Cabbage Harvest!!!

May 12, 2012

Red cabbage is ready to harvest! Out of six planted I grew 2 small and 2 medium cabbages.

Now to look for some recipes....

Harvest Time for winter veggies

May 12, 2012
Wow 127 days since planting small sprouts and broccoli is really growing edible "flowers" now. Have been using steamed and in a broccoli fruit salad that is my take on the "traditional" broccoli salad. This one uses Greek yogurt and Splenda and reduced sugar maple syrup to sweeten. Reducing the fat and sugar but not the taste!

Broccoli Salad

Medium size bunch of broccoli florets
1/4 cup mixed raisons and dried cranberries
1/2 apple chopped
2 tablespoons almonds chopped
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonaise
2 tablespoons balsalmic vinegar
2 packets of Splenda
1 tsp honey
1 tablespoon reduced sugar imitation maple syrup
salt and pepper to finish

Separate florets into small pieces, add fruit and chopped nuts. Mix together yogurt, mayo, balsalmic vinegar and sweeteners. Pour over salad and mix well. Finish with a "shaking" of salt and pepper. Add more sweetener to your liking! Enjoy!

Lettace is really growing and I can pick a couple of bags everyday!

Here is a link to a website all about home fruit and veggie preserving. I plan to try some canning of veggies and tomatoes this summer! Lots of recipes for jams and jellies too!

http://www.pickyourown.org/

This is the very moist lemony meyer pound cake I made from home grown meyer lemons. I have a dwarf in a pot that produced around 25 lemons in January and is in full bloom again. Grandma Hesser has a 50+ age tree in her backyard that was bought for 10 cents way back when and produces almost all year long!

Here is the recipe from Amber Simpkins, pastry chef, h2hotel and Spoonbar


Meyer Lemon Pound Cake
2 Meyer lemons thinly sliced
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 large eggs plus 2 yolks
Zest and juice from 3 meyer lemons
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Glaze: lemon juice
confectioner's sugar

1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9 X 5 loaf pan or two smaller loaf pans

2. Place sliced lemons in a pan; cover iwth honey, water and cinnamon stick. Bring to boil; cook 2 minutes and set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. about 3 min pausing to scrape down sides.

4. On low speed add whole eggs, one at a time. Add yolks and then lemon zest, juice, then vanilla.

5. Add flour, baking powder and salt. The moment all the dry mix is integrated stop. Do not over mix the batter! It will be light but thick!

6. Pour half the batter into your loaf pan. Add sliced poached lemons, then the rest of your batter. I had enough lemon slices to add to the top of the batter too...

Bake for 55-70 minutes. Cool for 15 - 20 minutes then unmold. Prepare glaze and drizzle over cake. ENJOY! Great with tea!

Playing around with Photoshop....close up of the finches in flight

finches in flight

Caught these finches flying off of the bird feeder. February 26, 2012

Backyard Bliss

Have been moving yard art around and recreating new areas. Nature is assisting with daffodils and finches!

Kathy's Corner!