Sweet & Savory ~~ "Honey Almond Cake"

Fresh honey, almond flavoring, applesauce and pecans make for a scrumptious combination in this moist, melt-in-your-mouth cake!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup honey (I used light colored clover honey)
• 1/2 cup applesauce, slightly heated in microwave
• 1 teaspoon almond flavoring
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 Tbsp. hot water

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour a 9 x 9 inch square baking pan.
• Cream butter and honey until well blended in mixing bowl.
• Add heated applesauce along with almond flavoring and mix well.
• Fold the dry ingredients into the honey and applesauce mixture.
• Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water and mix thoroughly and quickly.
• Add to mixture inside bowl.
• Blend well.
• Pour batter into baking pan.
• Bake for 38 - 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Yields 10-12 servings.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

• Serve warm or cold.
• Delicious with ice cream or whipping cream.
• Iced tea or warm tea enhances the honey flavor of the cake.
• Iced or cold coffee is a nice beverage to serve with cake

Happy Baking & Enjoy!

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Sweet & Savory Friday ~~~ Retro 50's Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

• 6-8 pork chops or thin loin chops
• 2 cups rice
• 3 3/4 cups water
• 1 - 4 oz. jar diced pimentos
• 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
• Seasoned pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Lightly brown pork chops and sprinkle with seasoned pepper, optional
• Place rice in bottom of 9 x 13 inch baking pan
• Heat water to boiling and pour in baking pan
• Add package of onion soup mix
• Add jar of diced pimentos
• Mix thoroughly
• Place pork chops on top
• Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

• Since I just harvested fresh tomatoes from my horse trough gardening receptacle yesterday, I sliced some of those to serve with the pork chop and rice casserole.

• No pork chop dish is complete without a little applesauce.  Pork chops and applesauce. That's sort of a tongue twister along the lines of Sufferin' Succotash!
• A nice summer salad is a tasty compliment with any dinner.

When I was a young girl being raised on Sage Creek Farms, I have fond memories of my sweet mother, Rita, preparing this dish which is a family favorite. A variation of it first appeared in some type of farming magazine in the 1950's; ergo, I have titled my blog post Retro 50's Casserole.  I just thought that wording would add a little extra pizzazz.  What say you?

Happy Dining & Retroing!

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