A Cake for Traveling!

Hi There! It's another cool, misty day here in northern Georgia, the kind of day we've had way too few of in recent months, so I'm enjoying it.

I'm all about planning and packing today, as we are leaving tomorrow morning to go to a GA state park about 100 miles from here. It's Richard B. Russell State Park, a 2500 plus acre state park on the banks of 26,500 acre Lake Russell near Elberton, Georgia. We love this state park for many reasons, but the main one is that it's a large park, with only 28 campsites. A cozy little campground with it's own boat ramp, docks and fishing dock. We'll be there all week, returning on the 18th, so this will be my last post for a while.

I wanted to leave you with a new recipe! My friend Linda from Brooklyn, who I met on Scrapbook.com, gave me this recipe and it's delicious, and only 3 ingredients, so it's very easy!

Pineapple Coconut Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease
a 9 x 13 inch cake pan.

1 box Angel Food Cake Mix
1 15 ounce can crushed pineapple - with juice
1/2 cup (or more) shredded coconut

Blend cake mix and pineapple well, then add coconut and mix until it's well blended. Pour into cake pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. It took me less than 40 minutes, but my oven runs a little hot.

Linda says this cake is nice with cool whip and toasted coconut as a garnish, but as you can see, we're doing just fine with nothing but the cake!

The cake definitely tasts like angel food, but with the added tang of pineapple and the sweetness of the coconut. And it rises up nicely, too.

I sure hope you enjoy this recipe! And I hope you have a great week next week. I'll check back in with you on the 18th or 19th. Blessings friends! Becky

Welcome to Camellia Cottage

Hello, and welcome to Camellia Cottage, our small cottage home in north Georgia. I share this home with my husband of more than 20 years and our two 'girls', Bailey and Bessie, who, although they are miniature Dachshunds, tend to think they are human.


We moved here just five years ago from our home in Gwinnett County, Georgia. I had been retired for just about a year after working for a large corporation for 30 years, and hubby was (and still is) working at his job of more than 30 years. We fell in love with the area months before we actually found our home, but once we found this house, we knew it was the right one for us. It's not very large - only about 1300 square feet, but it's just right for us.


The house has a steeply pitched roof and surrounded by the hardwoods native to Georgia. Oaks, maples, sweet gum, hickory and poplar, among others. Our fenced back yard we have left natural, and it is filled with pitcher plants, solomon's seal and hearts a bursting. This year we had a couple of mulberry trees come up volunteer, and I hope to leave at least one of them.


The front yard we have changed drastically, adding a stone patio and large rock border around the flower beds. Together we laid almost 8000 pounds of stone! We removed the staid hedges and planted lilacs, buddleias, roses, Chinese snowballs, hydrangeas and many smaller perennials such as lilies, iris, lavender, columbine, dicentra (bleeding heart), peonies, foxgloves, and many more varieties.


One thing that was here when we moved in has remained. A rather large and unruly red blooming camellia bush right in front of the house. The house has been named for that bush, but not just because it's a camellia. You see, in the Victorian language of flowers, one meaning for the camellia is contentment, and we feel so happy and content here that we knew that was the perfect name for our home - Camellia Cottage.

My purpose for this blog is to share my love of home and all the things that are included in that, from cooking and meal planning, decorating, gardening, hobbies, pets, and anything else that should come up. Maybe it's food storage, or cleaning tips. Or how about products I've found that work for me. I don't work for anyone, and none of the products I tell you about have ever paid me a penny. I just like sharing information with people that may make their lives a little easier.

Well, that's all from me for right now, but I'll be back! Until next time, have a great day! Blessings, Becky