Coffee with Kel

Building relationships, encouraging hope

Smaller Size Sour Cream Pound Cake

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Two blog posts in two days. WHAAAAAAAAAT?! I feel pretty sure I’m not going to become an every day blogger, but, hey…never say never.

Today I want to share a recipe for one of our family favorites – sour cream pound cake.  I would venture to say that most southerners enjoy pound cake. I can absolutely vouch that THIS southern girl ADORES a good pound cake. The top part is my absolute fave! I confess that even though I will be resisting this one, it’ll take ALL my willpower. Pound cake is absolutely delicious by itself, but can also be enjoyed in a fruit trifle, as the base for strawberry shortcake, and more.  So, it’s not only great tasting, but versatile too. What’s not to love?

This is a recipe I’ve made for YEARS that I have typically made in a loaf pan. However, I just recently got a super cute new 6-cup bundt pan and I wanted to try it and it worked beautifully for this recipe. I’ll give y’all the approximate cooking times for a loaf pan AND a 6-cup bundt because they both work well. This is the PERFECT recipe for when you want some pound cake, but you don’t need a whole HUGE one.  Since Mickey and I are back on our Intermittent Fasting/Low Carb/Low Sugar plan, this one is for our sweet girls to have this week.

Smaller Size Sour Cream Pound Cake

  • 1 1/2 cups plain, all-purpose flour
  • 1 pinch baking soda (I pour a small bit into my hand and literally PINCH out just a bit)
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350-degrees and grease/flour a 6-cup bundt pan or an 8×4 loaf pan.

In your mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in sour cream and mix well. Then add in the eggs and the flavorings. Lastly, add in the flour and pinch of baking soda until well blended. Pour the cake mixture into greased/floured 6-cup bundt pan or 8×4 loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes (6-cup bundt) or about an hour (loaf) – until the top is nice and golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Times will vary, but once you’ve made it once, you should be set on the time it takes in your oven. For me, the 6-cup bundt baked perfectly in about 42 minutes. Let cool for about 5-8 minutes in the pan and turn out onto plate or cake stand.

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This is the cake fresh out of the oven.


Isn’t she PRETTY?


Check out that pound cake profile.

 


See that beautiful top part? It’s the BEST!

Just for reference, this is my full-size buttermilk pound cake that is baked in a regular bundt pan. It is SO YUMMY and I’ll be sharing the recipe for it SOON.


You can see that this cake is much bigger than the small one I made today. Also delicious, so stay tuned for that recipe. 

Lessons So Far…

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Goodness. It’s been quite awhile since I’ve posted on my blog. Almost two years, actually. And, it’s truly NOT that I haven’t had every intention of updating more often, but, you know…LIFE. I have all these posts formulated in my brain and then I just get through days and I don’t post them. One day leads to another and here we are, almost two years between blog posts. Now that we find ourselves in the midst of a pandemic and we are living in a time that I’m sure none of us really expected, I thought it was time to dust the cobwebs off the blog AGAIN and post.

So, first of all, if you’re reading this – I hope this finds you well. I’ve honestly lost count of how many days into the quarantine we are at this point, but that feels less relevant with each passing day to me. Not so much counting the days behind us as looking forward with HOPE to better days in front of us. No one really knows how long we will need to “shelter in place” in order to flatten the curve, so I’m not even trying to focus on a specific time or date – just going forward with HOPE.  Isaiah 40:31 – But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. 

Last night, I was thinking of lessons I have learned so far in this season of life and I wanted to share some of those. I have NO doubt that this list will grow/change as we progress through this quarantine time, but for now here are some of the things, in random order, that I have gleaned from this time.

