Lordy, Lordy Look Who's Forty....One

Steven celebrated his 41st birthday on Thursday. It’s not very often that we get to go out just the two of us. We didn’t go anywhere fancy or romantic but we had time alone—which is priceless. As with anything I am involved in there’s little adventure.

We got a late start because they were working cows and when we returned home he would need to finish breeding the cows. I came home from an almost horrible day at work (it’s not the wok that’s awful but a few of the people you have to deal with). Anyway, I called Steven before I left work to tell him I was taking him on a date just the two of us. As soon as I got home, I started getting ready so he wouldn’t have any reason to back out. While I was transforming from frumpy school teacher to hot momma, Charlee decided to join her dad outside in the cow pens. Later, Charlee came charging in to tell me about her dad’s dealings with the cows…. I’m not going into disgusting detail. Charlee explained how her dad had stuck his arm in the cow and she had “die-a-ribed” on him and to look where she also had die-a-ribed all of her. I immediately replied “I hope you didn’t get that on my carpet”. Lucky for me she didn’t. Not long after that Steven peeked his head in the back door, I remind him that I wanted to take him out to eat. He sheepishly agreed and then stepped inside—he was covered in poop from head to toe. Needless to say this did not set the tone for a romantic night out. He showered and shaved –and turned back into the handsome man I know.

We were going to leave the girls with their grandparents. Most of you know that typically we have to tear Charlee away from her Grandma Hines. Not the case this time. She pitched a royal fit. We tried everything under the sun to bribe her. I even told her we were going possum hunting and that she may get hurt …but she explained the door to the truck would be closed and she would be safe. Finally, I broke down and grabbed my scrapbooking bag which she is forbidden to mess with. She jumped up and acted as though she had never shed a tear and couldn’t wait to get over there and “scrap book”.

Due to time restraints, we decided to go to Backyard. Plus if it’s your birthday you eat free. The waitress sat us down, when Steven realized he left his wallet in his work truck. No free meal tonight. The rest of the evening went fairly uneventful. I even got a kiss good night from the birthday boy.



I have said in the past that Steven married me not out of love, but because I could cook (almost as good as his mother). On Saturday for Steven and Katie’s birthdays, I baked their favorite cake—Brown Sugar Pound Cake. I got the recipe from my friend Kathy. Forever ago, I stayed with Kathy so I could attend classes to get the courses needed for elementary certification (about 15 years ago). We tried out this recipe. I don’t know if she ever fixes it, but my bunch devours the whole cake the day I bake it. I, personally, like the batter better than the cake.


Charlee helped me bake the cake for them. Katie came into the kitchen hollering the cake is burning and opens the oven….about twenty minutes later BIG daddy comes in and opens the oven door again.
If you bake, you know what happened to my cake. What didn’t fall, stuck to the pan.


The remains are the yummiest part....



Brown Sugar Pound Cake

1 cup butter
½ cup shortening
1 pound brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
5 eggs
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter and sugar thoroughly. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating at medium speed. Add flavoring. Sift dry ingredients (2times) add to creamed mixture alternating with milk.
Grease a tube pan (I use a Bundt pan). Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

HINT Place a baking dish with water in it under the cake to make it extra moist. This a secret I learned from Shirley Williams a lady at our church.