A Family Recipe to Pass Down: Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I mentioned earlier in the blog that I am trying to take time to cook with my daughter. However, I do have an ulterior motive. I want her to be able to cook the family recipes that I have grown to love so that those flavors can help shape her life. (And be able to cook for me when I can't and know that it will be edible! Ha!)

My mother provided me with this recipe. It was a recipe my great-aunt shared with her at one of the family gatherings that I had growing up.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of butter (margarine is fine) softened/room temperature
3 cups of sugar
1  8 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 eggs (my mother uses 4*)
3 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla (vanilla butter & nut preferred)
1 tsp. almond flavoring


Tools:

Method:

Cream margarine/butter and cream cheese together.

Add eggs one at a time beating well.

Stop and stir as necessary.

Sift flour.

Add it to the mixture.  Add about a cup at the time.  Stop and stir as needed.  Add flavoring.  (Stir flavoring in by hand. Whatever you prefer.)

  Cook in two loaf pans or in a tube pan (bundt). Do not preheat the oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours on 300 degrees Fahrenheit. (Watch your stove. We have gas and it seems to cook much faster, so I cook it for 1 1/4 hours instead so my cake isn't dry.)


Take it out of the oven and allow about 10 minutes to cool before serving.

Homemade Salsa

I love tomatoes. Anyone who knows me knows I love tomatoes...red, juicy, acidic tomatoes...the redder the better!  However a close second is a great salsa. I am particularly picky when it comes to salsas. It has to have a certain flavor and texture.

This recipe is quick and easy. It came from a family friend who shared her salsa recipe with us and I had to have it. And I haven't stopped making it since.  In fact, I make it about every week to two weeks, depending on what our weekly dinners consist of...or my late night stress eating needs when I stay up late working on work related projects.

Homemade Salsa

1/4 - 1/2 of medium sized onion (too much onion is too much for me)
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 regular can of Rotel tomatoes (original...can substitute store brand)
1 can of petite diced tomatoes with or without salt added

Place chunk of onion in food processor or blender. Follow safety rules for food processor or blender in order to operate correctly. Blend enough to chop to medium to small pieces. Do not puree. Add the rest of the ingredients. Blend together more or less for chunky or thinner salsa depending on your preference. Serve immediately.

Refrigerate up to 5 days what is left in a sealed container.

Serve with tortilla chips, tacos, etc.