August was a busy month for us! It was full of sunshine, visitors, and celebrations.
We kicked things off by basking in the Mediterranean sun in Turkey, where we spent a week at an ultra all-inclusive resort. Ultra really meant ultra: food and drink were available almost around the clock! We ate very well, but my favorite discovery was the gözleme, a traditional Turkish flatbread stuffed with delicious fillings like meat and cheese, herbs with cheese, or potatoes and cheese. Every day, Sarah and I eagerly lined up at the gözleme corner, plates in hand. We would then bring our plates and sit by the pool, enjoying each wonderful hot bite. I even searched for a recipe when we got home, it’s still on my to-cook list!
Mid-August brought a different kind of joy: the return of Tita Jaja. Jaja, my college friend who lives and works in the UK, visits us multiple times a year, and the girls always look forward to her arrival. Aside from bringing half a suitcase full of pasalubong, she also showers them with the kind of undivided attention Mama and Papa can’t always manage while juggling daily life. Suddenly, the familiar chorus of “Mama, Mama!” was replaced with “Tita Jaja! Tita Jaja!” – a welcome respite for me, too.
Her visits are never complete without an adventure. This time, we drove straight from the airport to St. Gallen, visited Lake Constance, explored a Glacier Canyon in Interlaken, wandered through Fribourg, and even hiked among ripening vineyards in Ligerz, along Lake Biel, to reach a church nestled between the grapes. But the highlight was fulfilling one of Jaja’s long-held dreams: swimming in the lake. We made it happen – multiple times!
And finally, August ended on the sweetest note: my birthday on the 31st. I requested a cream cheese pound cake, and Tobi and the girls delivered beautifully. (Okay, I did choose the recipe for them, but they baked it to perfection!)
CREAM CHEESE POUND CAKE
From Sally’s Bake Blog
(This is half of the recipe on the blog and will make a small Bundt cake or one loaf. Make sure you take your ingredients out of the fridge about an hour before to come to room temperature)
¾ cup butter (170g), at room temperature
½ cup (113g) full-fat cream cheese (I recommend Philadelphia), at room temperature
1 ¼ cups (250g) white sugar
Scant 3 tbsp (40g) sour cream, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 ½ cups (177g) cake flour
¼ tsp baking powder
A pinch of fine sea salt
1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease a 16-cm bundt pan well and dust with a nice layer of flour or line an 8×5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. With a hand mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese on high speed until smooth and creamy, around 2 minutes. Add the white sugar and beat until light and fluffy, around another minute. Scrape the sides down. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract until well combined.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Be careful not to over-mix, just stop when you see no more traces of egg.
4. After the last egg has been mixed in, add the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until just combined, do not over-mix! Do a final stir using a rubber scraper to ensure that there are no lumps at the bottom. It will be a thick and creamy batter.
5. Scrape into your prepared pan and bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Start checking at 55 minutes by poking with a toothpick and if it comes out clean, it is done.
6. Cool for 2 hours in the pan and invert into a rack to cool completely.
7. Slice and serve. I can attest that this is very yummy with some whipped cream and berries!
Looking back, August was more than just a busy month, it was a season of warmth, laughter, and togetherness. From savoring hot gözleme by the pool to exploring hidden corners of Switzerland with a dear friend, and finally celebrating with cake baked by my little family, I am reminded that life’s sweetest moments are often the simplest ones, shared with the people we love most.*
