SOUTHERN LIVING'S HUMMINGBIRD BUNDT CAKE, AND A VERY HAPPY DAY!!



Picked up our kiddo at the airport in Syracuse the other night, and because Abbie's my daughter, she's used to being totally embarrassed on a regular basis.

This time was no exception.

Heck, I wanted her arrival to be celebrated in grande style! She's back in the United States for the first time in almost 6 months....

Balloons and a big, obnoxious sign waving at the arrival gate...she wouldn't expect anything less....

Funny thing was, since we live so close to the Army base at Ft. Drum, I think everyone  waiting to pick up somebody else at the airport thought that my child must be coming home from Afghanistan or Iraq or somewhere dangerous like that, what with the red, white and blue/Patriotic thing going on in my sign.

She was in peaceful Paris, France...hey, their colors are red, white and blue, also!

Anyways, you will all be happy to know that Abbie made it home safely, is already unpacked and ready to get to work with her mama, planting flowers and scooping up movie theatre popcorn.

SO very happy to have her here in New York, for the time being, at least!

***************

The other day I had a hankerin' to make a special celebratory cake, and the first cake that came to mind was a Hummingbird Cake. Specifically, Southern Living's Hummingbird Cake. I think this is probably my mom's and my favorite cake of ALL time to make.

Why? And what IS a Hummingbird Cake, you might ask?

Here's a photo of the three-layered fabulosity.........

(photo compliments of Southern Living)

The consistency of a Hummingbird Cake is similar to a carrot cake, complete with a decadent cream cheese frosting. Except it's different--just as moist, but you include canned, crushed pineapple and mashed banana and toasted pecans.

I am here to tell you that this is one of the best pieces of cake you will ever have. AND, the traditional Hummingbird Cake recipe (you can find that, HERE) makes a HUGE, HUGE cake--enough to feed a very large crowd.

Well, it's only the three of us Willards around here right now (most of Abbie's friends are still away at school or off traveling), so I didn't want a huge ol' cake hanging around my kitchen for days, going to waste and tempting my sorry self.

Good thing I opened up my latest Southern Living Magazine and found their latest creation...a Hummingbird BUNDT Cake. Same incredible recipe, but much smaller, with a lot less cream cheese frosting.

Oh my.......

Here's my finished product, freshly drizzled with frosting and sprinkled with toasted pecans.....

You can find the recipe for Southern Living's Hummingbird Bundt Cake, HERE.

I hope you love this cake as much as we do.

It's excellent for breakfast, BTW.

Till later,

Leslie

XXX000

*********************

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT..........

***I have a subscription to Southern Living Magazine. Which may seem strange, living as close to Canada as we do, but I tell you what.....they have the best, best, best recipes in the whole wide world. My girlfriend Lisa will attest to that!

***My daughter is so eager to learn about gardening this summer....someone else to help pull weeds...yippee!!!

***it's almost the weekend, and we are so very excited to go to our favorite nursery and go nuts, and the decks are finally getting stained! Thank you, Mother Nature, for providing us with a sunny, dry weekend.