  • Routine is more important than a rigid schedule. Actually, I’m going to be honest, this is an old lesson that I have RE-learned. This is something I learned when Macey was a little one and held onto through both girls’ childhoods. Routine is very important, I think we can all agree. Most, if not all of us, flourish and thrive within a good routine. But, being absolutely SET on trying to have a formalized schedule right now is not important. It’s just like when the girls were younger – we had routines for our days, but not set times for every…little…thing. We wanted to allow for life flexibility, so we had our plans in place and went about our daily routines, but there were times when we chose to be flexible as to absolute timing. Same goes for these new days we are living in at the present. I admit that I kicked around the idea of a school day schedule for the girls, but I quickly dismissed that idea. Yes, they need to do their school work and keep up with assignments and studies, that’s a given. But, our day at home is much longer than a typical school day and we can’t/shouldn’t exactly be going places and doing things outside the home right now anyway, so our days absolutely allow for flexibility. As long as they get their school tasks done, that’s the main thing. I’m ALL for them taking breaks to be creative, to go outside, to exercise, to chill, etc.  I’m not about to stress about things that are beyond our control, so allowing them to have some ownership and accountability in their day is what we have chosen and it’s working really well.
  • Outside time is a MUST. Alright, no one yell at me for this – I’m not talking about having a block party with all the neighbors. (wink) I’m talking about working in the yards, sitting outside to read, going for a walk. Sunshine and fresh air do amazing things for my soul and spirit. In order for me to TRULY feel my best, I have to have time outside. We have been doing a lot of clean-up work in our backyard as a family and it’s been awesome seeing it all come together. We have cleaned up tons of leaves, put in a raised box garden to plant soon, pressure washed, and begun the process of taking down the girls’ old play fort. Not only has it been great for us to work together as a family, but we have benefited so much just from getting outdoors. I would probably lose what small shred of sanity I cling to each day if I couldn’t get outside, so I am thankful for beautiful spring days, pollen and all, that allow me to get OUT of the house in a safe way.
  • Cooking/baking is therapeutic. I enjoy cooking and I really enjoy baking. I basically always have, to tell the truth. But, lately, I find preparing meals and baking various things to be a good outlet for creativity. I’ve very much enjoyed trying new recipes for meals, for treats, for guilt-free/Keto-friendly desserts and more. I also find that trying new recipes gets me out of a “food rut” and gives us opportunities to try new things that we might not have otherwise. This is typically a VERY busy, on the go, time of the year between dance, soccer, etc, and we usually have the same things pretty often and/or eat out/pick up food from the same places. The last few weeks have definitely been a chance for us to have most of our meals made at home and to try out recipes I’ve wanted to make, but didn’t make the time for previously. We have also taken opportunities to do pick-up/delivery a few times to help support local restaurants, but mostly been eating meals from our own kitchen. I plan to start sharing more of these on the blog soon. Stay tuned.
  • Remind people that they are seen and cared for. This seems like such a given, right? We should always let our family and friends know that we see them, we care about them, and we love them. Always. But, you know, when we are in odd (to say the least) times like these, I think we can get so caught up in our own daily lives that we just might not remember to reach out as much. I mean, let’s be honest, WHERE does all this laundry come? How did we use THIS many dishes in half a day? Is the school work up to date? Has the dog been let out lately? What meals are we having today? Even though at home time kind of seems like “weekending” in some ways, at least initially, there is certainly a lot to think about and a lot to do each day. But, in the midst of all that, I just want to encourage us all, myself included, to reach out and let our loved ones know we are thinking of them. Even small gestures mean a lot. Our girls have taken to writing letters and sending cards to their friends in the mail. How cool is that? Who knew we would have pen-pals in 2020, right? But, I love it! And they love sending and receiving mail too. That’s one idea. Another would be to send a quick text/snap/message to a family member or friend to check in or, hey, even use the phone as a PHONE and call. Maybe send a little gift via Amazon. Send cards to nursing home residents. Offer to make a grocery run for someone if you’re able. The possibilities for showing kindness are endless and we can still do that even as we stay safe.
  • THANK our “silent” heroes. This sort of goes with the lesson above, but it deserves its own, I think. We need to be thanking those who are out there working during this pandemic. Naturally, this means doctors, nurses, therapists and hospital/medical personnel on every level. They are in the trenches with the patients working hard to combat this awful virus. But, we also need to be thanking others such as mail and package delivery people, food service workers, store employees such as grocery clerks, first responders, and community service employees. We would be sunk if so many people like these I mentioned, and even MORE, weren’t out there giving their efforts every day. And, I realize more than ever that they need a big THANK YOU from each of us! I have yet to see one of these kinds of people asking for any accolades, but they sure deserve our gratitude.
  • Help as you’re able. This may be a given, but I’ve definitely be reminded that helping can be doing what you’re able to do as you’re able to do it. Maybe you can’t go out and by food for a food drive, but you can contribute funds, so…do that. There are so many ways we can help while being safe. In my opinion, ANY help that we can provide is GOOD and NEEDED. Don’t feel like anything you can offer is insignificant because every effort we can give adds up greatly.

