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Heads Carolina, Tails California

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Glad to be back in the saddle again, cross country baking with the best little sister known to man (or woman). We started off this year with North Carolina (sweet potato pie) and California (meyer lemon cake) because they both required produce that is in season. There's no clear winner in my book, both for desserts and states.

North Carolina

I have converted a number of Californians to sweet potato pie. I use a personal recipe that has developed over time, and uses bourbon. The bourbon is key, as are the candied pecans. (Also, using sweet potatoes and not yams.) Here she is:


Comments on this pie include:
--"The best pie I have ever eaten." -- Huge Notre Dame Fan
--"I'm on the fence. It's good, but I'm not sure it's the best ever." -- Queen B
--"I love it! Except for the sweet potato part." -- Random 7-Year Old

I am also nearly certain that I only get invites to Thanksgiving because of this pie. Either that or my dazzling personality.

California

Meyer lemons are truly plentiful in California. My boss's wife (who is an amazing and accomplished woman in her own right) gave me about 30 of them from her tree. (So life is good.)


I used Ina Garten's lemon cake recipe... it called for breaking a measuring glass, so I did. I can't not follow directions!


The cake was not nearly as pretty as Amanda's, but it tasted great. Super lemony, which makes it very healthy. Eating this cake is basically the same as eating salad.


The best part of the cake is that it made a fantastic breakfast. (I'm not into pie for breakfast.)


Until next time.

XOXO,
Gossip Girl (Not Dan)

PS--Full Lyrics to one of the greatest love songs of our time:

Baby what do you say we just get lost
Leave this one horse town like two rebels without a cause
I've got people in Boston, ain't your daddy still in Des Moines
We can pack tomorrow, tonight let's flip a coin

Heads Carolina, tails California
Somewhere greener, somewhere warmer
Up in the mountains, down by the ocean
Where don't matter long as we're goin'
Somewhere together, I got a quarter
Heads Carolina, tails California

We can load what we own in the back of a U-Haul van
Couple modern day Moses' searchin' for the promised land
We can go four hundred miles before we stop for gas
Hey, we'll drive for a day and then we'll take a look at the map

Heads Carolina, tails California
Somewhere greener, somewhere warmer
Up in the mountains, down by the ocean
Where don't matter long as we're goin'
Somewhere together, I got a quarter
Heads Carolina, tails California

We're gonna get outta here if we gotta ride a greyhound bus
Boy, we're bound to outrun the bad luck that's tailin' us

Heads Carolina, tails California
Somewhere greener, somewhere warmer
Up in the mountains, down by the ocean
Where don't matter long as we're goin'
Somewhere together, I got a quarter
Heads Carolina, tails California

Written by Tim Nichols, Mark D Sanders • Copyright © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group

Comments

  1. The middle childJanuary 15, 2018 at 12:55 PM

    This is the best thing I've read today... and I've been up since 8 am.

    ReplyDelete

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