Lemon Blueberry Coffeecake with Buttermilk

A cure for Spring fever-finding these wildflowers-first signs of spring

Spring Beauty

Trailing Arbutus

Hepatica

Lemon Blueberry Coffeecake with Buttermilk
Cook's Notes: Invite a friend or neighbor over to share a piece of a luscious juicy Lemon Blueberry Coffeecake with Buttermilk topped with a crunchy flavorful cinnamon streusel. Serve with your favorite cup of joe or tea. The recipe was adapted from onceuponachef

Ingredients For the Streusel Topping:

• 6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
• 1/3 cup quick or old-fashioned but not instant oats
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or 1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

For the Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour or cake flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or 1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• Zest from one large lemon
• 1/2 cup buttermilk 
• 2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen may be used but do not defrost)

Directions:

• Make the streusel topping: Combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Using your fingers, mix until no lumps of brown sugar remain. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it reaches a crumbly state. Can use a food processor for this step pulse 2-3 times. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square pie or cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract and lemon zest.
• Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk, beating on low speed to combine. 
• Toss berries with a little flour and add the berries to the batter. Gently fold in with a spatula until evenly distributed. Do not over-mix.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 28-30 minutes, until golden brown around the edges and a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a rack for about 20 minutes, then serve right from the pan.
• This cake is best served on the day it is made. Leftovers will keep well for a few days wrapped in foil and stored at room temperature.

Roasted Carrots and Sweet Potatoes with Quinoa, Brown. and Red Rice

 
Roasted Carrots and Sweet Potatoes with Quinoa, Brown, and Red Rice Cook's Notes: A healthy vegetarian dish packed with tons of flavor. A shortage at the store propelled this dish into the making. I started out wanting plain quinoa (the store did not have😕 ) but did find this package of Seeds of Change.

It turned out to be quite the game-changer for the recipe. Seeds of Change has a great nutritional count making it a really healthy choice. The package was easy to prepare with two choices; microwavable or skillet preparation. I chose the skillet preparation so I could add in the homemade dressing and roasted veggie mixture. It was a filling dish perfect for lunch or supper. The recipe is an Ever Ready Special and serves 3-4. 
Optional adding in 1 drained can of chickpeas, rinsed. 

Cooking Tip: Best to keep carrots and sweet potatoes diced about the same so they roast equally. 
Dressing Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger 
• 1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, parsley 

Dressing Directions:

• Add all ingredients to blender, and mix well.
• Reserve half the dressing for the rice dish and the other half will be used for roasting veggies. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 package quinoa, brown and red rice e.g. Seeds of Change or a similar product 
• 1-1/2 cups each of carrots and sweet potatoes
• 1/4 cup each of dried cranberries and chopped pecans

Veggie Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone pad or parchment paper. 
• In a large bowl add uncooked veggies and 1/2 of the dressing. Mix well. 
• Spread evenly out on the baking sheet. Roast veggies for 18 minutes or until al dente. 
• Last few minutes of roasting time sprinkle in cranberries and pecans with veggies. 

Quinoa, Red and Brown Rice Directions:

• Follow the skillet directions on the package but add in the rest of the homemade dressing rather than using the suggested water. 
• Lastly, add in roasted veggies to the rice mixture, top with pecans, and serve immediately. 
  
  
  

Must Go Party

 Recently we had our 3rd annual Must Go party 

and opportunity for us all to clean out our refrigerators as we leave to head back up north soon. There were a variety of food offerings like sloppy joes, slider, wontons, brownies, and many more yummy treats. I was happy to use up my turkey from Thanksgiving and reconfigured the leftovers into a turkey salad. 

The following meal is my Must Go Ever Ready Special with my last refrigerator cleanout. It's a one-pan meal easy to put together and a perfect supper for spring. I added a slice of the Buttermilk Lemon Cake recipe recently posted. 

One Pan Garlic Shrimp with Broccoli and Jasmine Rice

Cook's Notes: Looking for a meal ready in under 25 minutes and all made in one pot? Jasmine rice with garlic shrimp and broccoli may just be the recipe you've been looking for. One-pot meals are always a plus in meal planning. Shrimp should be peeled, and deveined before sautéing. Leaving tails on is a matter of personal preference.

