On The Prairie Seeing Buffalo...In Florida!

Yes, prairie and bison in Florida.  It took three attempts to finally make it to Paynes Prairie near Gainesville to camp (once a change in plans, once a hurricane).  It was worth the wait!  Lots of birds, animals, history, hiking, biking and campfires.  My idea of GOOD TIMES.  Paynes Prairie is 21,000 diverse acres.  There are lakes, forest, marsh and prairie.  The park has the biggest variety of animals of any park I have been to in Florida.  

The park has a history of being a cattle farm from the Seminole Indians, to the Spaniards in 1637, to European settlers in the late 1700's.  In 1970 the State of Florida acquired the land and has worked to restore the prairie marsh and preserve the history.  There are small herds of American bison, Florida cracker horses and cattle.  The bison represent the pre-European conditions, the horses and cows represent the cattle ranching history.  I saw the horses and cows from the overlook at the Visitor's Center.  They were pretty far off and were best viewed using binoculars.

I saw the bison a lot closer on the Cone Dike trail.  My excitement on seeing the bison started when I saw horse manure and bison patties along the trail.

As excited as I was about seeing the bison, I soon realized they were like their bovine cousins (cows) and just stood around munching on grass.  They just look awesome doing it.  It was fun to see them from 100 feet away.  And the 2.5 mile hike was enjoyable.

At the north end of the park, I walked along the La Chua trail to the Alachua Sink.  The highlight of this hike was all the animals at the sinkhole.  There is a long boardwalk which provides a sense of security from the alligators.  At the end of the boardwalk the trail continues where you can get up close and personal with the wildlife.   I would add to the Safety Guidelines...if you must pass a wild alligator, horse or bison, it is best not to be the slowest person in your group.

The ranger at the park said that this was an ideal time at the Sink because the water was high with nutrient rich runoff from the Sweetwater Wetlands.  There were lots of fish which attracted the large birds and alligators.  Lots of big birds...heron, wood storks, limpkins, egrets, buzzards and bald eagles.  Plus they were catching fish.  I often see heron while kayaking, but I don't see them catching many fish.  The alligators were HUGE.  I didn't see them catching anything...just laying in the sun.  

Once I saw the Sink, I wanted to see where the water came from...the Sweetwater Wetlands.  Brian and I stopped there on our way to Gainesville.  It is a wetland maintained to improve the water quality that travels to the Alachua Sink and into the Florida aquifer.  Not only is it a great environmental resource, it is a peaceful park for hiking or sitting and enjoying the view.

In Gainesville, we stopped for lunch at Satchel's Pizza.  It's a funky little place with kitschy décor and food made from scratch...even the soda.  I had the lunch special of a salad and slice of pizza with a Stevia cola.  I left with a bottle of their home-made dressing.  The first and last ingredient is LOVE.  I couldn't resist. 

I enjoyed all the art and particularly the outdoor mosaics.  I felt a connection with my mosaic planters.  I definitely recommend it...delicious and interesting.

On our way to Satchel's a semi connected with the van's rearview mirror.  It was a gently touch, but I felt it and immediately noticed the missing top of the mirror.  We continued on to lunch after a few adult comments from both of us.  This isn't the first time the extra wide mirror has had an accident.  On our way back, we were stopped at a red light at the same intersection and WHAT DID WE SEE???  The mirror laying face down in the middle of the intersection.  Brian pulled into a gas station on the corner and I jumped out, dodged traffic and rescued the mirror.  Okay, I politely crossed the road on the light and picked it up.  We were both astounded that there was little damage to the mirror, even after sitting an hour in traffic...probably being run over by cars and semis.  WOW!

The park has miles of trails that are good for off-road bicycling.  Brian has an e-bike and I have a traditional bike.  He has an advantage over me, but I do my best to keep up.  Sand, hard-pack and water.  I am usually working so hard that I don't have an opportunity to take many pictures.  I like the adventure of the off-road trails.

