Easy Berry Buttermilk Cake

My sweet tooth was urging me to make dessert today so I looked through my recipes for something new I could make with ingredients I had on hand and that was low-fat-ish. I came across the recipe for Easy Blueberry Buttermilk Cake from Skinny Taste. I didn't have many blueberries left, but I had a lot of raspberries so I decided to try it with raspberries. I added a light dash of almond extract too. It is moist and sweet and I couldn't tell it was low-fat.

Easy Berry Buttermilk Cake

2 3/4 c. cake flour

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 1/4 c. sugar

4 T. softened unsalted butter

3/4 c. unsweetened applesauce

3/4 c. low fat buttermilk

2 c. blueberries

1 large egg, beaten

2 large egg whites

2 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with baking spray.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, in a medium bowl, beat sugar and butter for about 3 minutes. Add egg and egg whites one at a time and beat until combined. Add buttermilk, vanilla and applesauce until incorporated.

Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until just blended. Gently fold in blueberries.

Place the batter into the prepared cake pan; bake cake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 30-32 minutes. Serve room temperature.

Stuffed Cheese Buns

The awesome photos of these rolls at Yammie's Noshery had me craving them so I made them even though I didn't have enough cheese for the top of them or any fresh herbs. Maybe I'll try that next time. I had it while still warm and the cheese was stringy. Mmmmmm! You can probably tell I used whole wheat flour.

Stuffed Cheese Buns

1 c. warm water (probably 105º - 115º)

2 T. yeast

2 T. sugar

2 t. garlic powder

1/4 c. melted butter

1/4 c. olive oil

3 c. all-purpose flour

2 t. salt

8 oz. cheese or more 

Topping:

           Melted butter
           Fresh herbs, optional
           Additional cheese

Mix together the yeast and water and let it sit for a couple minutes. Add the sugar, garlic powder, melted butter, and oil. Add the flour a little and a time, mixing in your stand mixer with a dough hook. Add the salt. Knead for 10 minutes, in the stand mixer or by hand. 

Let the dough rise in the bowl, covered with a wet cloth for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375º.  

Divide the dough into about 20 pieces. Put about a 3/4 inch chunk of cheese in each one and make sure you pinch all the edges back up tightly. Put the pinched side down on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle the buns with more shredded cheese and some parmesan cheese. Bake  for about 11-15 minutes until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Brush with the melted butter and serve warm.

No Bake Energy Bites

The recipe for these goodies is at Riches to Rags by Dori. They are no bake, so they stay soft and are kinda like cookie dough. I added dried cherries in addition to everything in the recipe. I want to add pecans next time. These are so good that I made them twice last week.

No Bake Energy Bites

1 c. old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1 c. toasted coconut flakes
1/4 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. ground flax seed
1/3 c. honey
1 t. vanilla

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like.  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Yield: 20-25 balls, depending on size

Our Christ

I'm so grateful for a weekend where I have thought so much about my Savior. Yesterday we went to the BYU Sacred Gifts exhibit, which has a collection of large (and a few small) beautiful artwork of Christ by Carl Bloch, Heinrich Hofmann, and Frans Schwartz.

 By Carl Bloch

 

 by Heinrich Hofmann

 

by Frans Schwartz

 

The art is on loan from several different locations and are loved by people of many different faiths. Most of the paintings are often used in LDS church lessons so I have seen them many times, but never so much larger than me and I have never seen the actual brush strokes. My son saw the exhibit with the young men once, but was happy to go again. My daughters were not excited about going and even after said it was boring, but they both asked me several questions about Jesus and pointed out details in the paintings that I didn't notice, so I think they did get something out of it. If you haven't been yet, the exhibit will be there untiil May.

Then today as I partook of the sacrament, I thought of many of these paintings and the feelings I had when viewing them. Our Relief Society (women's church group) lesson was on the sacrament where I was able to think about my Savior and my relationship with Him. Then after church Alexander and I went to choir practice where we are practicing a song for Easter called "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross". I was not familiar with it and when we first sang it last week, I wasn't sure I would like it. But after really reading the words today as we were singing, it was suddenly beautiful and had such power. I included the lyrics and a video of The Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing it so you can contemplate the lyrics too.


1. When I survey the wondrous cross
on which the Prince of Glory died;
my richest gain I count but loss,
and pour contempt on all my pride.

2. Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
save in the death of Christ, my God;
all the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.

3. See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
or thorns compose so rich a crown.

4. Were the whole realm of nature mine,
that were an offering far too small;
love so amazing, so divine,
demands my soul, my life, my all.

Go Forth

Today as I was getting ready for church, I decided to listen to a BYU devotional since it has been a while since I have. Before church, I have been listening to podcasts that go along with the Sunday School lessons since I love the scriptures, but am not at all a scriptorian and want to learn more. But I felt I needed something maybe less academic. I feel very blessed to have listened to Anthony D. Perkins of the Quorum of the Seventy. His talk was entitled "Nevertheless I Went Forth" and given February 4, 2014.

The title is from verses where Nephi is speaking about how he was commanded to move forward even though he did not know what was in store for him in the future, even the immediate future, yet he acted in faith.

 “I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. Nevertheless I went forth.”
 1 Nephi 4:6–7

I am in a very uncertain time in my life and I feel like it takes more courage than I have sometimes to just go forth, not knowing what my future holds. But I am promised, as we all are, that if we stay close to the Lord and do His will, we will be blessed.

Ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you;  And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along.
 D&C 78:17–18

I especially appreciated this from the very end of Elder Perkins' talk.

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
 John 10:10

 "Be confident that the Savior will fulfill His promise to lead you along to an abundant life, even when the immediate path sometimes seems uncertain."

I'm grateful for the blessings that our Heavenly Father gives us when we are living righteously that we may feel His peace and the certainty of His presence in this unstable, sometimes scary world. These words make me feel that I was just scooped up and given a big, reassuring hug from Him Who Knows All Things.