 The recipe is an Ever Ready special and serves four.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
• lemon zest from one large lemon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1- 16 0z. package frozen uncooked shrimp (small 50-60 count) thawed
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons dry white wine

Directions:

•  Shrimp should be peeled, and deveined before sautéing. Leaving tails on is a matter of personal preference. 
• In a large soup pot melt one tablespoon of butter and sauté shrimp with garlic. Remove and set aside. Cover to keep warm.
• In the same pot melt butter and sauté onions. Add in uncooked rice and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add in 3 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook rice for 13 minutes until al dente. Add in broccoli, garlic shrimp, lemon juice, parsley flakes, and white wine. Stir well and cook for 5 minutes. Add in Parmesan cheese and cook for 3 minutes more. Serve immediately.

HIGH ALERT FOR SPRING

Just like children impatiently wait for Santa, I have been anticipating the arrival of spring in my yard. Today some plants did not disappoint and were spectacular.

The Medusa is always my favorite to watch it unfold. 

 

Next time you hear from me I will be somewhere else. I'll give you some clues to see if you can guess. 

1. An important stop on Route 66, first popular with railroad travelers, and now with motorists and motorcyclists. 

2. Whistling a tune known the world over is what you do when you're at____________Standin' On a Corner Park, which capitalizes on the song's multi-decade fame.

3. It's a city in Navajo County, AZ

4. There's a famous Harvey House hotel there.  

Baked with Love

With a pop of yellow spring color, you'll certainly be in the mood for a slice of Lemon Buttermilk Cake.

Cook's Notes: Baked with Love for Ever Ready followers. This may be one of the best and easiest lemon desserts I have made. And the best part just takes one bowl and one whisk to whip up this flavorful and moist cake. Truthfully, I have been hoarding these 8 Myers lemons (they are small in size but mighty in flavor) for just the right recipe but know regular lemons will work just fine in this recipe too.

The recipe was adapted from Chris Scheuer

Ingredients for the cake:

• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• Finely grated zest from 1 large lemon
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup melted butter
• ¼ cup neutral flavored oil sunflower, safflower, grape seed, avocado or canola
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• Optional topping of toasted almonds with coconut

For the lemon glaze:

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 

Directions for the prep: 

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees with a rack in the center of the oven. Spray an 8-inch round cake pan (with sides that are at least 2 inches tall) generously with baking spray and rub to coat the inner surface well. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Set aside. (if your round pam does not have sides that are at least 2 inches tall, use 9-inch pans instead.)

Directions for the cake:

• In a medium-large bowl, combine the sugar and the lemon zest. With your fingers or a silicone spatula, rub the zest into the sugar until well melded.  Add the egg and whisk for 30-45 seconds until well combined and a little frothy. The yellow color should get a little lighter as you whisk.
• Add the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, and vanilla, lemon juice and whisk until combined. Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk again until smooth and lump-free.
• Lastly, add the flour and whisk just until smooth. The batter will be fairly thin.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap the pan gently on the counter to release any air bubbles, and smooth the top of the batter with a knife or offset spatula. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. The best way to test doneness is with an instant thermometer. The cake is done when the temperature reads 200-210 degrees. While the cake is baking, make the glaze (directions below).
• Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes then turn it out onto a cooling rack and peel off the parchment paper. Invert the cake right side up. Poke holes in the cake with a long toothpick or wooden skewer. Brush on the glaze. 

Directions lemon glaze:

• Combine all of the glaze ingredients in a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl and whisk vigorously to combine. If the glaze is still lumpy, place the cup (or bowl) in the microwave and heat on high power for 20-30 seconds. Whisk again until smooth. Set aside.

UP NEXT: Annual MUST-GO PARTY-All the latest details

 

Marva Cope Book Review

 

This is a coming-of-age novel where middle-aged Marva Cope discovers the meaning of forgiveness, friendship, love, the importance of resilience, and being able to develop an acceptance of where she is in life. Author Teddy Jones's superb story-writing skills shine as she invites readers along on Marva's journey of self-discovery. It's a story of transformation, learning how to trust others, and being able to accept help when offered. It's a storyline written with such realism that it will tug at your heartstrings, drawing you into Marva's life spanning several decades. Characters are well-developed and realistically portrayed. Marva Cope is the 4th novel in the Jackson Pond series and can also be read as a stand-alone novel.

