grace grits and gardening - ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

I’m official. I have an Arkansas driver’s license!

December 4, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

I have exciting news! So exciting that I’m using an explanation point right off which I rarely do. Yesterday I became an official Arkansas resident again. Totally legit because I went through the process of proving my identity to re-gain a shiny new Arkansas driver’s license. I’ve come full circle. Can I get a Woo Pig Sooie? And might I say, the process was downright pleasurable compared to doing anything associated with the driver’s license process in Dallas, Texas. An-eee-thing.

Let me compare.

The last time I renewed my license in Dallas, I drove downtown on my lunch break, searched for a parking spot near City Hall, fed coins into a meter, walked half a block avoiding eye contact with panhandlers who are part of the landscape, found my way through the massive building to the driver’s license department, and waited thirty minutes in a cramped, crowded space for my number to be called.

Dallas City Hall

“Now serving 185.”

I was 301. Or something like that.

No one dared smile.

I felt certain I would leave with the flu.

Three weeks later, I received my new license in the mail. Was that me? I looked thin, haggard, sleep-deprived. Because I was.

Fast forward eight years or so…

This time I drove five minutes through the University of Arkansas campus, admired the gorgeous Christmas decorations adorning sorority house row, pulled into a free parking space five steps from the door of the revenue office. The revenue office that supports the Razorbacks. Gotta love that!

I walked right in and froze, not sure what to do or if I was in the right place because there were more employees working behind the counter than customers waiting. Was that even allowed?

I pulled number 42 from the ticket machine.

Immediately I heard “41”.

Before I took a seat, I heard “42”.

Just wow.

I handed over my identity papers because paperwork requirements are the same everywhere, and there’s that whole terrorist issue, BUT when the process is handled by an employee named Ellen who smiles and seems to actually enjoy her job, it doesn’t seem so arduous.

We chatted.

She asked me a few questions and in no time handed over my new Arkansas plate.

I grinned like a fiend.

“Did you not like Texas?” Ellen asked.

“No, I did. But I love being back home in Arkansas.”

Ellen snapped my picture and I walked away gripping my new driver’s license in my palm like an Arkansas diamond. People—state of the art technology right in the little office that looked more like an old Ken’s Pizza Parlor.

Of course my picture is still a driver’s license picture, and those are never very good. But it’s tons better than the cringe-worthy one I’ve been living with for the past eight years. I don’t look skinny or haggard or sleep deprived, because I’m not. In fact, I’m at least ten pounds heavier, and I’m okay with that. I call it my ten pounds of happiness.

Because I am.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]I’ve come full circle. Can I get a Woo Pig Sooie? #WPS #Arkansas[/tweetthis]

Musicial Pairing:

Sheryl Crow – A Change Will Do You Good

Velvet Elvis Poundcake and FREE EGGS!

December 2, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

(This post is sponsored by Great Day Farms. All opinions are my own.)

Y’all. Before I get to this amazing Velvet Elvis Pound Cake recipe, I want to let you know I have ten dozen Great Day Farms eggs to give away just in time for Christmas baking! If you are like me, you can always use extra eggs, especially free ones. I went through almost three dozen eggs preparing my Thanksgiving meal. Almost every dessert and casserole calls for eggs.

But first…

Let’s talk about the yummiest pound cake ever. I present the Velvet Elvis Pound Cake.

My Momma (who rarely cooks these days) made this pound cake last Christmas, and it was so heavenly that I made it for Thanksgiving last week.

According to the recipe Momma found in the Dallas Morning News, it was Elvis’s favorite. I know what you’re thinking and no, it isn’t a peanut butter and banana poundcake. The texture is smooth like velvet (so velvety I’ve named it the Velvet Elvis Pound cake).

This cake is truly perfect from the edges to the center. It’s made with cake flour and whipping cream—therein lies the difference.

Who knew?

Well, Elvis did.

You’ll want to add this to your holiday baking menu. It’s a Christmas worthy dessert and my new favorite.

Velvet Elvis Poundcake

Print Recipe

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick 1/2 cup butter, softened
4 eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups cake flour sifted twice
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together on medium speed - about 3 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in half of the cake flour.
Add whipping cream.
Beat in remaining cake flour and vanilla.
Pour batter into a buttered and floured 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, approximately 60 - 65 minutes.
Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
While you enjoy it, think of The King.

Now here’s more about the egg giveaway. Courtesy of Great Day Farms, I will be giving away one dozen eggs to ten winners. Contest ends December 9. Winners will be announced periodically during contest. There are several ways to enter, just follow the instructions below or on the Grace Grits Facebook page by clicking HERE. Thank ya, thank ya very much!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Velvet Elvis photo courtesy of Jamie Dwyer – http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamidwyer/2474408252/

December, carry me home.

December 1, 2014 By Talya Tate Boerner

Yesterday was November. The warm, humid weather and gusty winds announced sure signs of change. I thought about dragging my Christmas decorations from the garage but didn’t. I’ve spent so much time packing and unpacking boxes, the whole idea of digging through more stuff is about as appealing as the leftover brussel sprouts morphing into a science experiment in the back of my fridge.

I have a hard time finding the Christmas spirit on a balmy November day.

So, I found other things to do. Like removing fall from the house. That counts.

I tossed well-seasoned pumpkins into the garbage. I removed my orange toile table runner and replaced it with one more reflective of the holidays. I did manage one smidgen of decorating only because I stumbled upon a length of garland while putting away my tissue paper turkey.

See?

And I relocated my silver pear candle (which is on display somewhere in my house year-round) front and center atop a stack of old books. Somehow it now looks more Christmas-y.

That’s it.

So far that’s all I’ve managed.

I like the simplicity.

Today is December. I woke to a glittery coating of ice on rooftops. Spitting snow greeted my morning walk with the dogs. Today feels like a Christmas decorating day, good and right and full of possibilities. Carry me home, December.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]Today feels like a #Christmas #decorating day. [/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:

December – Norah Jones