I always cry at weddings, its so cliché, I hate it…for many reasons…it ruins my make up, I don’t like people seeing me cry, I never have a nice tissue at hand to wipe off the tears – the red eyes and nose – that all is so not attractive and a whole lot more but at least I am not the only one crying at weddings, I’ve found that the tougher the crowd the more tears get shed, in the end we are all softies for love no matter if man, woman, child tough guy or softy.

I pretty much find it a miracle these days when two individuals find each other and want to share the rest of their life’s together. Times have changed and a lot of weddings back in the day weren’t happening because of love. In todays (first) world most of us women don’t have to marry to have children or have the need or urge to be taken care of and on the guy side? Well most of them are confused anyways about their role in a relationship. Then add on todays expectations about looks, education, family history, money, job, social life, fitness acumen and the list goes on and on, no wonder it its so tough to find ‘the one”.

And so it is that our friends Carolyn and Guyleen made it through this maze of determining factors, found love in each other and promised in front of 100 of their closest friends and family to share their life together. It was the most beautiful and moving ceremony set in the foothills of the stunning Rocky Mountains. Mike had the privilege of beeing Carolyn’s Best Man which he took very serious, wrote a very nice and moving Best Man Speech and even got a tux – which is a miracle in itself to see Mike in a tux! Did Mike shed a tear? Protocol dictates not to put in writing when men cry….

Prior to Carolyn and Guyleen’s wedding day we had some time for an excursion and decided to drive up to Boulder which is a really cool “little” college town 30 minutes outside of Denver. We ate lunch on the rooftop of the Lazy Dog café and then moseyed our way through the artsy pedestrian area over to the Bohemian Beer garden where I enjoyed the most exquisite Apfelstrudel and we got really lucky and sampled German Oktoberfest beer which made us both very happy.

So in “chef fashion” I will toast to Guyleen and Carolyn:

May your marriage be filled with all the right ingredients: a heap of love, a dash of humor, a touch of romance, and a spoonful of understanding. May your joy last forever. Congratulations!

And again the question how to bridge from one topic to the other: so you would think that I would dedicate an extra special fancy cake to Carolyn and Guyleen but its not really the big gestures that make your marriage happen and a happy one, its the every day stuff that’s important; its putting the effort into all the little things and making every day somewhat of a special day for each other and if its baking an old fashioned pound cake which can become very special if its your sweetheart’s favorite cake and you put extra love into baking it!

Old fashioned Pound Cake (Bon Appetit):

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 2 cups superfine sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1.  Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°F. Butter and flour pan. Whisk salt, cream of tartar, cardamom, and 3 cups flour in a medium bowl.
2. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat 2 cups butter until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low and gradually add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high and beat until very light and creamy, 6–8 minutes longer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to blend between additions. Beat in cream and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until mostly combined. Finish mixing with a rubber spatula just until combined. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake cake, rotating halfway through, until top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 70–80 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cake cool completely before turning out.

DO AHEAD: Cake can be baked 3 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

Bon Appetit serves the pound cake with Gran Marnier Apricots. I haven’t made those yet but wanted to keep and share the recipe if you want to give it a try:

Apricots and assembly:

• 2/3 cup Grand Marnier
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups dried apricots (about 8 ounces)
• 1 1 1/2″ piece peeled ginger, sliced
• Lightly sweetened whipped cream (for serving)

1. Bring Grand Marnier, granulated sugar, and 2/3 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add apricots and ginger, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently until apricots are very soft, 20–25 minutes. Let cool.
2. Remove ginger just before serving. Serve cake with apricots and syrup and whipped cream.

Guten Appetit and to long lasting and Happy Marriages and that all the single ladies (and gents) will find their true ONE!