit of Nebraska.  We stopped in this great little café on Tuesday morning for coffee and a scone.

The 'lips' were a cute cover to prevent spillage.

Beautiful fresh flowers by the ordering window

Many flying paper birds flying around the dinning room

There is still snow on top of the Rockies; lucky for me it wasn't snowing!

 

 

 

 



Spring in the Pines

The flowers around the cabin are beautiful this spring.

 

 

 

 

Kendall spent the day cleaning the outside of the cabin, washing windows and getting the garden ready to plant while I tidied up the inside.  A little spring cleaning is a good thing!

In the evening after dinner in town we picked up some Chubby Hubby to enjoy on the deck in our new chairs.