The structure arc of the story is a little unusual but Jones makes the transition seamlessly. The story unfolds in 2017 as Marva reconnects with her Aunt Violet in Jackson Pond, a small town in the Texas Panhandle. She is taking on the job of postmistress and trying to figure out what to do with the rest of her life. She and her Aunt Violet discover they are kindred spirits as both are independent and live an unconventional life not playing by everyone else's rules. Together they share many sweet moments as they adjust to living together. Then the story backtracks to the 70s and 80s giving the reader the backstory of Marva's difficult teenage years. How losing her brother to a tragic farm accident, her father's unexpected death, an undemonstrative mother, a New Mexico adventure leaving home with rodeo cowboy Cutter to work on a ranch, and an unexpected pregnancy all impact Marva's growing up years into adulthood. When the story shifts back to 2017 and 2018 Marva is learning to appreciate the value of true friends, coming to terms with her difficult past, and is eager to reconnect with her estranged adult daughter and her high school/college dorm friend Stacy.

Jones's no-nonsense style of writing shows compassion and wisdom with moments of gentle humor.  Visual imagery with realistic depictions of the Texas and New Mexico rural small towns and farming/ranching communities immerses the reader in the story as well as attention to landscape details and way of life. Developing relationships keep the reader engaged throughout the story. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Marva's endearing relationship with her dog Bullet. He's a companion like no other. The ending is open-ended as the author does not give all the answers. It is up to the readers to contemplate where Marva's life might go next. I have some thoughts and hope there's a sequel planned.

ALL ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Teddy Jones has been a nurse, nurse practitioner, university professor, college dean, and occasional farmhand. She grew up in a small north Texas town, Iowa Park. She gained college degrees in nursing at Incarnate Word and the University of Texas, a Ph.D. in Education at the University of Texas at Austin, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University. She held nursing, teaching, and administrative positions in Austin, Denver, and Lubbock and as a family nurse practitioner in Texas and New Mexico. Writing fiction was her “when I know enough and have the time” dream all those years. Now she and her husband live near Friona, in the Texas Panhandle, where her husband farms and she writes full time.

Before devoting her work to fiction, she wrote a monthly column for The Farmer Stockman, a farm magazine. She has co-authored 100 Doses, a book of essays for rural women, and A Stone for Every Journey, a biographical novel. She also is the author of Left Early, Arrived Late, a biography. Her first novel, "Halfwide," was published in 2012. Jackson’s Pond, Texas, her second, was published in October 2013 and was a finalist in contemporary fiction for the Willa Award from Women Writing the West. She received the First Prize Gold Medal in Short Story in the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition in 2015 for “Clean Getaway,” a story included in, Nowhere Near: Stories, published in 2017. 

Check out Jones's website for more author information and her books. https://tjoneswrites.net/media/

Ricotta Cake with Raspberies and Almonds

Finding Spring Beauty in the Desert 

Bottlebrush

One of the easiest cakes you'll ever make -no mixer needed. The addition of ricotta cheese makes for a dense, moist, and very flavorful cake. Perfect side for your next brunch, coffee party, spring dinner, dessert, or any other special celebration.

Raspberry Almond Ricotta Cake

The recipe was adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com
Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1-1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1-1/2 cups raspberries, fresh
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar or substitute 1 tablespoon each brown sugar and white sugar
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting, optional

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Gradually add in the melted butter, whisking until combined and smooth.
• Add the ricotta mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined. Don’t overmix. Gently fold in the raspberries, being careful not to over mix or the batter will turn pink. It’s ok if you get a few streaks of pink.
• Grease a 9-inch springform pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. Scrape the batter evenly into the pan and sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar mixed with sliced almonds.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a cooling rack. Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. Dust the cake with confectioners' sugar, if desired. Cut the cake into slices and serve!
• How to Store: Let the cake cool completely. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. It will get moister as it sits. If you live in a hot and humid climate, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let the cake come to room temperature before serving.
• You can also freeze the cake for up to 2 months. Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap and then cover it in aluminum foil. You can freeze the whole cake or individual slices. Thaw before serving.

Add a Chicken Broccoli and Strawberry Salad with Poppyseed Dressing to your cake slice and you have a meal. 

