Tag Archives: Raleigh

A rainy day off- Zesty lemon drizzle cake.

So I am off work for a few days for the holiday. Its a little rainy outside so no yard work today. There is always tomorrow, the fourth, for yard work if it is not raining!

Gus went to the Vet School in the morning to donate blood. Since he is half pitt bull he has a universal blood type and his blood can be used for any dog.

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When we returned home it was  still raining so I look around to see what is in the fridge and what needs to be used before it could go bad…

I had saved an email from LeCreuset so I had something to do during the rain! :

Zesty Lemon Drizzle Cake

Cake Ingredients:

2.5 sticks of room temp butter

1.5 cups superfine sugar

5 large eggs

2 cups self-rising flour

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

3 tablespoons lemon juice

zest of 2 lemons

4 tablespoons sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Lemon Glaze:

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar

zest and juice of one lemon

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Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350f. Grease the loaf pan with butter or line bottom with wax paper or parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined. Sift in the flour and baking powder. Stir to combine.

Add the lemon zest, juice, sour cream and vanilla extract.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top down. Bake 50-60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the center springs back when lightly pressed.

Let cool 15 minutes before turning out of the pan.

To make the icing: stir together the powdered sugar, half the lemon zest and enough lemon juice to make a consistency that will just coat the back of a spoon. Drizzle the icing over the top and sides of the warm cake, and sprinkle over the remaining zest. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Adapted from lecresuset.com : Zesty Lemon Drizzle Cake.

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TIPS:

Don’t forget to send all your scraps to the compost bin and not to the landfill!

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And you can also save the butter wrappers in the refrigerator to use to grease pans in the future!

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I love this combo juicer and measuring cup I found years ago:

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xxxx

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Filed under General Gardening

Homemade chives and sour cream dip on a baked potato with steamed broccoli and cheese.

Sometimes a baked potato is very bla and not very tasty even with salt, pepper, and butter.

I’ve just added some new chives plants to the vegetable garden and they needed a trim. Of course, there was all ready sour cream in the fridge so it was a natural combination!

I used kitchen scissors to harvest the chives.

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Homemade chives and sour cream dip on a baked potato with steamed broccoli and cheese.

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons sour cream
4 tablespoons fresh chives – cut into small pieces with scissors.
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Pinch of salt

Mix the ingredients and serve. Chill to keep firm.

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Baked potato in aluminum foil:

Preheat the oven on 425f. Using a fork, pole holes around the potato. You may rub them with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Wrap in aluminum foil. Place on lower rack of oven. The aluminum foil produces a moist skinned, baked potato.

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Bake for about 45 minutes to one hour or until cooked through. You can test for doneness by poking it with a fork or pinching the potato. Its it is soft its ready!

Top with the chive sour cream dip and more chives, salt and pepper.

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I also steamed broccoli in the microwave for about five minutes and sprinkled with cheese while hot.

Enjoy!

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Filed under cooking, Food

Surprises from seed.

Everyone knows I like a bargain. When the garden centers begin to make the seasonal markdowns I will visit often and head straight for the discount shelves.

I especially love the bulk wildflower seeds. I am usually pleasantly surprised years down the road as some of the perennial plants mature and begin to bloom.

Along the street I have had oxeye daisies and a few wild day lilies. Last year I sprinkled a pack of rudbeckia and as they have bloomed I have been pleasantly surprised. A few even bloomed during our mild winter.

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I seeded a large path from the front walk through through to the lawn. They should be amazing as this patch is about 5 feet wide and 20 feet long.

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I also seeded lance leaved coreopsis , too. They are just coming into their prime blooming season!

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The oxeye daises are finishing up their season so once the seed heads dry I will hit them with a rake to shake out the seeds and cut back the dead bloom stalks.

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And the cycle of the seasons continue…

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17 Comments

Filed under General Gardening, Plants, seeds