Another Blast From Old Man Winter

We were on the outer fringe of the big storm that came up the coast....... we still got about 9 inches, but nowhere near what some of our friends experienced South of Philadelphia. I am hearing some parts got a whopping 30 plus inches of snow......now that is a storm!!

I am so glad that we didn't get what they were actually forecasting for our area. Sarah could barely stand the couple inches that we did get. Don't let that smile on her face fool you, it was only momentary....more like it was only there until she got wet. She is not really a fan of the snow. She is defintely a summer girl who loves to be barefoot and run on the beach:) I can't really say that I blame her, because I would much rather be on beach than dealing with these freezing temps and wild winter storms.

She cannot stand it if one flake of snow touches her skin.......and refused the snow pants I tried to put on her. I tried to reason with her and explain that they would keep her warm and dry, but she was having no part of them so we opted for tights, thermals, and her jeans........and as expected, one jump into a snow pile and she was freaking out that snow was getting her wet!! That was all she wrote and we were back in the house minutes later taking off the layers of wet clothes trying to get her warm.

Nick and Pat were still outside playing in the snow and cleaning up the walkways....... so Sarah and I fired up the Mix Master to make something warm and sweet!!

If you remember last week's post included lemons..... I LOVE anything that has Lemon in it......and actually, I often will buy bulk lemons and limes to fill big apothecary jars and use them as decoration in the kitchen. They look so pretty and they smell good too:)

Since I had so many on hand, and really needed to start using some before they went bad, I tried out this new recipe...........



Lemon Yogurt Cake
Recipe Courtesy of The Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.


OH MY WORD!!! This one is surely a winner..... it has the density of a pound cake, but it is super moist. The combination of the simple syrup{Sugar and lemon Juice}followed by the lemon glaze on top, put me over the edge!!! You can see how the top of the cake gets cracks in it.....the simple syrup and the glaze soak through into the cake!!! If you are a lemon lover, give this a try. You will not be disappointed.



While I realize that this photo is blurry and that Nick's face is all smushed because he is hugging his sister so tight, I had to post it. These two can bicker like the best of them, but when I see the moments like these, I realize behind all the bickering.......they really do love each other:) I actually might need to print this one so that I have a constant reminder.....bickering has been at an all time high the last few weeks.

Sarah and I have a deal when we bake. If she just assists and lets me make sure all the measurements are correct, then after the cake is in the oven baking, I will give her some "gredients"{as she calls them}to make a cake of her own. She never really makes a cake, but she sure loves to mix things up. It keeps her happy and our desserts come out tasting like they should!!

We were just finishing up in the kitchen when Nick came in from outside. He wanted to lick the beater until he realized what was in the bowl......he changed his mind rather quickly.

Hope everyone survived their weekend!!
It sounds like we might get another blast from old man winter this week.
When is Spring going to arrive?


If you are looking for some new recipes or have one you would like to share, stop by The Crazy Eight and join in the food fun!