Yeah, yeah, everyone knows I got married a year ago. I admit it. I have a trophy husband now. But that isn't the absolute reason why my wedding was the best ever. I did enjoy watching the hottie dance, but really, I was preoccupied with other matters than gawking at my husband. My wedding was the best ever because my daughter attended.
I tried asking her to come. I knew the older one couldn't (and wouldn't) fly 21 hours to lala land but I thought the younger, Hillary, just might. Impossible, she said. "I have to work mom. I can't get away. Just enjoy your day..everyone is happy for you." Or some such comment. But that night, to the poppity pop of flashbulbs, my friend Skip got up on stage and said he had a surprise for me. I wondered a bit wildly if someone bought me a car. Or did a money collection and had a fabulous pile of money to hand over. That would be sweet right? But no, a small young lady all wrapped up in an abaya and hijab was escorted onto the lawn of the Hilton. Three friends had pooled resources, bought a plane ticket, and spirited her into the Salalah Plaza Hotel to wait for the reception. It was heartstopping. I screamed like a loon and we both clutched at each other like long lost friends. For the rest of the evening, I hardly had eyes for anyone else. Yes, I had many reasons to be happy that night, too many to mention in a blog post, but really that night I looked around at all I'd been given here in Salalah. Not money or a car, but loads of wonderful friends. To all of you who attended, from both Mehdi and myself, thank you for your friendship and support this last year. Our marriage is one that perhaps could only have happened in Salalah, but we make it work.
I tried asking her to come. I knew the older one couldn't (and wouldn't) fly 21 hours to lala land but I thought the younger, Hillary, just might. Impossible, she said. "I have to work mom. I can't get away. Just enjoy your day..everyone is happy for you." Or some such comment. But that night, to the poppity pop of flashbulbs, my friend Skip got up on stage and said he had a surprise for me. I wondered a bit wildly if someone bought me a car. Or did a money collection and had a fabulous pile of money to hand over. That would be sweet right? But no, a small young lady all wrapped up in an abaya and hijab was escorted onto the lawn of the Hilton. Three friends had pooled resources, bought a plane ticket, and spirited her into the Salalah Plaza Hotel to wait for the reception. It was heartstopping. I screamed like a loon and we both clutched at each other like long lost friends. For the rest of the evening, I hardly had eyes for anyone else. Yes, I had many reasons to be happy that night, too many to mention in a blog post, but really that night I looked around at all I'd been given here in Salalah. Not money or a car, but loads of wonderful friends. To all of you who attended, from both Mehdi and myself, thank you for your friendship and support this last year. Our marriage is one that perhaps could only have happened in Salalah, but we make it work.
My daughter and I with the sneaky culprits.
Waiting in the wings.
Today's cake is reputed to be a fav of Elvis. Whipping cream pound cake. I muffed up the recipe (mistook a half pound of butter for a pound). I am not surprised. I've had a run of good cakes; I suppose it was time for me to royally screw one up and waste a shocking amount of butter, cream and eggs. Gar! I am a big fan of both the pound and bundt cake. They are deceptively simple in execution, but oh so easy to ruin. Done well, a pound cake is sublime.
Follow the original link for a metric conversion!
3 cups sugar
1/2 lb butter, softened
7 eggs, room temperature
3 cups cake flour, sifted twice
1 cup whipping cream (heavy cream)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Butter and flour a 10 inch tube or bundt pan.
Thoroughly cream together sugar and butter.
Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Mix in half the flour, then the whipping cream, then the
other half of the flour.
Add Vanilla.
Pour into prepared pan.
Set in COLD oven and turn heat to 350ºF.
Bake 1 hour to 70 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted in
cake turns out clean.
Cool in pan 5 minutes.
Remove from pan and cool thoroughly.
Wrapped well, this cake will keep for several days.
Their cake.
You should see the bottom of my oven. Why I filled the pan to the top is anyone's guess.
I dub thee fugly cake.
If I'd filled the pan properly this cake would have been fine, despite a cup of too much butter. Also, I would cut back to 2 cups of sugar. But really, we ate a couple pieces and it is still tasty.
Life is now back to normal. Anniversary weekend over and hopefully I don't feel sick anymore (didn't get into that did I?). Hooray!
Love,
Felicia El Aid
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