How Sweet It Is {Mary @ Mary in Marriedland}

It's time for another love story :)
I have been SO enjoying sharing all of these love stories and sweet treats with you this month!
Today Mary from Mary in Marriedland is sharing... Actually her husband, James, wrote it.
So sweet :)
Anyway, Mary's blog is precious!
It has been so fun getting to know her & her blog through swapping!
I'm pumped to make those Olive Oil Cakes with Lemon & Thyme too. mm mm mmm!


Exactly five years before I proposed to Mary, she, her roommate, and I drove eight hours from Carson-Newman to Maryland together for spring break. I was headed home to Germantown, and they were headed to her roommate's home in Frederick. Since I didn't have a car that year, I needed a ride home. I met Mary's roommate, Kristen, through a mutual friend, and she agreed to let me tag along. The morning of March 3, 2005, they picked me up outside of Alumni Residence Hall. Kristen and I followed Mary to her house, so she could drop her car off before we left. For the next eight hours, we were stuck with each other, whether we liked it or
not.

Fortunately, we liked it.

After we got back from spring break (neither of us can remember how I got back, but we did not drive back down together) we ran into each other outside the cafeteria, or, as it's known around campus, 'The Caf'. We talked about how we had a good time on the trip to Maryland,
and that we should hang out again sometime. Over the break, I had written a song about Mary. I left it for her anonymously in her school mail box. She was kind of freaked out, to be honest, and thought it was a prank by her girlfriends. When she found out that it was from me, she was very excited. That is when we started hanging out, and that is when our grades started going down. Back then, we spent all our time together, and now we are sharing the

rest of our lives with each other.

Olive Oil Cakes with Lemon and Thyme

taken from: The Pioneer Woman

These are so good! I shared this recipe on facebook when I made them for the first time right after getting married. I wanted to share again and to tell you that these are wonderful for when you want something delicious and comforting. Remember, balance people!

Once they come out, let them cool. Then drizzle the yummy glaze.

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ENJOY, like I just did!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Tablespoon Melted Butter
• 1-⅓ cup Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Grated Lemon Zest
• 2 whole Eggs
• ¼ cups Olive Oil
• ⅔ cups Whole Milk
• 1 cup Flour
• ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Minced Fresh Thyme
• GLAZE:
• 1-½ cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
• 3 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice, Or More As Needed

Here’s what you do:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a muffin pan with melted butter and then dust with a little bit of flour. Pulse the sugar and lemon zest in a blender until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, then gradually pour in the olive oil and milk, pulsing until emulsified into a thin batter, about 30 seconds. Don’t overblend or the cakes will be too puffy.

Whisk one cup flour, the baking powder, salt and thyme in a small bowl. Add to the blender in 2 batches until just combined. Pour the batter unto the prepared pan and bake until the cakes just start to pull away from the sides of the pan and spring back when lightly touched, about 25 minutes depending on your oven.

In the meantime, make the glaze: whisk the powdered sugar, melted butter and lemon juice until smooth, adding more lemon juice if too thick. Drizzle over the cooled cakes and garnish with a thyme sprig.