Like I said before, there are so many lessons to be learned during this time. These are just a few I’ve gleaned thus far and there are more to come. As we continue to navigate through this, let’s keep encouraging one another and let’s keep clinging to HOPE.  Better days are coming. I believe that. And, all the while, I’m praying…believing…and hoping while we wait.

Best to all,
Kelly 

One Year of SOAP Study…

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As of yesterday, my best friend Terri and I finished one year of doing SOAP Bible studies in which we read Scripture, wrote in journals, and texted one another each and every day. We began doing SOAP studies on June 5, 2017 at the completion of our annual summer beach trip. We both wanted to get into a Bible studying habit and when I heard Louie Giglio speak about a SOAP Study on a Passion City Church podcast, I was intrigued. So, we looked into that study, the book of Mark, and decided to go for it.  That study began a year long SOAP study experience that eventually took us through each of the Gospels of the New Testament as well as James, Acts, Romans, and 1 Corinthians in their entirety. We also did an Advent based study over the Advent season and for the last few months we have gone through three studies about Faith, Peace and Prayer. We even added daily Scripture writing to our SOAP studies as we got into the Peace and Prayer sessions. I have to say, it’s been one incredible year! And, I want to talk about that, but…first I want to say a few other things just to give a clarity as to why I’m posting about all of this.

It’s sort of a tricky thing, I think, to write about something as personal as Bible studies and that because I don’t want to come across like I’m ever bragging. So, I just wanted to say right here close to the beginning of this post that celebrating a year of SOAP Study has zero to do with celebrating OUR accomplishment in that, but celebrating what God has done and continues to do via His Living Word. I’m sure Terri can attest that along the way in this year there were days when we were ON FIRE for this thing and just really sailing into it like a bird on the wind. Similarly, there have been times when we felt pressed or maybe didn’t feel “into it” on some days and the like. Just keeping it real, some days I went into it with a light and happy heart, fully prepared and sometimes it wasn’t always something I dove anxiously into every day. (I venture to say she didn’t either.) But, that’s another way the beauty of Scripture shines through is that God’s word never returns void (Isaiah 55:11) and we both learned and gleaned so much from these studies even on the days when it wasn’t the easiest. I never cease to be amazed at how God works in how He placed lessons before us throughout this year that were SO relevant to times and circumstances each of us were facing. It was like He said “HERE…KELLY! READ THIS! Soak this up, I’m speaking to you, girl!” Seriously…blows me away in all the best ways. God is just so amazing to me and the way His Word is living and relevant is just truly outstanding. I want THAT to be the focus here. I want it to be about Him. Because, He’s more than worth that honor.

So, exactly what IS a SOAP Study…?

A SOAP Study is a method of studying the Bible in which daily you have:

  • Scripture (a passage to study)
  • Observation (what stands out to you in the passage of Scripture)
  • Application (how you can apply that to your life)
  • Prayer

The way Terri and I did this was to journal our daily SOAP (and, like I said, we added Scripture passage writing the last few months) and then we would text our daily journal entries to one another. By sharing, we were able to have accountability daily AND we were able to get each other’s insights. Some days we would come up with some of the same things, other days we would be able to learn and expand our understanding from the other’s point of view. We didn’t have a set time to do this each day, but we always texted each other when we were done for the day. Each of us wound up taking our Bibles and journals with us on trips, sent them sometimes very early or very late in the day depending on the daily schedule, etc. But, each and every day we sent them and it quickly became something I know we both looked forward to as part of our days. I knew if I went to bed before I got her SOAP text, I would have that to look forward to first thing the next morning, for instance. The way this became a part of each of our daily routines was anything BUT “routine” and everything extraordinary in how it added countless blessings to our lives. Yes, even on the days when we didn’t feel good or were tired or stressed or what have you…life took a back seat to the bounty that God always offers us via His Living Word.

