Home!

Well, we are slowly getting settled into our new home.  Don't you just love the sound of the word "home"?  I do!  There is such a feeling of belonging in the word.  I love to hear little Liberty say the word "home"...she really draws it out like it has such special meaning.  Home is such a special place to me, I tend to be a "home-body".  And yes, we have moved more times than I want to count, but it is SO good to have a place to call home. I am absolutely loving our new home...it's tucked away in a little bitty southern town...I don't know if town is the right word though, we don't have a gas station but we do have a Dollar General! I don't have pictures for you yet...I want everything to be done before I post pictures!  

Our old-timey house sits on 3 acres filled with pecan trees!  I am so excited! I can't wait to have pecans...btw, do you say PE-cans or pe-CONS? We also have 2 fig trees.  I had never in my life tasted a fresh fig...it tastes nothing like a fig newton  :)  I really like them!  We picked a few yesterday and so I scoured the internet looking for fig recipes and I decided to try a fresh fig cake.  It turned out quite delicious!  I'm not exactly sure what type of figs ours are {there seem to be quite a few varieties}.  Anyway, if you are knowledgeable about figs...please feel free to leave me any and all fig advice!

Fresh Fig Cake

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped fresh figs

Topping
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 cups chopped fresh figs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with the sugar until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add flour mixture alternately with the milk. Fold in vanilla and chopped figs.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry.

To make the topping: In a saucepan, combine 2 cups figs, brown sugar, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes. Spoon on top of cake before serving.  Best served hot.