Is anyone faithful anymore?

My granny once told me that my papaw, who was 20+ yrs older than her, had cheated on her! She had told me how they had met, fallen in love & how he couldn't decide if she was the one or not... She wrote him this big letter telling him it was either her or those other girls he was a courtin'... He chose my granny, they married & had two kids! When I asked her about their life together, I also asked if my papaw (a man that I loved more than any other man alive) had cheated on her, & her response was, well he's a man, ain't he? I knew I had heard rumors of men going through the hills to other women's homes etc but my papaw! I guess he was more like any other man that I realized & not the sweet, old man that I had known! He was 96 when he passed! It was heartbreaking to know that the one man that I had trusted the most was also like all the men that I had known in my own life... Sad, that it really doesn't seem that no one knows the meaning of loving only the one you are with, doesn't it?

Honey Bun Cake


1 box yellow cake
4 eggs
8 ounces sour cream
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Topping: 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk

Combine yellow cake mix, eggs, sour cream, and vegetable oil. Mix together and pour half in a 9x13 inch pan. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over half of batter in pan. Pour rest of batter over brown sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Topping: combine powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. While cake is warm poke holes in cake with toothpick. Pour topping over cake.





Hummingbird Cake

3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups canola oil
3 eggs
1 8oz can crushed pineapple (drained)
2 cups mashed bananas
1 cup chopped black walnuts
1 8oz package cream cheese (softened)
1/4 pound butter (softened)
1 pound confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt - set aside. In large bowl, combine the oil, eggs, pineapple, bananas and nuts. Add flour mixture and mix by hand. Equally pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool on racks. Prepare the frosting by blending together the cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Evenly spread frosting on the top of one cake - then place other cake on top. Complete the cake by spreading the frosting on top and sides.

Gum Drop Cake
Makes 3 loaves

1 cup butter
3 eggs
2 ½ cups sugar
3 ¾ cups flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm milk
1 cup crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup coconut
1 pound gum drops - cut up - no black
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound raisins if desired

Cream butter and eggs with sugar. Add flour mixed with baking powder and salt, alternately with pineapple and warm milk . Add lemon and vanilla. Dredge gum drops and raisins with ½ cup flour. Add with coconut and mix. Bake at 325°F. Place a pan of water in oven with loaves for moisture.


Holiday Cake


1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks real butter
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons of almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups of walnuts or almonds (chopped)
1 jar of maraschino cherries

Cream together 1-1/2 sticks of butter (softened), 1-1/2 cups of sugar, cream cheese, and 1-1/2 teaspoons of almond extract (mix well). Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add baking powder and flour, mixing well. Drain the cherries and chop the entire jar in half and set aside 8 halves to decorate the top of the cake. In a separate bowl mix a small amount of flour with the cherries and fold into the cake mixture being careful not to crush. Add the nuts and pour the entire mixture into a bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Take the cake out of the oven and immediately turn upside down on a dish. After the cake has cooled, glaze the top with a mixture of confectioners sugar and water. Drizzle over the top of the cake allowing it to drip down the sides. Decorate with cherries and walnuts along the top.

Flower Garden Cake


3/4 cup sugar
6 egg yolks
, 6 egg whites separated
3/4 cup lemon juice
grated rind of 2 lemons
2 envelopes of plain gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 cup sugar
Angel food cake
whipped cream

Make a custard of the following ingredients: sugar, egg yolks, lemon juice, and grated rind of lemons. The custard should be cooked over water until it coats a spoon. Dissolve gelatin in cold water. Add to custard the dissolved gelatin. In a bowl, beat 6 egg whites very stiff and add gradually 3/4 cup sugar. Pour the lemon custard into egg whites. Tear into bite size pieces one large angel food cake then fold into above mixture lightly with two forks. Grease 8 x 12" baking dish with salad oil and pour mixture into dish. Place in refrigerator and leave overnight. Before serving, ice with whipped cream. (Remove from refrigerator one hour before serving)




German Chocolate Upside-Down Cake

1 box German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 box Confectioner's Sugar
1 stick margarine
8 ounces cream cheese

Mix cake as directed. Pour into 13x9 pan. Combine margarine and cream cheese in sauce pan. Heat on low until melted. Stir in box of Confectioner's Sugar. Pour over cake. Bake at 350 degrees until cake is done. Cake is upside down when turned out of pan onto plate.

Easy Coconut Cake


1 box white cake mix
1 small can crushed pineapple - drained
1 can white icing
lots of shredded coconut

Make cake following directions on box. Pour into 2-9 inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-30 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Drain pineapple well - then put on top of one layer - then put some of icing on top of pineapple. Put the two layers together. Use remaining frosting all over the cake -- then cover entirely with coconut





Eggnog Cake


2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup shortening (half soft butter, if desired)
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon rum flavoring or vanilla
3 eggs


Cream Fluff Frosting :
1 package Fluffy White Frosting mix (dry mix)
1 teaspoon rum flavoring
1 1/2 cups whipping cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 round layer pans, 8 or 9 x 1-1/2". Combine all ingredients except Cream Fluff Frosting in large mixer bowl. Blend on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping side and bottom of bowl. Beat 3 minutes on medium speed, scraping bowl frequently. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 35-40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool. Fill and frost with Cream Fluff frosting. If desired, sprinkle top with nutmeg. Refrigerate. Cream Fluff Frosting: In small mixer bowl, chill frosting mix (dry), rum flavoring, and whipping cream for at least 1 hour. Blend; beat until soft peaks form.

Deluxe Chocolate Marshmallow Bars
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons baking cocoa
1/2 chopped nuts (optional)
4 cups miniature marshmallows
Topping: 1 1/3 cup (8oz) chocolate chips
3 Tablespoon butter or margarine
1 cup peanut butter
2 cup crisp rice cereal

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa; add to cream mixture. Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread in a greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over cake; return to oven for 2-3 minutes. Using a knife dipped in water, spread melted marshmallows evenly over the cake. Cool. For topping, combine chocolate chips, butter and peanut butter in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and well blended. Remove from heat; stir in cereal. Spread over bars. Chill.



Drizzle Cake

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup and 2 tablespoons milk CHOCOLATE FUDGE DRIZZLE:
2- 1 ounce squares Bakers chocolate
3/4 cup heated milk
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir shortening to soften. Gradually add sugar. Cream together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating each into the mixture before adding the next. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Shift three times together. Add creamed mixture alternately with milk. Beat after adding a little at a time. Beat until smooth. Pour into a 13x9 greased pan. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes. CHOCOLATE FUDGE DRIZZLE: Melt chocolate in heated milk. Add sugar and corn syrup. Cook slowly. Stir until sugar dissolves. Cook gently and stir frequently. Remove from heat when the mixture has cooked for about 3-5 minutes. Do not cook too long because you do not want the mixture to turn into fudge. Remove from heat and add butter. DO NOT stir until the mixture has cooled to room temperature. Add vanilla extract. Beat until the mixture firms up a bit. Once the cake has cooled, cut holes or cut slash marks all around the cake. Make sure the hole goes down to the bottom of the cake pan. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cake, making sure the chocolate drizzles down into the holes you have made in the cake.

This made me cry!

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and itsdedicated staff, he offered a question:'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.Where is the natural order of things in my son?'The audience was stilled by the query.The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.'Then he told the following story:Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.'Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.However, as Shay stepped up to theplate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.The game would now be over.The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first!Run to first!'Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.B y the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball . the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!Shay, run to third!'As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!