We both enjoy campfires.  It is never too early to start a campfire (or have a beer.  I learned the beer part from my Mom).  We are a couple of Campfire Connoisseurs.  We have a collection of firestarters (briquettes, packets, fatwood and good old kerosene).  We have scrap wood to get the flames going.  Once the preparations are done, we add the wood.  Our collection of tools include favorite fire sticks, pokers, bellows and tongs.  It is a beautiful way to end our adventurous days.

Life's Too Short to Say NO to Cake

 

My grandchildren LOVE cake.  I started thinking about my FAVORITE CAKE.  It is a recipe passed down to me from my Grandmother.  A sweet, white sheet cake, no frosting.  It was the first cake I baked with my Mom (probably 50 years ago...or more!).  I look forward to making this with my grandchildren and creating more memories.

This is a cross between a Butter Cake and a Pound Cake.  My Grandmother called it "As You Like It Cake".  I believe she got the recipe from a magazine in the 1950s.  Yes, the era of molded Jell-O salads and tuna casseroles.

It isn't special to look at...it's charm is the taste!  It is close to a Butter Cake, with one BIG difference...my recipe calls for shortening, not butter.  It isn't a pound cake cake either.  It has less eggs than a pound cake and has a lighter, more tender consistency.  This cake is baked in a 9 x 13 glass pan.  Unlike a traditional sheet cake, it is served UNFROSTED.  It has enough sugar that frosting would be TOO MUCH.  My favorite way to eat is plain, sometimes with a smear of butter...with a cold glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee.

This picture shows three generations.  The cake is my Grandma, the china and sterling is my Mom and I made the leaf platter.

I learned a lot about cake baking from this recipe.  Most cakes have the same list of ingredients...flour, butter/shortening, sugar, eggs, baking powder, salt, milk and vanilla.  The ingredients are basic, the difference is the amounts and how they are put together.

One lesson I learned...weigh the flour.  While watching The Great British Baking Show, I noticed that the bakers weighed the ingredients, rather than using measuring cups.  It is more accurate to weigh flour and therefore produces consistent results.  A cup of flour should weigh 120 grams.  I did a test to see if it really made a difference.

I did my usual method by dipping the measuring cup into the flour.  That amount of flour weighed 154 grams!  Almost 1/3 cup more.  Another recommended method is to spoon the flour into the measuring cup to prevent compressing.  That measurement was 130 (still more).  I am a BELIEVER!

I knew baking powder and baking soda were two different ingredients, but I didn't know the difference.  Both are leavening agents.  Baking Soda is sodium bicarbonate.  It needs an acid and a liquid to create a chemical reaction to make the batter rise.  Baking Powder is baking soda combined with an acid and a buffer, like corn starch.

You don't have to rely on the expiration dates on these.  I don't bake much and they are often outdated.  If they are close to their expiration dates, I use these simple tricks to check their freshness.  Check to see if your baking powder is still active by stirring 1 teaspoon into 1/3 cup of warm water.  If it still fizzes, it is OK.  You can test to see of your baking soad is still active by mixing some with vinegar.  If it bubbles, you are good to go. 

 

2 cups Sugar

2/3 cup Shortening

2 2/3 cups Flour

4 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Salt

1 1/3 cup Milk

2 teaspoon Vanilla

2 Eggs

Setup.  Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.  Grease and flour the glass pan.  Get out all your ingredients.  This is when I check to make sure the Baking Powder is good.  It is very disappointing to start making a recipe and realize you don't have everything you need! 

Cream the shortening and sugar.  This gives the CAKE structure by beating air into the shortening, while the sugar helps to hold the air.  This makes the CAKE light and fluffy...and produces a good rise.   I beat the shortening to get it creamy.  Then I add the sugar, a little at a time, making sure the sugar is fully incorporated.  Frequently, scrape the sides and bottom.

Mix the dry and wet ingredients.  I mix the remaining dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking powder) in a separate bowl.  I also mix the wet ingredients (milk, eggs and vanilla) together.  This helps to evenly disperse them.

Add the dry and wet ingredients.   Just make sure the ingredients are blended.  

Put in the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.  Level out the batter, it is thick.  Bake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.  It should be golden brown and the edges are starting to release from the sides.  

ENJOY