Spring

Celebrating this early spring with tulips.
Bring the tulip and the rose,
  While their brilliant beauty glows.
      - Eliza Cook  

Treeschooling

Homeschooling has become so mainstream in recent years that Moriah, never satisfied with the status quo, took it up a notch today and did some treeschooling.

           Kids go a little crazy when it gets into the 60's--in March--in Maine.  Can't say that I blame them!

I find myself baking at least once a week, just to keep everyone's my sweet tooth satisfied.  But I rarely follow a recipe as written.

It's my own small rebellion against domestic boredom.

This time it was a variation on a cream cheese pound cake to give it a lemon twist, because I'm obsessed with lemons like that.

It was a success, but I am getting requests for something NOT lemon next time...

Snow Days

We woke up to snow this morning, 

a little reprieve from the mostly muddy winter,

and it seemed just the right sort of morning for gingerbread.  I remember my mother making gingerbread when I was little, and we ate it for dessert with whipped cream on top, and it was GOOD.
Mine is made for breakfast, and we skip the whipped cream and go straight for a lemon glaze poured over the top while the cake is still hot.  Lemon and ginger make fabulous companions.  And a delectable breakfast!

"And I had but one penny in the world. Thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread." – William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost

Gingerbread

1 2/3 cups of flour (I like to use freshly ground wheat)
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
3/4    tsp cinnamon
3/4    tsp salt
1       egg, lightly beaten
1/2    cup sugar
1/2    cup molasses
1/2    cup boiling water
1/2    cup vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease and flour a 9-inch pan
Mix dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl, add the egg, sugar and molasses.  Mix well
Pour the boiling water and the oil over the mixture.  Stir thoroughly until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until the top springs back when touched,  35-40 mins.
While the gingerbread is still hot, pour the glaze (2/3 cup powdered sugar  and 3 Tbsp of lemon juice) over the top and cool in the pan.

A New Toy!

I confess, I am a kitchen nerd and I get excited about kitchen tools.

Here's my latest gadget, an Orange X Professional juicer, and yes, it makes ALL that with only two oranges!

                    Juice from a carton, no matter how fresh it claims to be, can never compare!