It's been a busy week in Powell County

These past months I’ve had the opportunity to participate in so many of your local events and activities, and I have enjoyed every one of those moments. I’ve had to step out of my comfort zone and despite those few who give me the cold shoulder (hazards of the job), I have met many wonderful individuals.
This week I watched middle school and high school students host a mock debate. Both teams done an amazing job representing both parties.
Judge Sarah Combs was the guest speaker and her words left not only the future generations with much to contemplate, but the adults in the room as well. She encouraged them to always vote no matter what, but to “demand much of the people who present themselves for your vote”.
Judge Combs also quoted President John F. Kennedy’s Trade Mart speech that he had in his coat pocket on the day he was assassinated in November 1963. Even though the election will be over by the time this reaches you, take a moment and let these words sink in.
“We, in this country, in this generation, are – by destiny rather than by choice – the watchmen on the walls of world freedom. We ask, therefore, that we may be worthy of our power and responsibility, that we may exercise our strength with wisdom and restraint, and that we may achieve in our time and for all time the ancient vision of “peace on earth, good will toward men.” That must always underline our strength. For as was written long ago: “except the Lord keep the city, the watchmen waketh but in vain.”

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I spent part of Saturday morning walking around the Red River Museum. So much of your history lies within those old brick walls, it was hard to take it all in.
 I enjoyed meeting with the craftsmen and watching as they demonstrated skills that have long since been pushed away. We rely so much on modern technology and having things right at our fingertips that we easily forget that once those “skills” were just part of everyday life.
Inside the Depot that is located on the property there are photos with names covering the walls. After typing the Times Past for years and wondering what those individuals in the articles were like, I was able to finally put faces with the names I type. Their memory lives on thanks to those who take the time to preserve your history.

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I was contacted a few weeks ago by Mrs. Martin who teaches social studies at Powell County Middle School. She told about how several students in her class took it upon themselves to learn more about the mysterious woman who has plagued Egyptologists for centuries.
Monday morning I met with those six seventh graders and congratulated them on such an amazing deed. Make sure to read their story on A-1. Way to go guys. Each of you have done an amazing job.

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As most of you already know, Stanton Elementary scored a distinguished in state testing last year. To celebrate the accomplishment the classes took to dancing in the street Monday afternoon. From the YMCA to the electric slide, the afternoon was filled with music and dancing.
I enjoyed standing on the sidelines laughing along with the kids. I must say though, I must be getting old because some of those dances I have never even heard of. I could have rocked the electric slide though!

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My father, Johnny Brooks.

My grandfather, James Rabbit Tipton.

Friday is Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor those persons who have served, or are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces.
I am honored and humbled to have had numerous family members to serve - my grandfather, great uncles, uncles, and cousins. All Veterans, family or not, deserve our respect and our gratitude, and so I take this moment to thank you for your service.

How did we become so insecure?

I always wanted to learn to play the guitar. Singing I got down pat!

Growing up I was always told that I could do anything I set my mind to. I had wonderful parents who encouraged my siblings and I to reach beyond the expectations and face our dreams head first.

Personally, I wanted to be everything. A truck driver so that I could see the country, an archeologist because history fascinates me, a Hospice nurse because the one who came into our lives when my father was dying from cancer was a God send. A social worker to be a beacon in some child’s life, and a teacher to encourage children that you never stop learning.

My personal favorite however, the announcer at the Grand Ol’ Opry. Now go ahead and laugh, I do, but when I was little we would watch the Opry on TV and I would tell my Daddy that I was going to be standing on that stage one of these days. I would announce the latest country stars and sometimes even get to sing on the stage, maybe even with Loretta Lynn!

What happened to going out and chasing those dreams? Why did I stop dreaming I could do more and be more?

We are encouraged since birth by our parents and those who surround us to be the best that we can be. They drill it into our minds that we can do anything possible, but some how, doubt creeps into our lives and we begin to other think and criticize ourselves.

Why?

Why have we become our own worst enemy? Who brought that spark of doubt into our lives and made us believe that nothing is possible?

Are we to work meaningless jobs because we are afraid to go out and pursue the one career that we know we would enjoy doing?  Because we are different than others in looks, race, height, weight,  we can’t accomplish unimaginable things?

