The View From Mrs. Sundberg's Window

No reason to stock up for the duration

January 30, 2012

Listened to the show Saturday and it was not bad. It's been a lot on the spirit with this lack of snow and warm weather. I saw kids playing catch today. Sweatshirts, no jackets, and throwing a football on grass. Forty degrees and sun, and yes, lovely, but come on. We haven't had the deep freeze yet, or the blizzard. No driving winds, no threat of wind chill, no battening down the hatches. No reason to stock up for the duration.

So we're doing what we need to do. No weather issues to keep me from my endodontic visit on Wednesday, so I'll be having a root canal midmorning and won't that be fun. There are few life experiences I would avoid were I able to choose, the root canal would be one. Had 'em before, will have 'em again.

The nice part about those crappy painful life events is the aftermath. Hopefully there is someone tuned in to the enormity of your discomfort, someone who will make sure you are warm and bring you a pillow and a bowl of soup once the numbness dissipates and you are able to eat without drooling it all over your chest. And then, as the day progresses, you might need a movie, or another blanket, or some more painkillers so you can resume your mild stupor.

I allow myself (except for the three childbirths) one solid day of misery and self-pity related to tooth or minor body procedures which require recovery time. After that, it's the routine. This time around, though, I may hole up for two days. I'll pretend it's a blizzard, my own mini-version, and I can't go anywhere, or get off the couch, even, because I might get frostbite or the chilblains, and who wants that on top of a root canal?

Here's what I'm whipping up for the kids so they have something wonderful to eat after school this week while I'm drinking blended chili through a straw up my nose. (Kidding. It'll be yogurt with a spoon.) Anyway, this one is a sure thing.

Grapefruit Pound Cake

2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 2/3 c granulated sugar
6 T butter, softened
6 oz light cream cheese
2 large eggs
1/4 c canola oil
2 T grated grapefruit rind
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c 2% milk
1/2 c fresh grapefruit juice
1 1/4 c powdered sugar

Combine flour, baking powder & 1/2 tsp salt, stirring well. Set aside. In large bowl, beat granulated sugar, butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in oil, rind and vanilla. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to batter, beginning and ending with flour. Spoon batter into 10" tube pan coated with baking spray and dusted with flour. Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Invert cake and cool on rack.

Place juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to boil. Cook until reduced to 3 T (about 4 min). Cool slightly. Stir in powdered sugar and a dash of salt (add scant amount of milk if needed). Drizzle over cake. Serves 16.

Enjoy!