Book Club Specials

Now that our yard has finally begun to spring into 'spring' a lot of color is unfolding. Spring in AZ has had a late start but nothing like Minnesota where it snowed again yesterday with several new inches of fresh snow. We will soon feel the pain of a drastic weather change. But for now...rejoice in the day!

This Beaver tail cactus is ready to pop with lots of buds.

One of  the most unusual cactus plants below is called Silver Torch.

Italian Pasta Salad

This recipe is an Ever Ready Special I recently shared with our couples book club.   

The recipe serves 4-6 using a salad bowl or makes 8 appetizers. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 box bow tie pasta
• 1-1/2 cups diced mini red and yellow peppers
• 1 cup diced cucumbers
• 1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup diced red onions
• 1 cup diced pepperoni
• Crushed croutons
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon each Italian seasoning and parsley flakes 
• Olive Garden Italian Dressing 

Directions:

• The salad should be made early in the day for flavors to meld. 
• Cook pasta according to box directions.
• Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl except the dressing and croutons.  
• Add only as much dressing as needed to moisten the salad ingredients.  Top with crushed croutons and refrigerate. Add more dressing right before serving if needed.

Cook's Notes: I must say this particular dressing is the star of the salad. You'll feel like you just made a trip to the Olive Garden restaurant. It can be found in all major grocery stores. Because the book club was also an appetizer gathering I made individual servings in these plastic containers served with a small fork. You can get these containers at JoAnn or Michaels in the baking section. They also can be reused by washing in the top rack of the dishwasher. 

Mini croissants filled with a choice of either tuna or egg salad rounded out my contributions. 

Now I suppose you might be  wondering what book choice we picked starting for next fall-check out the list we came up with. 

The Line Becomes a River - Cantu

For Francisco Cantú, the border is in the blood: his mother, a park ranger and daughter of a Mexican immigrant, raised him in the scrublands of the Southwest. Haunted by the landscape of his youth, Cantú joins the Border Patrol. Plagued by nightmares, he abandons the Patrol for civilian life. But when an immigrant friend travels to Mexico to visit his dying mother and does not return, Cantú discovers that the border has migrated with him, and now he must know the whole story. 4.5 288 pp.

West With Giraffes - Rutledge

It’s 1938. The Great Depression lingers. Hitler is threatening Europe, and world-weary Americans long for wonder. They find it in two giraffes who miraculously survive a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic. What follows is a twelve-day road trip in a custom truck to deliver Southern California’s first giraffes to the San Diego Zoo. Behind the wheel is the young Dust Bowl rowdy Woodrow. Inspired by true events, the tale weaves real-life figures with fictional ones, including the world’s first female zoo director, a crusty old man with a past, a young female photographer with a secret, and assorted reprobates as spotty as the giraffes.  Based on historical events.  371 pp.  4.5

Lessons in Chemistry - Grams

 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GMA BOOK CLUB PICK • Meet Elizabeth Zott: “a gifted research chemist, absurdly self-assured and immune to social convention” (The Washington Post) in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show. This novel is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel” (The New York Times Book Review) and “witty, sometimes hilarious...the Catch-22 of early feminism.” (Stephen King, via Twitter)  400 pp.  4.5

The Diamond Eye - Quinn

The bestselling author of The Rose Code returns with an unforgettable World War II tale of a quiet bookworm who becomes history’s deadliest female sniper. Based on a true story.  The Diamond Eye is a haunting novel of heroism born of desperation, of a mother who became a soldier, of a woman who found her place in the world and changed the course of history forever.  4.5.  488 pp.

Book titles running a close second

The Worst Hard Time - Egan

Following a dozen families and their communities through the rise and fall of the region, (High Plains - Dust Bowl)  Egan tells of their desperate attempts to carry on through blinding black dust blizzards, crop failure, and the death of loved ones. Brilliantly capturing the terrifying drama of catastrophe, Egan does equal justice to the human characters who become his heroes, “the stoic, long-suffering men and women whose lives he opens up with urgency and respect.  4.5.  Award Winner 352 pp. 

Mecca - Straight

In Mecca, the celebrated novelist Susan Straight crafts an unforgettable American epic, examining race, history, family, and destiny through the interlocking stories of a group of native Californians all gasping for air. With sensitivity, furor, and a cinematic scope that captures California in all its injustice, history, and glory, she tells a story of the American West through the eyes of the people who built it―and continue to sustain it. 4.0.  Many awards.384 pp.