I’ve believed that about myself for years now, and as I’ve gotten older, those insecurities have brought me nothing but regret.

I should have become an archeologist who discovered a long lost piece of history. A nurse who was the pillar when a family lost a precious loved one. The social worker, who helped a child and let them know that someone cared. The teacher who brought joy and laughter into learning and encouraged children to follow their dreams.

 I battle my insecurities on a daily basis, but I’m learning how to push away some of that doubt. Maybe one of these days, I’ll be able to accomplish the impossible without the insecurities and the fear of doubt holding me back.

As for being that announcer at the Grand Ol’ Opry… A few years ago my husband Tim and I visited the Rhyman Auditorium and I held back from the tour. I stood on an old piece of the original Opry stage and with head held high (and in an extremely quiet voice) I said, “Welcome to the Grand Ol’ Opry… let ‘er go boys……”

The Southern Hummingbird Cake... a smart and delicious choice!

While going through some online cooking sites, I came across the recipe for a Southern Hummingbird Cake. My first thought was that this cake was going to be extremely sweet. I’m not much on cakes or extremely sweet desserts, but this one peaked my interest and I decided to bake one to see exactly what this cake tasted like. I was not disappointed.

Gathering the ingredients wasn’t too hard for me, I mean I had almost all of the ingredients in the pantry already. Except for crushed pineapples. Now, I wasn’t going to go out and make a special trip for one item, and I had chunked pineapples in the pantry and improvised and just chopped up the pineapples chunks. It works for me.

As most cake batters do, this one calls for vegetable oil. If you’ve ever had any type of dessert that I’ve made, it doesn’t contain vegetable oil. I use apple sauce for a substitute. Just use the same amount of apple sauce as it calls for oil. Works great and gives your cakes an additional flavor and helps in keeping the cakes moist.

I topped my hummingbird cake with homemade cream cheese frosting and added pecans to the top. I'm not the best cake icer, and having a husband rushing you because they want to try it doesn't help.

Another side note before baking this cake, make sure that you have a large mixing bowl. I don’t bake often, and my Bybee bowl generally works for anything I make, but this recipe calls for you to mix your wet ingredients into the dry. I found out that a large mixing bowl would work much better and make it easier on you than trying to mix the batter in a normal size bowl and keeping the batter from spilling over the edges. Luckily I managed to make it all fit without any spills.

The recipe I found called for the batter to be divided into three small round baking pans to make a three tiered cake. The non-baker here doesn’t own round baking pans, but I do happen to own something that most people over look now days, a bunt pan! I probably use mine more than most, seeming as it’s one of the few baking utensils I own. Just spray a little baking spray, or butter the bunt pan up, dust a little flour and you are good to go.

This was one of the best cakes that I’ve had in a long time. It was moist and had a wonderful flavor, and the homemade cream cheese frosting just added that extra zip that all desserts need. Not to mention the house smelled wonderful while baking.

However, this would be a recipe to dig out for special occasions; reunions, holidays, birthdays. It is extremely rich, but delicious. Don’t just take my word for it though, make one for yourself and you will understand. I hope you enjoy this cake as well as my household, and a friend I shared the cake with. This will be my new go to cake recipe. Enjoy!

Luke 6:38 - Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Luckily I had all the ingredients on hand. Like I mentioned in the article, I improvised with the chunked pineapples and substituted the oil for apple sauce. I used fresh eggs I get from my sister and they were so pretty I hated to crack them open, but for the sake of the cake, I did.

Southern Hummingbird Cake

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (8-ounces) can crushed pineapple, undrained

3 (about 2cups) ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup roasted pecans, finely chopped

Cream Cheese frosting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare three 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda
a, baking powder, salt and ground cinnamon in a large bowl. Set aside.

Cream together the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, pineapple, mashed bananas, and finely chopped pecans in another large bowl. 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.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Turn cakes onto wire rack and allow to cool completely before frosting with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

½ cup butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese

4 cups confectioner’s sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat softened butter and cream cheese until well blended.

Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy.

Note: Since I baked my cake in a bunt pan, I let it bake for 45 minutes and checked it. Make sure you compensate for the type of pan you are using.

This recipe makes a thick rich batter. I wasn't sure it was all going to fit in my trusty old bunt pan.