Lemon Almond Cake

One does need to keep a sense of humor during these difficult and uncertain times. 

Perhaps too much self-isolation can drive some people to take desperate but ingenious ways to attract attention. Did you happen to see this on CNN? A 93-year-old woman got a massive Coors Light delivery after a viral plea for more beer
The 93-year-old went viral last week after CNN Pittsburgh affiliate KDKA shared her photo with a Coors Light in hand and a plea written on a white board: "I NEED MORE BEER!!"
Well rest assured I do not need more beer (have wine) but I came real close to putting a sign in my window "I NEED ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR!." My baking was in jeporady as I tried 5 stores and Amazon, none to be found. There was whole wheat or almond but not your basic white flour. Lucky for me a friend came to my rescue with an extra bag to share. So I'm good for at least a month. Thank you Cathy!

Lemon Almond Cake
Cook's Notes: If you are a fan of anythig with lemon then I guarantee this is the cake for you. Not only is lemon zest and juice in the batter but a lemony syrup is infused into the cake after it is baked. The cake is moist and a winner for me on every level. Toast the coconut and almonds ahead of time. Recipe adapted from closetcooking.com
Ingredients:
Lemon Almond Cake:

• 1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon each almond and vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup each almonds slices and coconut 

For the lemon syrup:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 inch baking pan. 
• Toast almonds and coconut, set aside. 

For the Cake:

• Mix flours, baking powder and salt, set aside.
• Cream the butter, sugar and beat in the eggs, one at a time, before mixing in the lemon juice, zest and extracts.
• Fold in flour mixture into butter/egg/sugar mixture. Mix well.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle almond coconut mixture evenly over the top before baking.  
• Bake 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. 

• Simmer the sugar and lemon juice on low until the sugar has dissolved.  
• Cool cake 20 minutes, puncture it all over the top with a wooden skewer or a thin knife. Pour the lemon syrup over the cake and let it soak in before serving warm. 

Last fall I posted this photo below of an amazing charcuterie board served at a establishment called Winedown in Walker, MN  

Well here's a creative approach to adding a little zing to your family's breakfast from a food blogger at mixandmatchmama.com  She created her own breakfast charcuterie. There are lots of possibities with this idea and would also work for a grandparent idea for visiting grandchildren. 

Some ideas include: grapes, coconut yogurt, strawberries, pancakes, waffles, granola, Nutella, sliced bananas and creamy peanut butter. Did you know Trader Joe's has GF pancakes and waffles?  

Sheet Pan Dinner Herb Seasoned Pork with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Pears

Sheet Pan Dinner

Cook's Notes: A sweet and savory dish to brighten up your weekday meal. For this recipe I used a prepared seasoned (rosemary and garlic) Pork Loin Fillet from Hormel. Since some of the ingredients needed longer baking times, they were added to the sheet pan in different stages. Use a semi-firm pear not soft so it will hold up better for baking. 

Recipe serves 4 and can easily be increased to serve more just double the roasting sauce. 

Ingredients;

• 1 prepared pork loin fillet
• 2 large sweet potaotes, peeled and quartered 
• 2 Bosc pears, peeled and diced in large chunks
• 1/2 large red onion, cut in strips
• 1/3 cup each dried cranberries and coarsley chopped walnuts. 

Roasting sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon each pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoon honey 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
• Center pork in middle of pan and roast for 30 minutes uncovered. Remove pan from oven and change oven temperature to 425 degrees.  
• In a large bowl add onions, sweet potaoes and chopped pears. Add in oil, spices and honey. Mix well and spread out evenly around the pork fillet. Roast for 15 minutes and add in cranberries and walnuts. Roast 5 minutes longer. 
• Remove pan from oven, tent with foil and let ingredients rest 10 minutes before serving.  

Hungry for Poetry 

By Ralph Fletcher

First I saw him chew
a tender Japanese haiku.

