"Love me some Paula Deen, ya'll!"

I've been wanting to do this post for a while now, and I got a chance on this wonderful stay-at-home snowy day we had in southern GA to do it! As some of you know, I attended the Savannah College of Art and Design and lived in Savannah, GA for 7 years. No, not all of that was spent in school! Come on!

Anyways, after graduating I took an internship with a wonderful designer named Carolyn Hultman and one of her clients just happened to be the fabulous Ms. Deen. I had the privilege of getting to work with Paula on her home, and to help stage it for magazine photo shoots, and filming of her cooking show. It was tons of fun, and Paula is hilarious! I know sometimes celebrities have one personality on screen and then they turn into a green headed monster the minute the cameras stop rolling... not her. Guarantee.

Ok, so today why was I thinking of all this? Easy. I was baking one of Paula's recipes!

Sour Cream Pound Cake is pretty much one of the most heavenly (and sinful) desserts on the planet. Mostly because it's amazing when you eat it for breakfast with coffee, and equally amazing when you add vanilla ice cream, strawberries and whipped cream. It pretty much can go with anything, and I have to say, I will eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I don't watch myself!

Here's the recipe:

Grandmother Paula's Sour Cream Pound Cake
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Ingredients

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
3 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the sour cream and mix until incorporated.
Sift the baking soda and flour together. Add to the creamed mixture alternating with eggs, beating each egg 1 at a time. Add the vanilla and pour the mixture into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes.

Now, here's what I do.

First, I cut the recipe in half for a loaf pan. The one I have is the Pampered Chef Stoneware Loaf Pan. Paula's directions are for a tube pan, which I don't own. Here's the other option though... The amounts stated above are the perfect size for 3 disposable loaf pans, and I have made this recipe for more than a few bake sales and brunch events!

Second, we like things really sweet around here, so instead of butter and flour in the pan, I use butter and sugar. I know, it makes this even more heavenly sinful, but it is soooooo good!

Buttered and Sugared Loaf Pan

Fresh from the oven!



Yummmm.... hot coffee (with a lil hazlenut creamer) in the handmade ceramic mugs we bought on our 5th Anniversary, and the lovely slices of pound cake on my beautiful Willow House Villa Stoneware Salad Plates! 


So, aside from just the yummy recipe, what else got me so excited about Paula Deen today? I wanted to share some FABULOUS photos from her home when I helped to stage it. These are photos I took, way back more than a few years ago, and I'm pretty sure not only have they already been featured in her magazine at least once by now, that probably a lot of it has changed. In fact, I picked up a copy of her magazine a few months back, and while I recognized the rooms in her home, the details of the interiors had changed. So, now onto the eye candy you all have been waiting for!

Sleeping Porch overlooking Turner's Creek



Daybed - yes, that's a twin mattress, and yes it's also a swing!



Amazing chaise recovered and some vintage wicker



Vintage Wicker settee with new cushions

Those are just a few of the photos I have and I will share more, I promise! There are just too many for one post!  This is my little spring teaser as I sit here looking out the window at the slushy ice storm outside! Can't wait for spring!