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Hummingbird Cake

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I was recently introduced to this classic southern cake through one of my friends from the Deep South. I was intrigued by the name as my mom keeps a dish of grape jelly on her porch to attract hummingbirds and has regular visitors. The Hummingbird Cake is a very unusual one; it’s made with oil rather than butter, and contains more fruit than flour. The mix doesn’t need beating, is wonderful with a cream cheese frosting, and is flavored with interesting spices and pecans. Contrary to the name, there are no birds in this particular recipe! The giveaway to the Hummingbird Cake’s birthplace, however, is in the key ingredients – bananas and pineapple. It’s thought to have been invented in Jamaica, probably in the late ‘60s, and introduced to society through Southern Living magazine by a Mrs. L.H. Wiggin in 1978.

Since it’s a dessert made for ladies, we thought it would be a crowd pleasing addition to our weekly Harborside Teas. We always offer two choices of dessert, and it was fun to have a whole new recipe and an unusual one at that. It was so popular that we thought it warranted giving away the recipe. A thin slice will do you – this cake is rich!  And oh, so good…

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Hummingbird Cake
SERVINGS
12people
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
people
COOK TIME
25 minutes
PREP TIME
15 minutes
READY IN
1 1/2 hrs (with cooling time)

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.
  2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon in a large bowl. Set aside.
  3. Cream together the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, pineapple, mashed bananas, and finely chopped pecans in another large bowl.
  4. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Evenly divide the batter between the three prepared pans and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Turn cakes onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
  1. Cream the cream cheese with an electric mixer.
  2. Add in butter and cream together with cream cheese until light and fluffy.
  3. Add confectioners’ sugar, ½ cup at a time. After each cup has been incorporated, turn the mixer onto the highest speed setting and for about 10 seconds to lighten the frosting.
  4. Add in vanilla and cream until well-blended, light and fluffy.

cake-slice copy FullSizeRender_3full-cake copy

Fluffy Banana Tea Bread

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Twenty five years ago, our community collaborated on a cookbook called Recipes that Bear Repeating, which is still one of my favorite cookbooks. The recipes are tried and true, many of which have served our guests and retreatants over the years. One of our founders, Mother Cay, liked to remind us that Jesus loves to meet us in the little jobs that make up everyday life. “Life with Jesus,” she would say, “is in the mundane!” And we have found over and over again that He cares very much about the small things that concern us — what to have for dinner, how to celebrate our holidays, and so on through our daily life.

As we walk through Lent, we are reminded of these words, and pray that you also will meet Jesus in the kitchen, doing the laundry, cleaning the house or whatever your “mundane” might be.

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Fluffy Banana Tea Bread
from Recipes that Bear Repeating
SERVINGS
1loaf
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
loaf
COOK TIME
45mins
PREP TIME
15mins
READY IN
1hr

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside
  2. Cream together in a standing mixer the softened butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla and beat for 2 min. or until light and fluffy
  3. Add banana, sour cream, nuts (optional) and cream together
  4. Slowly add flour mixture slowly, one cup at a time, until just incorporated (do not overbeat or your batter will be tough)
  5. Pour into a well-greased 9x5x3" loaf pan (glass is best) or greased muffin tins.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min. or until a tooth pick comes out partially clean. Bake 10-15 min. for muffins.
  7. Let cool slightly, turn out of pan and enjoy!

Summer Smoothie

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What’s cool, fun, beautiful to look at, satisfying, refreshing, easy to eat, pleasing to young and old alike, simple to make, nutritious and delicious?

A smoothie of course! They have definitely established themselves in our normal everyday diet. No longer unusual as they originally were.

Recently a group of friends wanted to do a little something more than just give a gift to someone on their 60th birthday. This “someone”, having many friends and well wishes had already received a number of invitations to lunch, dinner, tea and coffee hours.  What would be an appropriate way to enhance the giving of their gift?  Aha!  A “smoothie break”.  Just right. Perfect in every way.

They knew their birthday girl loved fresh fruit so they arranged a beautiful basketful as a center piece. Then they blended up a tray full of assorted smoothies. For hers, they combined strawberries, bananas, mangoes and peaches, all her favorites.  It was a tremendous success!  She loved everything about it and made it very clear that it pleased her as much, if not more, than some of her more elaborate expressions of care.  What a rewarding experience for all.

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Summer Smoothie
SERVINGS
3cups
CHANGE SERVING SIZE
cups
COOK TIME
PREP TIME
READY IN

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Add ingredients into blender and blend until smooth.
  2. You will have to turn the blender on and off intermittently and stir to help the blending process.
  3. For variety: You can add any amount of yogurt, ice cream, mint, orange zest, honey or mint in any combination that you desire.
  4. Also fruit can be fresh if you prefer.