He ate a foot-long sonnet
with mustard seed spread upon it.

He downed a bag of ripe cinquains
while walking in the pouring rain.

He gulped an epic, chomped an ode,
wolfed a couplet to cure his cold.

He munched so many limericks,
they made him absolutely sick.

He tried a plate of fresh free verse;
but all that did was make things worse.

He took some onomatopoeia
to cure a case of diarrhea.

He ate a poem of sixteen lines,
and after that he felt just fine.

A Little of This and Little of That

Just a Reminder 

Hope you've been squirreling away poems for 

April 30, 2020 Here's a poetic piece to get your collection started 
Ars Poetica

by Georgia Heard

In September, small poems lay
still and silent inside your hearts.
If you listened carefully,
you might have heard
the quivering of wings.

In January, from the corner
of your eye, you could have spied
a flutter or two –
poems slowly unfolding,
delicate silken wings.

In April, poems began to appear everywhere!
Rainbow wings beating, flapping,
hovering over desks, hanging
from the ceiling, tips of noses, tops of heads.
It was difficult to get any work done!

Now, your butterfly poems
fly free. You fold the memory
into your hearts. Poems —
small butterflies raised, watched,
let loose into the world.

Members of the Buzz Feed Community were asked to share their favorite lines of poetry in honor of National Poetry Month. Here are some of their responses. I had difficulty choosing a favorite but really liked the expressive emotion conveyed in these lines. 

From “Funeral Blues” by W.H. Auden:
“He was my North, my South, my East and my West
My working week and my Sunday rest
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever, I was wrong.”

Check it out-you might find just find a favorite of your own.
48 Of The Most Beautiful Lines Of Poetry
http://www.buzzfeed.com/sarahgalo/measuring-my-life-with-coffee-spoons?bffb&utm_term=.lwxqKOK3v9#.jc8YdGd1Lg

Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles

Turn an ordinary day into something truly special with Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles. These waffles taste delicious no matter which meal you have them. Recipe makes 5 large waffles and was adapted from browneyedbaker.com   This recipe makes good use of basic pantry staples and you can even make your own buttermilk. Mix 1 cup milk (any kind or almond milk) with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white distilled vinegar. Let mixture set 2 minutes before adding to recipe. 
Cook's Notes: A key ingredient for these waffles is buttermilk which reacts with baking soda to create a wonderful rise, creating ultra fluffy waffles. A little extra baking powder is included to ensure supreme lift.
Cooking tips: Use a high heat setting on your waffle maker. Don’t be afraid to crank up that temperature setting as they will NOT burn, but will be significantly more crisp when you turn up that setting versus leaving it low, which will result in soft waffles.

To reheat waffles cut in fourths and toast in the toastser. 

Some suggested toppings include:
Butter
Syrup
Fresh Fruit
Whipped cream
Nut butter
Sprinkles
Chocolate chips 

Ingredients:

• 1-3/4 cups flour 
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups blueberries

Directions:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, butter, eggs and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently whisk to combine. Fold in blueberries and be careful not to overmix!
• Spray a waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray, then preheat. Once the waffle maker is ready, add the batter ( I used almost one cup batter for each waffle) according to the manufacturer's instructions and cook for 4 minutes. Serve immediately, or place cooked waffles in a 400 degree oven on a baking sheet to keep warm. Leftover waffles can be wrapped in plastic wrap, placed in a ziploc bag and stored in the refrigerator for 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Easter Sunday Brunch

Easter Blessings to All

Count our blessings and rejoice as we all have much to be thankful this Easter Day 

Cook's Notes: Even though we were only a party of two, I decided to pull out all the stops and go "fancy".  This included me actually changing from my usual daily signature outfit to something a bit nicer. I so miss getting dressed up and out going somewhere. 
Brunch included: Sausage Egg and Cheddar Farmer's Breakfast Dish  
Torta Caprese (Chocolate Almond Cake)
Cantaloupe
Creamy Lemon Almond Pastry
recipe previously posted https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2020/04/creamy-lemon-almond-pastries.html

