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It’s Guest Post Friday with Liv Life

Published: Mar 4, 2011 · Modified: Jun 19, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley

I’m so happy we have finally reached the end of the week…..I know, don’t wish your life away! I don’t think its that I am in so much of a hurry for the week to end ( I still have so much to do), but I’m in a hurry for it to end just to get closer to warmer days. This morning I woke up to 23 degrees……sigh
When will it be over, no more cold weather…..please!!In case you haven’t heard the news, there’s going to be a food bloggers conference in Asheville, NC, July 8th and July 9th, and I’m part of the team bringing it to you!! So those of you within driving distance we expect to see you there! (or you can fly into Charlotte)So let’s get to the real reason everyone is here today, its Guest Post Friday, and today I get to introduce you to Kim from Liv Life. From the very first time I visited Kim’s blog I saw a passion for food in everything she did, and it made me smile…..she was one of us! Her passion is evident in her writing, especially when it comes to her family (say hi to Liv) and her two little guys, Tavo and Kona….
If you have never been to Liv Life before, your in for a treat. But I have to warn you, if your not hungry when you get there, I can promise you Kim’s delicious creations will have your stomach rumbling before your done reading her post!

So my friends, sit back, relax, put your feet up and try not to drool on your keyboard, as I give you…..

Liv Life

As I expressed my excitement to my daughter, Liv (Liv Life’s namesake), at having been invited to guest post on the esteemed Chef Dennis’ More than a Mount Full, I was immediately corrected, “No, Mom… he didn’t invite you, he invited Liv Life, that’s US!” So much for my ego.

While Liv worked on her English homework we batted around ideas of what we would make for Dennis. Chocolate? Hmmm… most everyone likes chocolate, so maybe. Salad? No… kind of boring. Bread? Perhaps… who doesn’t love a good loaf of bread? At this point she asked me to listen to her essay, a Myth, which in turn gave us our direction.

Big to Small – Why Ants are so Little

A myth by Liv

A long time ago in a light and happy forest ants were as big as elephants. The ants were all very generous and nice except for one ant, named Jerry. Jerry would always go around pushing, kicking and even stepping on animals smaller than him.

Then he would say things like, “Ha ha, why don’t you try growing bigger some time, but you will never be as big as me because I’m the biggest!”

One day the head of the forest (a tiger named Brent) called a meeting with everyone except the ants.

“We need to do something about all those ants.” He told the animals.

So the animals made an lemon flavored potion that they put into a cake and the next day Brent asked Jerry to have breakfast with him. The Lemon Cake was served and Jerry gobbled it up. After Jerry was done with his breakfast and he was walking home he started to feel like his skin was getting tighter. Actually, every ant was feeling like their skin was getting tighter. Then Jerry started looking up at animals instead of looking down.

“What’s happening to me?” yelled Jerry.

Brent came over and explained, “You and all the other ants in the world have shrunk. All of us animals are mad about you hurting us, so this is how we have made sure that it will never happen again.”

“Please! Please! Do not make me this small. I will do anything to be bigger.” begged Jerry.

But Brent just walked away and Jerry and all the other ants in the world were left small.

So there we had it, Lemon Cake! Pulling out my favorite Cooking Light Annual I turned directly to the well worn and somewhat splattered page of a long time favorite, Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake. With fresh, organic blueberries in the fridge and a bowl of lemons from my dad’s tree on the counter, Liv put aside her homework and we got to baking.

Lower in fat than most pound cakes, this version uses low fat cream cheese and non-fat yogurt in addition to butter to create a moist and light, yet tender pound cake. Adding fresh lemon zest and juice to the batter we increased the lemon punch that this cake brings with it’s sweet lemon glaze.

Serving the test of time, this cake has graced our tables since its 1998 publish date. My one bit of advice would be to tuck away a piece or two to enjoy with your coffee the next day, as left unattended this cake will disappear in a flash!

Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup lower in fat cream cheese, softened

3 large eggs

Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 Tbs)

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour, divided

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 (8 oz) carton non-fat lemon yogurt (I use vanilla if I don’t have lemon on hand!)

Cooking spray

½ cup sifted powdered sugar

4 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350º.

In a large bowl beat the sugar, butter and cream cheese at medium speed with a mixer until well blended

(4-5 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla, lemon juice

and lemon zest.

In a smaller bowl measure the 3 cups of flour. Remove 2 Tbs and sprinkle over the blueberries, gently

stirring and tossing to coat.

To the remaining flour add the baking powder, baking soda and salt, stir to combine. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture alternately with the yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, being careful not to over-mix. Gently, fold in the blueberries.

Pour the batter into a 10-inch tube pan (angel food cake pan) coated with cooking spray. Sharply tap the pan once on the counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350º for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. (I find that mine is done at about the 1 hour point…)

Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove cake from sides of the pan. Cool an additional 15 minutes on a wire rack, then remove the cake from the bottom of the pan. Allow to cool completely.

Combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over the cake.

Cut with a serrated knife and serve. Enjoy!

How I would love a piece of that gorgeous cake….sigh

Thanks so much for stopping by, and please be sure to head on over to Liv Life and say hello. Just remember to tell Kim, Chef Dennis sent you!