Stand Firm, Peacocks, Nellie...other stuff

For those of you who might be interested in what is going on with my church, St. Luke's Parish in Mineral Wells, Texas, and with the Anglican Communion, you can click the Stand Firm logo. There will be daily videos telling us what is happening. You can also click on the St. Luke's Parish News site, as well. Also, you can check out Virtue Online. All these sites will tell it like it is, but, mind you, they are conservative. So if you're looking for a liberal bend...please look elsewhere. Our prayer is that the Primates, as they meet February 12-19 in Africa, feel the Holy Spirit and allow God to direct them in His will.

Hey, check out Terry's blog to see me and Turtle!! Turtle has gone to Canada to visit Terry and Bernie!

Now, for less serious stuff. Cousin Cindy Lee of South Carolina sent this lovely photo. Wish I could see it in real life.

I've seen this photo before...wish I could give someone photo credit. It's really beautiful.

Another interesting bit of info...here is how "Not on your Nellie" came to be:

It's Cockney slang: Exclam. No way! Not on your life! A shortening of the rhyming slang not on your nellie duff, where nellie duff rhymes on puff which refers to life, hence not on your life. [1940s]. Interesting, huh?

Now St. Valentine's Day recipe for the day:

A traditional recipe for Valentine’s Day is Red Velvet Cake.
This red velvet cake recipe is made with butter, eggs, vanilla, red gel food coloring, cocoa, buttermilk, and other ingredients:

Cake

* 12 tablespoons butter, 1 1/2 sticks
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 tablespoons red gel food coloring plus 2 tablespoons water
* 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 1 tablespoon vinegar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* Cooked Frosting
* 1 cup milk
* 1/3 all-purpose flour
* 1 cup butter
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* milk or cream

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350°. Generously grease and flour 3 8-inch round layer cake pans or 2 9-inch cake pans.

Cake: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat 1 minute longer. Beat in vanilla until blended. Combine cocoa, food coloring, and 2 tablespoons water; beat into the egg creamed mixture. Combine flour and salt. Alternate adding flour and buttermilk mixtures to the batter, beating on low to medium speed. Combine soda and vinegar in cup and add to cake batter. Spoon batter evenly into the 3 cake pans; bake at 350° for 22 to 28 minutes. Cool on cake racks. Remove from pans and frost tops and sides.

Frosting: In a saucepan, whisk together the 1/3 cup flour and milk and cook, stirring, until thickened; cool in the refrigerator. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with mixer. Add flour and milk mixture a little at a time (make ahead of cake so that it has plenty of time to cool). Beat well, adding milk or cream as needed. Frost layers, sides, and top of cake.