Friday Friend Recipe #148 -- Rum Cake

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook: I have about 50 of my closest friends and family on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends (from all over the county). At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 18 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday.

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

I was looking at the cookbook the other night and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."
The Handyman--who knows me better than I know myself (this happened to be a question on the Friday Friend forum once---does your spouse/partner know you better than you know yourself?)--said,  "you'll never, EVER do that."
WELL---maybe I'll show him!  Maybe I will.

Which brings me to this... recipe #148

Ashley's

Rum Cake

Rum cake reminds me of CHRISTMAS! 

Rum Cakes, rum balls, bourbon balls---all alcohol infused desserts are Christmas to me.

I love this cake most of all!  It's so moist and lasts forever and has a great rum-butter glaze  that soaks into it.  You can add walnuts if you like--I like, but my family does not.

And again we meet our Friday Friend Ashley, with her 4th recipe in the countdown!  You can see all her recipes here. (just click)

If you recall (I kind of feel like I'm narrating an old Batman episode--when we last left our caped crusaders....)  Ashley and her husband David, own the  Winnemucca restaurant, 'The Griddle'.  David's father opened the original one in 1948.  He passed away in the late 70's I believe. 

Ashley and David now own it and  have opened 3 more Griddle restaurants  in Idaho.

(I'll do a little advertising for them here)

They are now in the process of opening a 5th in McCall, Idaho, where they had to go before the city council and prove they were not a chain.

For years, McCall has enforced a "mostly local" ordinance, limiting the number of chain restaurants that can operate in the resort community. Now, there is a proposal before the city that would open the gates to restaurateurs who own multiple eateries in other communities.

The debate surfaced earlier this month when owners of The Griddle, who operate four other iterations of the restaurant in Idaho and Nevada, said they wanted to open fifth location in McCall. However, the "mostly local" ordinance dictates no more than 10 percent of the town's restaurants can be chains, and that limit is maxed out with Subway, Chapala, Moxie Java, Stax and KB's Burritos already operating in McCall. All together, there 44 eateries currently operating in McCall.

This week's McCall Star-News reports the city's Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended approval of a modification to the ordinance that would allow restaurants with five or fewer out-of-town locations to open in McCall.

The Griddle owners said they already have their eye on space in Alpine Village. If the proposed rule change is approved by the McCall City Council, they'll be flipping pancakes in the resort community sooner than later.

I think that is so funny!  The Griddle being  a Chain restaurant.

I, of course, have eaten at the one in Winnemucca, and also at the one in Meridian, Idaho. (seen below)  It's the same "Good Cookin" as is touted in their logo---lots of David's father's original recipes.

 I don't get to see Ashley very often anymore.  She doesn't live in Winemucca, and is very busy with 5 restaurants, so when she comes here, her time is limited.  But 10 years ago, when my niece, who lived in the Boise, Idaho area, graduated from High School, I made the Handyman's family drive to Meridian just to have breakfast at the Griddle.  I mean, we were in the area already, right? 

Here are Ashley and David!

 The Handyman's Family (minus the Handyman, as he had to work,  and others in the family who wouldn't get up and drive 40 minutes one way to have breakfast with me). 

Ashley is kneeling down at the end of the table.

It was a great breakfast, as always -- she comes from a great background of cooks, SO this must mean her Rum cake is GREAT!

The Meridian "Griddle" was the is one they opened when they moved to Idaho-- the 1st one after the original.  On the wall they have this design/artwork.  It's a drawing of the original Winnemucca restaurant with Winnemucca mountain in the background.  You can see the "W" on the mountain!

(by the way---did I mention I live in Winnemucca?)

So, what do you think? A Close resemblance?

That is Ashley's story for today!

Recipe #148 is done!

Only 146 left to go!