By JODI RALL
In the Bubble columnist

Ann attended Vanderbilt and was a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority. After college she and her husband Al stayed in the area and began giving back to their community.

Ann became Chairman of the Alumnae Advisory Committee and took on the task of serving on the Christmas Village board, and most recently, co-chaired the event this year. In addition she’s been a valued member of Friends of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital and each year I look for her smiling face at the Friends and Fashion show held in the spring.

Ann and I first met when our older children attended Granberrry Elementary and our youngest attended the Day School at Brentwood Methodist together. The first year Ann held her luncheon, neither of us were ‘official’ Brentwood ladies. Then Ann moved to Princeton Hills and my own family headed to Oak Hall a short time later.

I share all of this because Ann seems to make a difference wherever she is. At school and at church, she is somebody who gets things done, making a difference for many.

It was an honor to attend the luncheon again this year – a party with a guest list that included 154 women. And par for the course, Ann outdid herself as she makes all the food and desserts served.

The connections were amazing. My own next door neighbor, Julie Aaron, was one of the first people I saw. We both asked Ann, “How do you know her?"

Ann keeps notes about each of the lunches and shared a few names of Brentwood women who have attended all nine of them: Yvonne Ayers, Susan Pefanis, Valerie Ball and Brenda Wilt are Pi Phi sisters; Robin O’Shields and Laura Coyle both worked with Ann on the FRA consignment sale; and Sheila Priest met Ann through Brentwood Methodist teaching Sunday school and at the day school.

I loved catching up with Linzi McConnell and Connie Heckel, both Princeton Hills neighbors. New to the lunch this year were two other mutual friends of ours, Denise Long and Kim Klippenstein. My list could go on and on with the wonderful women who filled the home.

Personally if I were cooking for this many people I would be stressed, but not Ann. With a skillful plan in place, she shared a few of her secrets. “I do all the grocery shopping on Monday,” she told me. Cooking and baking day is Tuesday, but she saves the cake icing until Wednesday morning “so they are fresh and don’t have to be refrigerated.”

Among the cake selections was a carrot cake that she says she’s going to weigh next year before serving.  “It is very dense and heavy (and), of course, calorie free!” she added.

Right Ann, calorie free and straight from my lips to my hips as the chocolate cake was divine. Everything served was simply perfect.

Lucky for you, Ann shared two of her amazing recipes with me to share with you. Before I get into the recipes, let me say thank you to Ann for hosting a wonderful Christmas luncheon and for everything you do to help others. I’m honored to have been invited and call you friend.

Grilled Chicken and Fruit Salad

1 pound Chicken Breast halves

½ cup Sugar Coated Pecans*

1/3 cup Sliced Strawberries

1/3 cup Fresh Blueberries

1/3 cup Raspberries

Dressing

1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar

½ cup Sugar

1 cup Vegetable oil

½ cup Sweet Onion

1 Tsp. Ground Mustard

1 Tsp. Salt

¼ Tsp. Pepper

Grill chicken. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Combine dressing ingredients in blender. Toss salad ingredients with dressing. Serve immediately. *Ann uses already made Private Selection Praline Pecans from Kroger.

3 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

3 cup Sugar

1 Tbsp.. Baking Soda

1 Tbsp.. Ground Cinnamon

1 1/2 Corn Oil

4 Eggs

1 Tbsp.. Vanilla

1 1/2 cup Pecans, chopped

1 1/2 cup Shredded Coconut

2 cup Carrots, grated

3/4 cup Crushed Unsweetened Pineapple, drained

Grease and flour three 9 inch cake pans. Mix together first 7 ingredients. Fold in remaining ingredients. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees and then place a piece of aluminum foil tented over the cakes and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until cake edges pull away from sides of pan. Cool on racks for 2 hours.  Ice with Cream Cheese Icing. One recipe will make a single layer 12” round cake also. If making a double layer 12” round, double cake recipe and make two and one- half icing recipes. Bake for 40 minutes and then place a piece of aluminum foil tented over the cake and bake an additional 10 – 15 minutes or until cake begins to pull away from sides or toothpick can be removed clean.

CREAM CHEESE ICING

8 oz. Cream Cheese

1 stick Butter

1 Tsp. Vanilla

4 cup Powdered Sugar, sifted

Beat together cream cheese, butter and vanilla until creamy. Gradually add sugar. Beat until smooth