Pound cake is anytime!

Hope everyone had a great Easter weekend. I know this is late but I am going to do it anyway. Mainly because I love pound cake and all that you can do with it.
Before I get into the recipes I want to share with you some ideas about making a pound cake. This came off of Saveur.com which I seem to be going to quite often lately.
Here is a list of things to do when making a pound cake.
1. Use only a standing electric mixer.
2. All ingredients must be a room temperature.
3. Use only US Grade AA butter.
4. No substitutions--no margarine, no skim milk and use regular flour.
5. Prep ingredients in advance. Sift flour, bp and salt at least 3 times. Measure the sugar in another bowl.
6. Blend flavoring into the milk in a glass.
7. Keep eggs next to mixer for easier access.
8. Cream butter and sugar at med-low speed. Take care not to overbeat.
9. Be certain pan is of a light color inside.
10. Never bake a pound cake longer than 1 1/4 hours @ 325º.
11. Let cake cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan.
12. Never store cake in the refrig. It will keep for a week.
This is my favorite recipe--Yellow Vanilla Pound Cake. The secrets of a successful pound cake, by renowned Southern cook Edna Lewis @Saveur.com.
Here is a list of other type pound cakes.
Lemon Loaf Pound Cake
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Golden-Lemon-Pound-Cake
Sour Cream Pound Cake
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Sour-Cream-Pound-Cake
Certainly one of these should touch your fancy. Strawberries are in right now, so go for fresh strawberries on top of pound cake for dessert.

St. Patrick's Day

It is time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. It doesn't matter if you are Irish or not cuz the meal is what counts. True, you do need to like corned beef but I also like the leftovers. Anyway I toodled around and found a classic recipe by Diana Rattray @ About.com
that takes care of the cooking part.

Corned beef dinner with rutabagas, carrots, onions, potatoes, and cabbage.
INGREDIENTS:
1 corned beef brisket, about 4 pounds 1 small bay leaf
6 peppercorns
2 to 3 rutabagas, cut in chunks
1 pound carrots, 8 to 10, trimmed, scraped, and left whole
12 small whole onions, peeled
6 medium potatoes, peeled
1 medium head of cabbage, cut in wedges
PREPARATION:
Place meat in a deep stock pot or kettle; cover with water. Add bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to a boil; skim off foam. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 3 hours. Add vegetables; simmer for about 45 minutes longer, or until vegetables and meat are tender. Serve corned beef surrounded with vegetables. Serves 8 to 10.

If you can find a smaller brisket, just cut this recipe in half. Enjoy the moment and then go for a Reuben sandwich with the leftovers. How much better can this get the next day!

Easter is coming up soon, so I will post my favorite pound cake. I have a recipe from my Mom as well, so I will post something. If you want, look around for a Bunny mold and fancy it up.