Sweet Dreams!

There we sat....in a mélange of antique glassware, heirloom linens, and mismatched chairs, dressers, china, crystal and quilts! Beloved belongings passed down from our grandparents and parents, and various great aunts and uncles whom we never had the pleasure of meeting. We were both a little overwhelmed when we contemplated dividing up the items, carefully wrapping, packing and then transporting all back to our home destinations. What should we give away? Do you think we should keep all of this? Rather than succumbing to the perplexity of it all, we decided to cherish the afternoon by baking the Sweet Potato Bread and making our Citrus Cooler's and then blissfully reminisce about childhood memories...playing "Remember When?"  We both agreed that it was bittersweet! She took the blues and I received the pinks....each item has been placed in our own homes and reminds us everyday how lucky we were to have had our family and today, how fortunate we  are to still have each other!

A Maine House Mosaic

The most requested recipe from the Sweet Melissa Bakery staff!

Sweet Potato Bread with Cinnamon-Rum-Orange Glaze

2 (15 ounce) cans sweet potatoes, drained

 2 cups sugar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon

 baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon

kosher salt

 2/3 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Glaze

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

 1/4 cup rum

1/2 cup sugar

 2 cinnamon sticks

Position oven rack in the center of oven; preheat oven to 350 degrees; butter and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed; mash the sweet potatoes until smooth. Add in the sugar and oil; mix to combine. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition; scrape down the sides of the bowl. In a separate bowl, combine four, soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Once this is combined, add the flour mixture to the sweet potato mixture. Do this in three separate additions, beating well after each addition. Stir in pecans. Pour this into the greased bundt pan at bake 1 hour and 20 minutes.

For the glaze, combine all glaze ingredients and simmer. Cool this mixture and pour 1/2 over the warm bread. Wait 10 minutes and pour the remaining glaze over the bread. Serve warm!

Citrus Coolers

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup water

3 cups Pineapple Juice

3 cups Orange Juice

3/4 cup Lemon Juice

1 (33.8 ounce) bottle Ginger Ale, Chilled

Assorted fresh fruits

Combine sugar and water in medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour sugar mixture into a 4 1/2 quart freezer container. Stir in fruit juices and chill until firm. Remove from freezer several hours before serving and mixture is completely thawed or if you prefer, slushy. Stir in ginger ale and fresh fruit.

A toast once heard:

 "To my big sister, who never found her second Easter egg

 until I'd found my first."

 ~Robert Brault