If you want to get into studying God’s Word, I would HIGHLY recommend a SOAP study. For the first session, as I mentioned, we used Passion City Church’s guide for the Book of Mark. Going forward from there, we would Google and find daily studies for for the Gospels and other books of the Bible or daily studies by theme. We were able to easily apply the SOAP method to those and it kept us in a great structure. We added Scripture writing in March of this year and while that added a touch more time to each day’s study time, it also enhanced the learning for me because there is just something about writing that really connects me with what is said.

I also recommend doing this with a study partner and friend. Terri and I both found that there were times when the Scripture reading each day seemed to really hone in on things that were relevant to each of us. I dare say that neither of us has EVER had a hand-written journal experience that lasted very long at all, but each of us filled up more than one journal in the course of this year. Again, something about writing is therapeutic AND helps to commit things to memory. We also agreed that being in the Word daily just helps in a multitude of ways. It was also amazing to me to read each other’s daily insights. Many times our thoughts and observations aligned, but sometimes we both got a new insight from the other. This year doing SOAP drew us both closer to God, gave us a better understanding and knowledge of Scripture, reassured and challenged us, strengthened our already close friendship and SO much more. That’s just like God, isn’t it? You can’t even begin to fully name all the blessings He provides. Same with this study. What we both gleaned from this year of SOAP studying is more than I could even begin to fully list. I have to say – my cup runs over, y’all. Truly.

Now that we have done a year of SOAP’ing, we have decided to change tracks a little bit, but still keep in The Word and texting one another daily. So…what’s next? We will be diving into Annie Downs’ book 100 Days to Brave starting today. I am SUPER excited to get started on this one and hope to be able to share more with y’all later down the road. I got to hear Annie speak a few months ago at Mt Bethel UMC at a women’s worship event and she legit blew my socks off. So, yea…I can’t wait to dive into this book and see what God has in store for Terri and me as we venture into bravery these next 100 days!

If you have any questions about SOAP studies, please feel free to contact me. I’m far from an expert, but I’m happy to give some recommendations, encouragement, etc. This past year of being in the Word, journal writing and sharing with my best friend every single day has made such an impact for good on my life. I’m thankful…encouraged…hopeful…uplifted…and MORE. God is so good and I really do look forward to seeing what is next in the 100 Day journey in front of us.

XO,
Kel

 

Finding my Discipline…

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Since spring is known as a good time for cleaning, I guess it’s time to knock the cobwebs off the ole blog again, friends.

For quite some time now, I have just not been happy with my body because I just didn’t feel or look like I wanted to. Given life circumstances in the last few years, excuses came fluidly as to why I wasn’t making healthier choices for myself. I would halfheartedly attempt to “be good” and then fall back into ways that I knew weren’t the best for me, but, frankly, they were easy and comfortable. I was letting food be a comfort, a vice, a crutch…just not good things for me. And, I just didn’t feel like me. I wasn’t getting out of the rut, so it was this cyclical thing of feeling disgusted with myself and perpetuating the issue.

A couple of friends mentioned various forms of “intermittent fasting” and I kept hearing about bone broth being a gut healer. So, I started to get interested in that and did some research including asking said friends how they did it, etc. Two of the friends I talked to did somewhat different methods, but both were HAPPY with the results. I decided to give it a try and, basically, made my own plan according to what I discovered as I researched intermittent fasting.

