Cookin' n Heels

Each and every Friday we are inviting you to the Friday Night Fish Fry. You may ask why a fish fry? Fish fries are common throughout the South. Fish fries are often used for church fundraisers, various community organizations, but most of all, a fish fry is just a good ole’ time with family and friends. Nothing is like a hot piece of fish, some coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans and hush puppies. And don’t forget the soda on the side. The Friday Night Fish Fry is a time for laughs, dancing, card games, and just a damn good time. So on Fridays we’re going to highlight a fun and heartfelt story with a recipe to follow. So what you bringin’ to the fish fry?!

Ginny Cake

We have arrived honey! *cues Diana Ross “I’m Coming Out”* Last night I had the pleasure of having a conversation with The Boobie Docs on Instagram Live. The Boobie Docs, Dr’s. Adrienne Rosenthal and Robin Roth, are Breast Radiologists, super cool moms, and best friends. We have a lot in common. BTW follow them on Instagram @theboobiedocs. For their #wcw series, I spoke with Dr. Rosenthal about mental health and self care during the COVID pandemic. We had such a great conversation, shared lots of laughs, and discussed one of my strategies for self care..cooking!

From this conversation, you probably would never guess that I used to despise cooking. I felt it was a chore. Something else I had to do on my never ending to do list. Another hat I had to wear and I didn’t want it. I didn’t want to be the cook. I would clean all day, but cooking? -nope. Plus I had a picky eater [my son] that had a beige diet (cheese pizza, fries, and chicken nuggets) so why even waste my time? Before the pandemic hit my son began to love food, thanks Aunt Ev’s boot camp, and I found that when I cooked I felt good; I could be mindful. I could live in the moment. And most of all cooking helped me cope with the loss of my great grandma Virginia, my Ginny Cake.

If you ever travel to Bracey, VA you will find a small town with just one truck stop and gas stations. Any Bracey native can tell you about the sweet woman that lived in the big white house on Hwy 903: Ms. Virginia. She was sweet, kind, always had a smile, and most of all she was the life of the party. Saturday nights at her house were full of laughter and love. The Saturday night card game was where people came to play cards and visit Ms. Virginia. On summer days, the music would play, the grill was smokin’ and the party wasn’t over until Ms. Virginia or as many of us called her, ‘Ginny Cake’ cut a rug. I remember so many cookouts dancing with her because even when I was a little girl she would tell me “Put your hand on your hip and shake it girl!” And that I did. She always called me her dancing girl.

Besides all the love she gave to our community, she loved her family. She raised 9 children and us grandkids loved to be at Grandma Virginia’s house. I spent every weekend with her and during the summer I would be there with my cousins and we would play and cook all day! We helped her in the garden, and when she made biscuits she had to make an extra pan for me and my cousin, Kenoshia. Her blackberry dumplings were so good. And every summer she made pear preserves and grape jelly. I always watched but it wasn’t until I became an adult that I began to appreciate it all.

Fast forward to my adulthood: again, I hated cooking. We were on again, off again, like a bad relationship; think Jody and Yvette in Bad Boy. But I made one thing that was a constant; it was a dessert that made me feel good; my 7up cake. I first made this 7up cake for a family function and my great grandma Virginia loved it. I ended up making one out of the blue one day and I made sure to give her a few slices. As quarantine began, I found myself like many people bored in the house, so I started baking. But I found cooking and baking as a way to not only to beat the strain of pandemic life, I also found that it was a good way of coping with the loss of my great grandma. She passed in 2019 and I miss her everyday. When I bake I imagine myself being in her house; it’s my escape. It’s my ‘Calgon, take me away!’ moment. I can focus on what’s going on in front of me. I feel that she is here with me. Last summer I made several 7up cakes , and when we were able to have some outdoor fun, I brought them to the function. To see people enjoy it, made me think of the fun times we had at her house on summer days and weekends.

So when I’m in my kitchen, sometimes I catch myself saying Alexa “Play Roy C-After the Disco Is Over.” I put my hand on my hip, and I ‘shake it, baby shake it!!’ I smile , I laugh as I mix my 7up cake batter because I know she continues to watch over and support me. Plus my cake is sweet, yet it has a twist just like my Ginny Cake.

7up Pound Cake

Ingredients: Cake

1-1/2 cups butter

3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
2 tbsp. lemon extract
3/4 cup 7UP

Ingredients: Glaze

3-1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup 7UP

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Grease and flour bundt pan
• Beat the sugar and butter until creamy with hand mixer or stand mixer.
• Add in lemon extract and mix.
• Add in eggs and mix.
• Add in flour one cup at a time and mix.
• Add in 7UP and mix until incorporated..
• Mix for 1 minute at low speed.
• Pour batter into a pan.
• Bake for 1 hour.
• While the cake bakes, make glaze. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and 7UP. Beat until smooth.
• Remove cake from oven and let cool, then drizzle with the glaze.