Sausage, Egg and Cheddar Farmer's Breakfast 
Cook's Notes: Recipe inspiration Taste of Home publication Sunday Brunch.
Prep ingredients ahead for smoother assembly.
Recipe serves 4.
Ingredients:

• 8 large eggs
• 1/3 cup 2% milk
• 1/2 tsp. each parsley flakes, dry mustard and Italian seasoning 
• 2 cups Italian breakfast pork sausage, cooked and crumbled
• 2 cups frozen cubed hash browns, thawed  
• 1 TB. butter
• 1 cup sweet onions, diced 
• 1 cup red pepper, diced
• 1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional add ins: 1 cup diced grape tomatoes and 2 cups spinach, torn leaves 
• Optional topping: diced avocados 

Directions:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread out evenly thawed potatoes on baking sheet. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roast potatoes for 15 minutes until slightly crisp. Stir a few times watch carefully so as not to over brown. Set aside.
• In a blender add eggs, milk and spices. Mix well and set aside. 
• In a large fry pan cook sausage, crumble and remove from pan and wipe pan clean. 
• In same pan melt 1 tablespoon butter, add onions, red peppers and diced potatoes. 
• Stir fry mixture 10 minutes. Add in crumbled sausage, tomatoes and spinach if using.

• Pour in milk/egg mixture and medium low heat, stir until eggs almost set. Add in cheese and mix well. 
• To serve top with diced avocados. 
  

Torta Caprese (Chocolate Almond Cake)

Torta Caprese, is a classic dessert finding its roots along the Amalfi Coast. It is a simple, elegant showstopper. When done well, it packs all the richness and depth of flourless chocolate cake. It's moist and tender. For best results use good quality bittersweet chocolate e.g. Ghirardelli.  It is a GF dessert using almond meal/flour.  The torte can stand on its own with a dusting of powdered sugar or with Amaretto Cream and/or jarred Cherry Fruit Filling. Make the dessert a day ahead as a time saver. It keeps well for three days. Refrigerate leftovers.
A decadent Easter treat for all chocolate lovers. The recipe from closetcooking.com is a very straight forward and easy to make recipe. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 7 oz. bittersweet or semisweet or dark chocolate, chopped
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (enhances the chocolate flavor) 
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Optional 1 tablespoon Amaretto

Directions:

• Melt the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add in espresso powder mix well. Add in Amaretto and let mixture cool.
• Mix half of the sugar into the egg yolks and mix in the cooled butter-chocolate mixture.
• Mix in the almond flour and salt.
• Beat the egg whites and the remaining sugar until they form soft peaks.
• Fold the egg whites into the chocolate batter and pour into a greased 9 inch spring-form pan.
• Bake in a preheated 325 degrees oven until a toothpick pushed into the center comes out clean  about 30 minutes. 
• Cool remove outer edge from spring-form pan. Cover lightly with foil and refrigerate until serving. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a raspberry. 

Good Friday Reflections

It’s Easter Weekend and right on cue, the dogwoods are blooming across the South. It’s a natural symbol of rebirth and renewal.There is a beautiful story about the Dogwood Tree being the wood used for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The story, generally told at Easter when the dogwoods flower, adds that Christ caused the flowers of the dogwood to be a reminder of the cross on which He died. He allegedly did this by giving the flower two long and two short petals, and to have what look like nail prints on the petals to remind us that Christ suffered on the cross with nails through His hands. The story is remarkable, but unfortunately the legend is not true. And there is no biblical basis to it but it's a nice poem and suitable for Good Friday reflections.

