On My Mind Today

Every now and then I dig into recipes that I have not looked at, or used, in years. I recently came across this one that was given to me by a friend when my children were very young. This moist and delicious cake is great for a family dessert. If you have guests for dinner, you can glaze the top for a special end to your meal. Poppy Seed Cake 3/4 cup butter 1 cup sugar 4 eggs, separated (at room temperature) 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 3/4 cup poppy seeds 1. Grease 9" tube/bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Beat butter until light and creamy. Add sugar, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Add yolks, one at a time.  3. Sift flour and baking powder.  4. Stir vanilla into milk. 5. Alternately beat in 1/3 flour mix and 1/3 milk until blended. 6. Fold in poppy seed. 7. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold 1/2 cup of the batter into the whites, then fold the whites back into the batter. Put batter into th...

Celebrating the first day of winter makes some yearn for snow covered mountains and hot drinks by a fire. For others, the celebration has more to do with the knowledge that each day after this will have more daylight hours. It also means that we are closer to the end of the year, and the beginning of a new one. Each year I impatiently await the winter solstice. The exceptionally long, dark days leading up to it seem to drain my energy making it difficult to accomplish anything other than the necessary daily chores. So, I remind myself that once the solstice has passed, each day will have just a little more daylight which will lift my spirits and energy.  Earlier this week we celebrated the Winter Solstice. Even though this astronomical event receives an entire day of recognition, it happens in an instant. This year it arrived at 5:02 a.m. EST on Monday, December 21st when the North Pole was at its farthest tilt of 23.5 degrees away from the sun.  On this day, the Northern Hemi...

"The only real blind person at Christmas-time is he who has not Christmas in his heart." ~  Helen Keller As Christmas Eve approaches, it has brought back memories of Christmas quotes and speeches from famous Christmas stories. On this day before Christmas I thought I would share a few of my favorites with you. From the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams: "What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?" "Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real." "Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit. "Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt....

With Christmas and New Year's Day just around the corner, it's always nice to have a recipe that can be made in advance for an extra special holiday breakfast. Blintzes are thin pancakes that are filled with cheese or fruit, and then baked or fried. This casserole version was created by Ann Hillmeyer of Sandia Park, New Mexico and was shared in Taste of Home. I will be making this on Christmas Eve morning, but wanted to share now so others would be able to enjoy it with their families on Christmas morning. The picture below is from Ann Hillmeyer's recipe. Make Ahead Blintz Casserole Prep: 30 min. + chilling Bake: 45 min. + standing Makes 12 servings 2 cups 2% cottage cheese 1 carton (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese 3 large egg yolks 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon rum or vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon BATTER: 1-1/2 cups sour cream 6 large eggs, room temperature 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 ...

This recipe was a contribution to Taste of Home from Beth Taylor of Utah. After living in Germany for five years and becoming a fan of traditional schnitzel, she came up with this easy recipe for the slow cooker. I recently made this for a dinner with friends and it was a big hit. The pork is very tender, and the flavor rich and delicious! Definitely one to add to my favorites recipe file. The picture here is from Taste of Home as I neglected to take one before it was gone. German Schnitzel with Gorgonzola Cream 1 pork tenderloin (1 pound) 1 cup dry bread crumbs 2 pounds medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1/4 inch slices 2 cups heavy whipping cream 2/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup minced fresh Italian parsley Lemon wedges 1. Cut tenderloin into 12 slices. Pound with meat mallet to 1/4 inch thickness. Place 4 slices in a 3-4 quart slow cooker. Layer with 1/4 cup bread crumbs and a third of the potatoes. Repeat layers twice; top with remaining 1/4 ...

While traveling to see my mother we decided to listen to a mixed CD that was given to us several years ago. Hearing the first few notes of the very first song opened the floodgate of memories. It is amazing how music can transport us back in time to places and people we may not have thought about in years. As I listened my mind brought forth events that took place from my early teens to adulthood. My very first concert was at the Providence Civic Center (more years ago than I care to remember). We saw Aerosmith in their early years with Argent (Hold Your Head Up) as the opening act. So many others followed. There was a trip to Burlington, VT to see Van Morrison with three friends from high school; a night that I will never forget for many reasons.  Some were memorable for the incredible talent of the artists; Bonnie Raitt performing at the base of Stowe Mountain in Vermont with Lyle Lovett as her opening act. Her voice going from her well-known raspy rock to sounding like an angel....

As I look out at the lake this morning, there is a light layer of ice from the recent cold weather. This reminder of what is to come over the next few months brought to mind the many people who will not have the warmth of a home to protect them from the elements.  Although we may not have the Christmas we want this year, most of us will have a warm house and a Christmas meal. With that in mind I am sharing a blog from two years ago; a reminder to do what we can to help those less fortunate during the holidays and beyond. A Bitter Winter Day -1 F with winds at 16 miles per hour making it feel like -24 F. I just came in from starting my vehicle in this frigid weather; I dread the trip back out to turn it off. However, if it doesn't run for a while today, it may not start tomorrow. As I sit in this nice warm house, filled with all the comforts of a home, I realize how blessed I am. I will always be warm, have a good meal to eat, clothes on my back, and other luxuries to make my life e...

 From ManilaSpoon.com , these cookie bars are very easy to make; from start to finish you can have them in and out of the oven in just 40 minutes. The seven layers of rich sweetness are decadent and delicious, and a real treat for your taste buds! The simplicity of this recipe makes it a good one to make with your children. Hello Dolly Cookie Bars 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut 1 cup shopped pecans (or walnuts) 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 cut butterscotch chips 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a 13 x 9 pan in the oven. Remove once the butter is melted ensuring that the entire bottom of the pan and an inch up the sides are coated. 2. Press graham crackers to form a crust. Make sure the crust is spread flatly and evenly. Sprinkle the coconut flakes all over the crust, then layer with the chopped nuts, chocolate chips, and then butterscotch chips. Pou...

We have put our life on hold for a very long time this year. Even though there are days that many of us feel we cannot endure much more, we find a way to carry on. Life still moves forward so we must move with it to show our children that we don’t give up when we face adversity. Prior to 2020 we lived and dreamed on a grander scale; no worries about our health when we prepared for a vacation. As someone who was fortunate to travel for three weeks through Italy in the fall of 2019, we never had a minute of hesitation when we planned that trip. We had no doubt our travels would be safe and we would have the experience of a lifetime. This year, if anyone wanted to go somewhere it was much closer to home, and to less populated areas. If we were able to travel at all, it was mostly by car, stopping only when necessary, and taking in sites at wide-open spaces such as national parks. It was no easy task trying to take even a small trip. Brighter days do appear to be on the horizon, or at leas...