Plum Pudding Cake

My sister and I have a lot of plums laying around. I personally got a little overzealous while picking. (I do that all the time. I love to pick, hate to process! Haha!) Anyway, she found this recipe on Tammysrecipes.com. (go to her site and see the lovely pic!)  It is SSSOOOO delish. It makes the house smell like Christmas and then eating it is a real treat. If you remember plum pudding from childhood this is a fantastic version! Everyone in my family loved it. Even my picky one.

Yield: 9 servings

Ingredients: 

1 cup all-purpose or cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons oil
2 cups washed and halved plums (pits removed, too!)
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup boiling water

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

2. Beat in the milk and oil. Spread mixture in an ungreased 8x8-inch baking dish. Layer the halved plums on top.

3. Whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the plum-topped batter. Pour the boiling water over everything!

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, until cake is browned on top. (The top layer should test done with a fork with only a few crumbs, if you're unsure.)

Serve warm or cold. Perfect with ice cream or all by itself! :)

I doubled this and put in a 9x13. It cooked in exactly 1 hour and was perfect. (my sis did the same thing and had same results)

A Better Granola

This is the heavenly granola that Mom has at her house. It's from the magazine Bon Appetit. I found this online because I lost the recipe Mom copied for me.  I love this stuff. The hubby and kids love this stuff. It is the best. We eat it with milk or yogart or just by the handful. Enjoy!

• Preheat oven to 300°. Combine 1 large beaten egg white, 3 cups old-fashioned oats, 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (such as almonds, pistachios, pecans, or walnuts), 1 1/2 cups coconut shavings, 1/2 cup agave syrup, 1/4 cup olive oil or warmed coconut oil, 1/4 cup sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon in a large bowl; toss to combine. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake granola, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden brown and dry, 40-45 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet (it will crisp as it cools).
• Mix in 1 cup dried cherries or cranberries. DO AHEAD: Granola can be made 2 weeks ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

• Coconut shavings (chips) are strips of unsweetened coconut and are available at many natural foods stores and some supermarkets.

Customize it

• Swap maple syrup or honey for the agave to get a subtle flavor shift.
• If chocolate chips mean your kid will love it, throw ‘em in at the end.

This granola's great out of hand, but for added protein, serve over low-fat yogurt. Or layer it in a glass with yogurt and fresh fruit