One month ago today, I put all the excuses and bad habits aside and I went all in on intermittent fasting. Basically, for me, this means that I limit my meals to between 12p-7p each day.  Before each meal, I take organic/raw apple cider vinegar and drink a cup of organic bone broth. Then, I eat two healthy meals per day. This took some getting used to because I am, and have always been, a breakfast lovin’ girl. I still cook breakfast for my family every day, but, at least for now, I’m not having breakfast. The first several days, my body was like “Hold up! What is going on here?!” But, it only took less than a week and I got used it. Anyone who knows me knows I love my coffee, so I do still have that in the mornings. I add just a TEENSY bit of half/half and some organic stevia as not to “break the fast.” I can have water, tea or coffee in the mornings, but just nothing that will break the fast. What I’ve been doing on my plan is having LOTS of salads and having lean protein and veggies. For my two meals a day, I’m trying to eat as clean and healthy as possible. I’m not super strict, but I’m basically avoiding starches, carbs, sugars, most grains, all alcohol, and limiting dairy. Essentially, I’m just taking away the things that, really…I don’t even NEED in my diet. And, I couldn’t be happier with how it’s working for me!

This is a very personal thing, but I no longer weigh myself. I found years ago that the scale went beyond motivating into almost an obsession. I made a decision that I needed to focus more on how I feel and how my clothes fit me as opposed to a number on a scale. I’m now one month into this plan and I cannot say how much weight I’ve lost, even though I know I’ve dropped some pounds, but I can say that my clothes fit so much better and I’m into the size I usually wear and not a size up. I’ve also been able to buy cute new spring/summer clothes in my former size. Also, I haven’t had to take any sort of antacid or reflux medication in a month’s time!! MORE THAN THAT…I feel amazing! My energy has picked up and I just feel BETTER. It is hard to put into words, but I just feel like me again. I don’t feel sluggish or blah, I don’t dread getting dressed because I’m not sure what fits…it’s blowing my mind, really! I am all about non-scale victories, personally, and the successes I’m having on this plan are tremendous for me!

I know this plan isn’t for everyone, but it’s been a game-changer for me. Not only did I finally find my MOTIVATION, but I’ve also found my DISCIPLINE when it comes to sticking to it.  Early on, I will admit, it was challenging for me. My body WANTED breakfast. But, I dug down and reminded myself that this body has fat to burn for fuel and I would not cave before 12’noon. I’ve also battled cravings like crazy. For some reason, the cravings tend to come on strong in the evenings. I mean…y’all, I even DREAM about food! This tells me I am battling an unhealthy fixation with junk, no joke. Not to pat myself on the back too much, but it’s seriously taken some “want to” and some sheer determination to stick to this, but I’m very PROUD of how far I’ve come with it. Going beyond motivated into disciplined has really helped me to get to a place where I feel WAY better than I have in quite some time!

Now that I’m at the one month mark, I’m considering adding a healthy breakfast back into my day at some point. With the weather warming up (HOORAY!!), I know I’ll need to walk/exercise in the mornings and I want to properly fuel my body for that. And, I really don’t believe that intermittent fasting is a lifestyle that I could attain long term. BUT…healthy eating IS something I can do long term. That’s not to say I won’t have a treat now and then. That’s not to say that this southern girl won’t have a biscuit every so often. Let’s be honest, I’m not  bypassing the goodies 24/7 for life. BUT, my hope and desire is that I’m breaking bad food habits and that the norm for me will be healthier/cleaner eating and continuing to feel better as a result.

To be honest, I wasn’t even sure if I should write or post this, but then I thought about how I can’t possibly be the only one who has struggled with body image and dealt with food being a crutch in my life. So, I’m sharing not because I think this is the “one size fits all” plan for the whole world, but because it’s worked so well for me.  The two sayings above have been strong motivators for me too. I honestly want to print them and post them in my house as constant reminders. Going forward, I don’t want to fall back into constant bad habits and I want to keep excuses swept aside for the betterment of myself.

If, like me, you’re looking for a change and/or a starting point for something to help you feel better and this interests you, please feel free to reach out to me and I’ll share what’s been working for me. I am, by far, not even remotely an expert. I just know that this has legitimately been the best thing I’ve done for myself in awhile and if I can help anyone else, I am happy to do so. I believe we all deserve to feel good about ourselves and this has been a boost to get me to a better place in a lot of ways.

Happy Wednesday, y’all…

Kelly