Busy Week - Busier Weekend.....Recipe #A9 Sweet Corn Bread

What a week! This past holiday weekend was a blur. From picking blackberries to having a cookout to shooting off fireworks to seeing movies. And that was just in 3 days! Last Friday, we met up with Mom and Lowell and went blackberry picking. The Blueberry Farm in LaFayette was out, so we picked off the side of the road. Hey, they had thorns, but they were free! And, we picked 6 cups exactly....just what I needed for a blackberry cobbler. Ummmm...so good! On Saturday, mom and Lowell came over, along with Ken's parents and we had a cookout. After we stuffed our faces, we all kicked back and watched "Finding Nemo"....one of Kevin's favorites. Then we shot off fireworks, along with everyone else. We were watching fireworks in the sky in stereo. It was nice. On Sunday, after church with some friends, we headed out to our favorite Chinese restaurant, had a nice lunch and then went to see "Ice Age 3 - Dawn of the Dinosaurs". All in all, it was a great weekend.

This week has been mostly work....cooking, cleaning and home schooling Kevin. Yes, I have continued his education through the summer (but just an hour a day) so that he would remain consistent in a schedule. Plus, since I'm his 1st grade teacher next school year, I wanted him to remember what he learned in Kindergarten!

Wednesday was Lowell's birthday. Happy Birthday Dad...we love you. We went over there last night and gave him his present and a cake. Kevin picked out the design....can't you tell?

We had a great time, and of course Kevin had a blast! He has so much energy. If only I could borrow a little some time.


As for this weekend....well, we are heading to Dollywood. My friend Julie lives in Kodak, so we are going up there for a weekend of fun! Dollywood all day Saturday, followed with a lot of running around on Sunday. The main thing on the list Sunday is a trip to the Disney store. We haven't set foot in a Disney store in over a year! I hope we don't go wild (<: As for today.....lots of errands to run. But as promised, here is the recipe for my Sweet Corn Bread. This goes great with the Vegetable Hamburger Stew (recipe #A6).

Sweet Corn Bread

2/3 cup soy butter
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water, 3 tablespoons oil, 3 teaspoons baking powder*
1 2/3 cups soy milk
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup allergy free cornmeal
4 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400.

*Combine the water, oil and baking powder in a small bowl until powder dissolves and ingredients fizz. Set aside.

Mix butter and sugar in large bowl. Add water/oil/baking powder and soy milk. Combine flour, cornmeal, 4 ½ tsp baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture. Pour into a greased 13x9 baking pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until center is done.

Makes approx. 15 servings

Next week, I am going back to my true love.....COOKIES! I will post my recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies. I make these a few times a month, at least. There's nothing like a hot, gooey, soft chocolate chip cookie from the oven.....or a scoop of cookie dough! It's funny how the simple things mean so much. Like how much joy I get in watching Kevin lick the bowl. After we found out about his allergies, I thought I would never be able to experience that. When life gives you hurdles....jump over, keep going and don't look back!

Have a great weekend!