Shelley Shepard Gray's Blog, page 33

Gwen's Cherry Bread

I've become a big fan of Facebook. A few times a day I check in and someone's post always makes me smile. I also truly love hearing from readers on my FB page. Someone yesterday asked me to post the recipe for Gwen's Cherry Bread. Gwen Kent is a secondary character in The Caregiver, and she brings fresh cherry bread to one of the characters.

I love to bake, and I often read cookbooks for fun…but I have to admit that when I decided to have Gwen carry around Cherry Bread, I didn't have a particular recipe in mind. However, I have her recipe now!

This is actually a recipe for a cherry nut bread that tastes like the one at Bob Evans Restaurant. Have any of y'all eaten that? I haven't…but I plan to make this recipe soon! This one sounds decadent and delicious…and so good I might just have a future character eating it very soon!

Cherry Nut Bread

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

16 oz. sour cream

1/2 cup Maraschino cherry juice

4 cups sifted flour

1 cup cherries (either fresh or maraschino)

1 cup walnuts

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350*

2) Mix together sugar, eggs, and vegetable oil

3) Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.

4) Pour in cherry juice and sour cream and continue to mix. Little by little add your sifted flour.

5) Add cherries-cut in halves if you want to. Add walnuts. Mix a little.

6) Pour into 2 greased load pans

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.

Phone Calls Home

        I had to smile yesterday afternoon. I had just called our son in Alabama to talk to him about the care package I'd sent him. We talked about the clothes I'd carefully packed in the box, the box of Wheat Thins, the peanut butter cups…the dance he'd gone to on Friday night. I probably spoke with Arthur about fifteen minutes.

       After I hung up, I felt terrible. I'd been so excited to talk to our boy that I hadn't even thought about passing the phone to my husband. When I apologized to Tom, he told me not to worry about it. He'd talked to Arthur just an hour earlier.

       But then, when we shared our conversations, I realized very quickly that he hadn't talked to Art about anything that I did. Matter of fact, he didn't even know about the dance. After a few minutes, I started getting really confused. Tom didn't know about the care package, the dance, our son's lunch out with all his friends, or his good friend's new puppy.

       "What did you talk to him about?" I asked.

        "His grades and his bank account."

        Hmm…I didn't even think to ask him about either of those things.  Guess there's a reason our boy has two of us checking in! 

       I hope everyone is having a good Monday. I had to finish reviewing final line edits for The Survivor, so now I'm off to Fed Ex. After that? Back to writing.  It's cold here today…in the 30′s! Can't wait for spring to stay.

      with blessings,

     Shelley