Three years ago I lost someone very dear to me, my grandmother. She had fought a long battle with her heart and after many years she passed away at home with her family and friends. I can still remember when I received the phone call telling me that she had passed. I sat on the phone in disbelief and felt a large lump grow in my throat. She was the one person I could turn to for advice when it came to life and our family history. Cooking was one past time that we shared.  I smile as I envision her in the kitchen mixing ingredients and telling me to stop sticking my finger in her cake mix. Whatever I wanted to know, she seemed to have the answer. Losing a close family member is hard enough, but trying to understand it seems unbearable.

As military wives, we are often faced with this unsettling question: what if? We spend weeks or even months without our husbands. The comfort that we have is that we can find joy in our kids, our memories, and in knowing the Lord has a watching hand over them. By examining strong women of the Bible, we can take comfort in the word and learn how to persevere.

Looking at the life of Esther helps to keep me encouraged, knowing she had the weight of saving her people on her shoulders. Or even the story of Ruth who left her home land to go with her mother-in-law to a new land and to an unknown God. These women faced unimaginable obstacles but came out clean on the other side. Now, by no means am I saying that one circumstance is more important than another, but simply we go through trials and how we deal with them make us stronger women in Christ.

For the longest time, I could not bring myself to bake because I felt the need to call my grandmother and tell her how it came out. I chuckle now thinking how she would be so proud that I still bake to this day. Circumstances don’t ask our permission to come and interrupt our life, but instead they come. Leaning on the word of God at these times can help us heal and move on with life.

On my dresser, I have a picture of my grandmother and me. I smile at that picture everyday thinking about how much I miss her. I still tear up when I hear her favorite song. Now when I am baking I smile as my daughter comes into the kitchen wanting to help. I tell my daughter I ‘m using great-grandmothers’ recipe and that one day she will pass this to her daughter. It took my young daughter to show me how life goes on and how God can show up in the little things. Some time going back to our roots is what we all need.

I have enclosed the recipe for all to enjoy.

Be Blessed,

Sherita Smedley

Grandma’s Cream Cheese Pound cake

Preheat 350

1-Bunt pan

1-Baking spray

Ingredients:

Pound Cake:

6 eggs

3 cups of flour

2 ½ cups of sugar

1 cream cheese

3 sticks of butter

Icing (optional):

1 1/2 cup powder sugar

½ stick butter

3-4 tbsp of milk (as needed)

First preheat your own and then spray your pan with baking spray and sit it to the side.

Mix the butter and sugar well. Then slowly add eggs 2 at a time until mixed well. Then add the flour while still mixing. Lastly, add the cream cheese and mix well. Dough will seem a little lumpy because of the cream cheese chunks, but if blended well will appear smooth.

Bake for 45min. to an hour depending on stove type. I would suggest checking it after 35 minutes and gauging from there.

While cake is in the stove you can prepare the glaze. In a bowl mix the powder sugar and butter. Add the milk in one tbsp at a time until it is creamy. Make sure not to add too much milk.

The final cake will be brown on top and you can stick a tooth pick or knife to see if done inside. When cake is done remove from oven and allow cooling. Once cooled you can place upside down on a plate or cake dish and remove from pan.

At this time you can apply a glaze if you choose. Drizzle glaze all around and then enjoy!