Here is my favorite Pound Cake recipe. Perfect for all of the fresh fruit that is available this time of year. Janelle McComb, who was Elvis's friend from the time he was a boy in Tupelo Mississippi used to bake two loaves of this cake every Christmas and bring them to Graceland. On a good day, Elvis could eat one all by himself. He shared the other with his entourage. ELVIS PRESLEY'S FAVORITE POUND CAKE 3 cups sugar 1/2 pound of butter softened 7 eggs room temperature 3 cups cake flour, sifted twice 1 cup heavy cream (not whipped) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Thoroughly butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Cream together the sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time, beating extemely well after each addition. Mix 1/2 half of the flour, then the whipping cream, then the other half of the flour. Beat 5 full minutes. Add vanilla. Pour batter into prepared pan. Set in cold oven and turn temp to 350 degrees. Bake 1 hour to 90 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool in the pan 5 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool thoroughly. Wrapped well in foil, this cake keeps several days. My group likes grilled pineapple too. I just dip it in butter and then brown sugar and grill. Great by itself or with ice cream. Here are a couple of others I have in my files from Ruthanna. Can you tell I'm leaning toward the grilling thing? GRILLED STRAWBERRY SUNDAES (Ruthanna) 1/ 4 cup orange juice 1/ 4 cup strawberry spreadable fruit 1 tsp. cornstarch 2 pint strawberries, hulled 2 cups low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt Preheat the grill to a medium heat. In a medium saucepan, combine the orange juice, spreadable fruit, and cornstarch. Set aside. Thread the strawberries onto 4 skewers. Grill the kebabs, turning once, for 4 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place the medium saucepan directly on the grill or on the stovetop over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove the strawberries from the skewers and stir gently into the sauce mixture in the saucepan. Divide the yogurt among 4 bowls, spoon the strawberry sauce over, and serve. Notes: Can substitute ice cream for the frozen yogurt if desired. Sauce is best when serve hot. Can also be served over sliced angel food or pound cake. GRILLED PEARS WITH BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE serves 4 (Ruthanna) 4 large firm-ripe Anjou or Bartlett pears 3 Tbs. fresh lime juice 2 Tbs. sugar 1/3 cup evaporated milk (can be evaporated skim milk) 2 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar 2 tsp. butter (not margarine or spreads) 1/ 2 tsp. vanilla extract Peel the pears, halve lengthwise, and core. With a sharp knife, cut a very thin slice from the rounded side of each pear half so they will lie flat. In a bowl, toss the pear halves with the lime juice and sugar. Grill the pears over medium heat for 4 minutes. Turn them over, drizzle with any remaining lime mixture, and grill for 5 minutes, or until tender. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Cook directly on the grill or stovetop over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a gentle boil. Cook until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Divide the pears among 4 plates, drizzle with butterscotch sauce, and serve hot or warm. David

Jo, That looks wonderful. I wish I would have looked at this thread before now, because my grandson's 7th birthday was today and I would have certainly made it. Although, I had two of the grandkids last night and probably wouldn't have had time. LOL My daughter bought a cupcake football cake. Just cupcakes put together in the shape of a football and then frosted all over the time. Oh well, she works full time and has 5 children, convenience is the name of the game for her. Karen

I saw it over at the CF and had to try it. I made mine with fresh peaches and it was so good. DS asked where it all went because it was gone in less than 2 days! LOL He said next time make it with the new apples that are just coming in. Or maybe I will use small individual tart pans and make them with all kinds of different fruit. Clare

You can add a return to your basement. I take it you have no gas appliances. If that is the case you don't have to worry about causing a back draft of any chimneys. I suggest adding one supply to provide the air for the return. You can close it in the winter but my advice would be to leave open all the time. Is the fresh air intake supposed to be make up are air for a vent hood? Is your house that tight? If it is then you may look into installing a heat recovery system.