When life hands you lemons...

...make lemon cake!

I never was much of a lemon fan when it came to desserts, or at least I thought I wasn't. That is until I took one look at Ina Garten's lemon cake. I love her show and when I saw her make that delectable lemon cake, I was smitten. I have been a lemon beleiver ever since.

The cake definately contains a healthy dose of lemons. The batter is filled with zest and lemon juice. Then after the cake comes out of the oven, a simple syrup of lemon juice and sugar is poured over the top. But wait, there's more. Once the cake has cooled, it is then topped with an icing made of fresh squeezed lemon juice and powdered sugar. It is so delicious. In fact, when this cake comes out of the oven, the edges are slightly brown and chewy and if I know that I will be the one to partake of that cake, I'll pick off the edges and eat them while they're still hot.

Today, instead of making the cake in loaf pans as the recipe says, I made them into delectable little cupcakes. I was amazed how easily the recipe went from loaf pans to the little cakes; making 24 perfect cupcakes.

Ina Garten's Lemon cake

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated lemon zest lightly packed (6 to 8 large lemons - Use only fresh lemon juice and zest)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F*. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, the key to great cakes is beating the butter and sugar until the mixture's until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

2. With the mixer on medium speed add the eggs, (break the eggs into a dish before adding to the batter to avoid a bad egg or shells in the batter) 1 at a time, and the lemon zest. Sift together the flour, to make sure there are no lumps, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

3. Separately, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

4. Cook 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, cool for 10 minutes, invert them onto a rack set over a tray and spoon the lemon syrup over the cakes. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

5. For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides. To freeze these cakes, prepare them except the glaze. Wrap them well in plastic wrap and freeze. When you're ready to use, defrost and glaze.

note*: To make cupcakes, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Divide batter to make 24 cupcakes. Lightly bang the cupcake pans against a counter to get any air bubbles out. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Follow the steps for glazing and icing.

Apple Pie Bites

I never grew up eating apple pie; I know, how unamerican! My mom just never made it. We were a peach pie eating family, and ohh, if I can ever record my mom's peach pie recipe to paper it would be a winner. But lately I have been into all things apple and am discovering that I love apple pie.

A few friends and I got together and had an appetizer party today to say goodbye to our friend Kim who is moving away :( (We'll miss you Kim!).

I still wasn't sure of what I wanted to make while I was perusing the aisles of the grocery store yesterday until I passed the apples. The craving for apple pie hit and thus this recipe was born.

I came home with a bag full of apples and hope that somehow I could make them into little appetizing bites of pie. I found a crust recipe in a pampered chef book which I modified slightly. Then I kind of just guessed with the rest and amazingly they turned out so delicious. If you like more crust than filling, like I do, than you'll love these little apple pie bites.

Apple Pie Bites

crust
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powder sugar
1 cup flour

Filling
3 apples,(I used pink lady apples), peeled, cored and cut into small bite size pieces.
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. flour

Crumb topping
1/2 cup flour
1/4 sugar
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, room temperature

Crust: beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until well incorporated. Add the flour and mix scraping down the sides until just combined. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Scoop and roll into small 1 inch balls and place in the cups of an ungreased mini-muffin tin. Here is the one tool that I recommend to make this easier. Pampered Chef sells a mini-tart shaper which is super cheap that makes this so simple. Using it you can shape the dough balls into mini pie shells by lightly flouring the shaper and pressing down onto the dough. Set aside the shells. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Filling: place the apples in a small saute pan and cover with water. Put the lid on and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes. The apples should be slightly softened but still be a little firm as they will finish cooking in the oven. Pour the apples into a collander to drain. With the apples still in the collander, add the sugar, cinnamon and flour and stir to combine. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar if necessary depending on the tartness of your apples. Let them sit in the collander to drain any excess liquid while you make the crumb topping.

Crumb topping: Mix the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl with a fork. Cut the butter in using two butter knives until it resembles small peas.

