Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake

  We are always on the lookout for food related ideas and recipes. A few weeks ago we found this recipe in Southern Living magazine. Strawberry season had just started and this recipe was the perfect excuse to use some of the local berries that we were starting to see at all the Amish stands

Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 1/2 c butter, softened

3 c sugar

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

6 large eggs

3 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 c strawberry glaze

1 (6-inch) wooden skewer

Strawberry Glaze

1 c ripe strawberries, finely chopped

1/2 c sugar

4 1/2 tsp corn starch

1/4 c cool water

1 tbsp butter

2 tsp lemon juice

Prepare glaze. We chopped our berries very fine in a food processor. Dissolve corn starch in water. Combine chopped strawberries, sugar and corn starch mixture in a medium sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens somewhat. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and butter. Cool in fridge for 15-20 minutes. While the glaze is cooling, move on to the cake batter.

(Southern Living Recipe)

Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add cream cheese, beating until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Gradually add flour to butter mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed. Stir in almond and vanilla extracts. Pour one-third of batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (14-cup) tube pan (about 2 2/3 cups batter). Dollop 8 rounded teaspoonfuls strawberry glaze over batter, and swirl with wooden skewer. Repeat procedure once, and top with remaining third of batter.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

We enjoyed the cake and of course we made some extra glaze to serve on top with whipped cream. Enjoy!

TTFN

B

Grilled Lemon-Oregano Chicken



  Here's a quick grilling dish and an excuse to use some of those fresh herbs from the garden. I make this up earlier in the day and let it sit for a few hours in the fridge before tossing it on the grill. 10 minutes on the grill and this tasty chicken can be sitting on your plate

Grilled Lemon-Oregano Chicken

4 chicken breast, de-boned without skin

2 lemons juiced

1 tsp grated lemon zest

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper, ground

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 c fresh oregano, chopped

1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped

3 cloves garlic, pressed

  Flatten the chicken breasts to a uniform thickness. I find it helpful to put the chicken breasts in a gallon ziplock bag and beat it with the flat side of a meat tenderizer. I can do two breast at a time this way and then I use the bag to marinate the meat as well. A food processor makes quick work out of the marinade and it can save you a little chopping to boot. Combine all the ingedients except the chicken either by hand or in a food processor and then dump the marinade in a gallon ziplock bag with the chicken . Let the meat marinate for a couple of hours and then grill. I would not recommend marinating the meat more than a few hours in advance because the lemon flavor can become very strong and over-power the other flavors. Optionally you can change this recipe up a bit by swapping out the oregano for 1/2 c of fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

TTFN
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