Aunt Susie Mae's Pound Cake

3 cups water
1 cup Crisco
5 eggs
3 cups plain flour (sifted twice)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
(optional: 2 tsp of flavoring)
Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together sugar and Crisco. Add eggs one at a time, beat well after each addition. Mix together flour, salt and soda. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk (and flavorings). Bake for one hour in a floured tube pan.

When making a pound cake, it's important to keep two things in mind: 1) don't over mix after you add the flour, and 2) once you put it in the oven, don't open the door and let heat escape. I should also say, don't worry about the calories...it's way too delicious for that.