Honestly we don’t need a lot to make a happy life. It all starts with friends and family and well lets face it ~ cake don’t hurt.

Mercis’ sister Marlene and Peter  invited us for a good bye to summer BBQ and not all of us could make it. I missed my daughter,  Merci missed her son and my niece Sandra could not come either.  But that did not stop the fun because the show must go on 🙂

And so we enjoyed the people who were around us. Dana, Marlenes’ daughter with the help of little Miss Emma was sweet enough to make her world famous Hummingbird Cake. Oh yeah!!

Here is the Hummingbird Cake recipe!!
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups canola oil
3 eggs
1 (8 ounce) can crushed Dole  pineapple, drained
2 cups mashed bananas
1 1/2 cups chopped black walnuts – reserve some for top and side of cake

Frosting
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 pound butter, softened
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees . Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the oil, eggs, pineapple, bananas and 1 cup of the nuts. Add flour mixture, and mix together by hand.  Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in center of each pan comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and  cool on racks.
Prepare the frosting by blending  the cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla together until smooth. Spread frosting evenly on middle, sides and top of cake.

So saying good bye to summer but always trusting that every ending is followed by a beginning. Hello Autumn!!