Flowering Blossoms Dogwood Tree
(photo taken in Kentucky 2014) 

"In Jesus' time, the dogwood grew
To a stately size and a lovely hue.
'Twas strong and firm, its branches interwoven.
For the cross of Christ its timbers were chosen.
Seeing the distress at this use of their wood
Christ made a promise which still holds good:
"Never again shall the dogwood grow
Large enough to be used so.
Slender and twisted, it shall be
With blossoms like the cross for all to see.
As blood stains the petals marked in brown,
The blossom's center wears a thorny crown.
All who see it will remember Me
Crucified on a cross from the dogwood tree.
Cherished and protected, this tree shall be
A reminder to all of My agony."

Friday Lenten Special

Balsamic Glazed Swordfish

Cook's Notes:Salmon or Tilapia can be substituted for swordfish. Cooking time will be less as they are thinner pieces. Marinating can take 30 minutes minimum or up to 2 hours maximum.

Recipe adapted from Fresh Magazine March, April 2010

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 (6 to 8 oz.) each swordfish steaks, each about 1 inch thick
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• 1-2 tablespoon olive oil or Blood orange Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 2 lemon slices
• Juice from one half lemon

Directions:

• In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar, syrup, and soy sauce. Simmer over low heat until mixture is slightly syrupy and reduced by one-third, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. If marinade gets too thick reheat.
• Place swordfish steaks, salmon or fish  in a resealable plastic bag. Pour the cooled balsamic-maple mixture into the bag, turn to coat fish, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone pad. 
• Remove swordfish from marinade, reserving marinade in a small saucepan. Place steaks on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Brush both sides with olive oil, sprinkle with parsley and juice from lemon. Place lemon slices on top of the swordfish steaks.
• Bake the swordfish steaks for 20 minutes or until just cooked through (fish should flake easily with a fork).
• While the swordfish steaks cooks, heat marinade in saucepan over a medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Drizzle the simmered reserved marinade over the fish. Serve immediately..

Easter Round-Up Part Two

Ever Ready Easter Specials

Baked Blueberry French Toast
https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2019/04/baked-blueberry-lemon-french-toast.html
Cook's Notes: A delicios make ahead brunch dish, just pop in the oven the next day.

Asparagus Bacon with Roasted Red Pepper Strata and Swiss Cheese
https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2019/04/easter-round-up-part-2.html

Roasted Vegetables with Salmon and a Maple Mustard Sauce 
https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2020/02/roasted-vegetables-and-salmon-with.html

One Pan Chicken Dinner 
https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2018/09/one-pan-autumn-chicken-dinner.html

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting 
Cook's notes: A simple and easy recipe to make. Canned drained pineapple adds to the moistness and using part whole wheat flour makes it healthier giving it a nice texture.
Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs beaten
• 2 tsp. soda
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1cup brown sugar
• 2 TB. Saigon cinnamon or 3 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1-1/3 cups oil
• 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
• 1-3/4-2 cups grated carrots (use food processor)
• 1-1/2 cups crushed walnuts or pecans, divided
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup coconut-optional

Directions:

• Prehat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13 x 9 pan. 
• Beat eggs, add in rest of ingredients reserving 1/2 cup crushed nuts for frosting. Mix well for 2 minutes.
• Bake cake for 25-30 minutes. 

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 TB. vanilla
• 1- 3-oz. package softened cream cheese
• Milk as needed for right consistency

Cream Cheese Frosting Directions 

• Frost cooled cake. 
• Sprinkle crushed nuts on top.
• Refrigerate until serving. 

What to do with a package of holiday M &M's ? 

A simple solution...make 

Easter Saltine or Graham Cracker Toffee-A Kid Friendly Treat

Cook's Notes: Oh my, what a seriously addictive treat-what's not to like about a toffee crust topped with chocolate, sprinkles and M&M's. 
Since I had to work with what supplies I had on hand, my recipe adaptationss included:
12 graham crackers substituted for the saltines 

1 cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup butterscotch chips were substituted for 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips 

I followed the same process as outlined in recipe link below.  
https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/easter-saltine-toffee/