Up Next 

Tuna Melts and Tuna Sandwiches

Tuna Sandwiches

Who knew one package of Albacore White Tuna could be so versatile.

 Tuna Melts

Cooking Tip-Each oven temperature varies so keep a close eye on sandwiches baked in the oven. A griddle can also be used for sandwich preparation. 

Open Faced Sandwiches

Tuna Appetizers

Cook's notes: The recipe makes 5 open-faced sandwiches (using brioche-sized buns) or 6-8 appetizers on cocktail rye toasts. Sandwiches can be baked in the oven or on a griddle.  

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Miracle Whip or lite mayonnaise (use enough to moisten the salad)
• 1/3-1/2 cup diced sweet onion
• 3/4 cup celery, diced
• 1 teaspoon each of dried parsley and chives
• 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon pickle relish(drained on a paper towel) 
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 packages (pouches) of Starkist Albacore White Tuna (each 6.4) or one large pouch

• Havarti cheese slices
• 5 thin tomato slices
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• Small brioche buns or cocktail bread slices  

Directions:

• Mix salad dressing or mayonnaise, flaked tuna, herbs, mustard, lemon juice, celery, pickle relish and onions.
• Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Take out of refrig 20 minutes before baking. Preheat oven (use middle rack) to 400 degrees.
• Cover the baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt butter and baste each bun. Bake for 2 minutes. Divide the filling among 5 buns and bake for 5 minutes more. Add cheese and tomato and bake for 3 minutes more.   
• If making appetizers butter the bread toasts and divide the filling. Cook for 2 minutes. Top with tomato and a cheese slice and bake for 3 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Looking for lighter tuna fare? Try these recipes

Multigrain Tuna Wraps with Yogurt Dressing

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2021/02/friday-lunch-special-tuna-wrap.html

Tuna Chickpea Pita Sandwich

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2016/07/summer-treats.html

.

Strawberries and Cream Coffeecake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing

 
Many poets, authors, playwrights, and songwriters have found inspiration in luscious sweet strawberries. Consider this humorous prose from Shel Silverstein from his book "Where The Sidewalk Ends" on strawberries.

Should you pet them, or let them run free where they roam? Could they ever relax in a steam-heated home? Can they be trained to not growl at the guests? Will a litterbox work or would they make a mess? Can we make them a Cowberry, herding the cows, or maybe a Muleberry pulling the plows, or maybe a Huntberry chasing the grouse, or maybe a Watchberry guarding the house, and though they may curl up at your feet oh so sweetly can you ever feel that you trust them completely? Or should we make a pet out of something less scary, like the Domestic Prune or the Imported Cherry, Anyhow, you've been warned and I will not be blamed if your Wild Strawberries cannot be tamed.”

or can you recall the lyrics to this famous song "Strawberry Fields Forever" written by John Lennon and attributed to the Lennon-McCartney songwriting partnership? It was inspired by Lennon's memories of playing in the garden of "Strawberry Field" a Salvation Army Children's home near where he lived.

Strawberries and Cream Coffeecake with Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing

A moist and tender strawberry sour cream coffee cake with a vanilla cream cheese topping that's irresistible. A cake perfect for your next coffee gathering or a mid-afternoon break. Recipe adapted from closetcooking.com 

Cake Ingredients:

• 1-1/3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons Saigon cinnamon or 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream (or vanilla yogurt)
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-3/4 cups strawberries, sliced

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients: 

• 1/3 cup cream cheese, room temperature
• 2/3 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons milk or as much as needed for frosting consistency 

Directions:

• Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar, and mix in the eggs one at a time followed by the sour cream, buttermilk, and vanilla.
• Mix the dry mixture into the wet followed by the strawberries.
• Pour the mixture into a greased 9-inch spring form pan or an 8-inch square pan.
• Bake in a preheated 375 degrees oven until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean, about 26 minutes.
• Mix the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth and drizzle on on cooled cake.
  
• Note: You can also use frozen strawberries; just add them to the recipe frozen just like you would with fresh and bake for a few minutes longer.

Featured Poet Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 FEATURED POET

Audrey Kletscher Helbling  is a writer, poet, and blogger at http://mnprairieroots.com/

Audrey lives in Faribault, MN. She is a supporter of the arts in her area and neighboring communities. She appreciates the beauty of farmlands and prairies.  Words are carefully measured when writing keeping them sharp and to the point. Besides being passionate about blogging and writing she also enjoys photography. She uses the art of photography to tell the stories of people and places in small towns highlighting their everyday life on her blog.

Audrey's work has been published in poetry anthologies, devotionals, two books, magazines, newspapers, on billboards, and in greeting cards. She has had several poems recognized as part of a poet-artist collaboration sponsored by Crossing at  Carnegie in Zumbrota. And a huge recognition for Audrey's talents was having Rochester composer David Kassler craft music for seven selected poems written by her and six others. Her poem was part of a Minnesotan Rondos trio: “The Famous Anoka Potato,” “The Farmer’s Song” and “The Old Scandinavians.” They were sung in a church.  

Many of Audrey's poems have been published in The Talking Stick Anthology, Two of her poems were included in a permanent exhibit at the Lyon County Historical Society Museum in Marshall, and she had a poem chosen for publication in the award-winning book, "This Was 2020" If you type "poetry" into her blog search engine, you will find other inspiring poems.

In 2013 my sister and I were invited for a visit at Audrey's home. Have you ever had a recipe that defies logic? I must say Audrey's Chocolate Cream pie does just that. The pie filling is made with only 3 ingredients; dark chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and a mystery ingredient. You would never have guessed it by the rich yummy chocolate flavor.

Check out the pie recipe at the end of this blog. 

"Ode to My Farm Wife Mother" is one of her winning poems that honors her mother in a poetic snapshot timeline of life beginning shortly before she married Audrey's father a farmer and into their everyday life on the farm and all its challenges. The final verse shows Mom shoving her walker down the hallways of Parkview Care Center. In Audrey's words “ Whenever I write poetry, especially about life in rural Minnesota, I find myself deep within memory. Visualizing, tasting, smelling, hearing, even feeling. Although I took some creative license in penning “Ode to My Farm Wife Mother” (I don’t know that Mom ever drank whiskey or danced at the Blue Moon Ballroom in Marshall), it is primarily true. She met my dad at a dance in southwestern Minnesota. She washed laundry in a Maytag, baked bread every week, made the best peanut butter oatmeal bars.”

“Ode to My Farm Wife Mother”

Before my brother,
you were Saturday nights at the Blue Moon Ballroom—
a bottle of Jim Beam whiskey in a brown paper bag,
Old Spice scenting your dampened curls,
Perry Como crooning love in your ear.
Then motherhood quelled your dancing duet.
Interludes passed between births
until the sixth, and final, baby slipped into your world
in 1967. Thirteen years after you married.
Not at all unlucky.
Life shifted to the thrum of the Maytag,
sing-song nursery rhymes,
sway of Naugahyde rocker on red-and-white checked linoleum.
Your skin smelled of baby and yeasty homemade bread
and your kisses tasted of sweet apple jelly.
In the rhythm of your days, you still danced,
but to the beat of farm life—
laundry tangled on the clothesline,
charred burgers jazzed with ketch-up,
finances rocked by falling corn and soybean prices.
Yet, you showed gratitude in bowed head,
hard work in a sun-baked garden,
sweetness in peanut butter oatmeal bars,
endurance in endless summer days of canning,
goodness in the kindness of silence.
All of this I remember now
as you shove your walker down the halls of Parkview.
in the final set of your life, in a place far removed
from Blue Moon Ballroom memories
and the young woman you once were.

Poem copyright 2017 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

Chocolate Cream Pie

Cook's notes: The recipe is for a 9-inch pie. If using a 9 x 13 pan double the filling. It is important to use silken tofu. 

Side note: My sister was so inspired by this pie she made it the next day to take for a potluck supper. She totally stumped the group who were unable to guess the mystery ingredient.  

Ingredients:

• 10-12 oz. tofu (must be soft, silken)
• 10 oz.  dark chocolate chips or semi-sweet chips
• 1-2 teaspoon vanilla
• prepared graham cracker crust

Directions:

• Place tofu in a blender and blend until smooth
• Add vanilla and blend again
• Melt chips in the microwave and add to blender-blend till smooth
• Pour into a crust and refrigerate for 2 hours
• Options: adding in chopped walnuts, drizzle strawberry or raspberry sauce on top to serve