Place a small scoop of apples into each mini shell, filling to the top. Sprinkle on a good amount of the crumb topping pressing slightly to adhere. Place the apple pie bites in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is slightly broned and the shells are a golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 3 minutes. remove them from the pan and let them cool on a cooling rack.

They are delicious warm but also taste good once they have cooled. You can reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds to warm. Store them in an airtight container.

Makes 24.

The secrets out

I guess when you post something online you can't expect it to remain a secret for too long. Well, remember the chocolate zucchini cake that I posted a couple of days ago? Well, I served that cake to my non-vegetable eating husband without telling him about the zucchini. Today he read my blog and the secret was out. Here is a copy of the e-mail that he sent me, he is too funny!


Zucchini???
Zucchini???
Zucchini???

You are too sneaky! Now you have to share your new medicine with me after I purge a few times!

Don't be surpised to find out there is chicken or beef in something you
eat soon sucker...

Love ya...even after you tricked me!
Zucchini?????????
BLAH

Just thought I'd share. So, if you make this for someone who's not fond of veggies in their dessert, don't show them the recipe!

Roasted Veggie Pizza

I don't really have a recipe for you today, but I wanted to show you the versatility of those yummy roasted veggies from the other night. It is pizza night at our house and I can't think of a better way to use of those lovely veggies than topped on a ciabatta-like crust and smothered in cheese! There is no sauce, just layer cheese, veggies and more cheese and bake. Delicious!

Chocolate Zucchini Snack Cake

I had to run to "Wally World" last night to my dismay, as I try to avoid that store like the plague. And a trip to the store with three hungry and tired kids is never fun, especially when you get to the checkout line. You see the stores have it down, tempt the kids with a wide assortment of candy and treats when you are inevitably at your witts end after a long shopping trip. They also like to make sure that the lines are long so that your kids will have a half of an hour to ask you for said treats. I admitt, I usually give in, I mean a 50 cent piece of candy is worth my sanity right?! So, my point of the story is that I have my own temptation at the checkout line too, and more often than not I give in to myself. I love the food magazines that they place on the racks above all of the candy. I usually browse through them while I am waiting in those impossibly long lines and if they look good, I'll buy them. Last night I found one that I had to buy. It was a Betty Crocker Cakes mini magazine. It had all of these quick and easy cake recipes using, you guessed it, Betty Crocker cake mixes. I love homemade cakes, but sometimes you just need somthing quick and easy. As I flipped through it I found this chocolate zucchini snack cake recipe that I had all of the ingredients for, (well almost all of them, see below). It was a moist chocolate cake which was lower in fat and was topped with nuts. I'll tell you, I'm a nut lover anything with chocolate must have nuts so this one hit the spot. My kids loved it and had no idea that it has zucchini hidden inside. In fact, as I was typing this, my 2 year old climbed up onto the counter and began grabbing handfuls of the cake, what a mess! At least he is cute, so I'll forgive him.

Chocolate Zucchini Snack Cake

(from the Betty Crocker Cakes magazine)

1 3/4 cup German chocolate cake mix
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 cup buttermilk*
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8 in or 9 in round pan with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, beat cake mix, zucchini, cinnamon, cloves, buttermilk, oil and egg with mixer until moistened. Beat on medium spead for 2 more minutes, scraping bowl ocassionally. Pur into pan. sprinkle evenly with nuts and chocolate chips.

3. bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completelt, about 1 hour.

*I was all out of buttermilk so I used 1/4 cup of sour cream and 1 Tbs. of milk. The recipe also says that you can use 3/4 tsp. lemon juice or vinager added to milk to equal 1/4 cup in place of the buttermilk. Just let it stand for 5 minutes before adding it to the cake ingredients.

Here's what's for dinner tonight...

Here's a little secret about me, I'm a Costco junkie. I often go there several days a week. I don't know if it's their cheap hot dog and drink combo or all the delicious food to look at. Probably both. I love to grab a diet coke and wander around the store. I longingly look at all of the food and think of all of the yummy meals that I can make or walk over to the Le Creuset pots that beg me to take them home each week. I bring this Costco obsession of mine up for one reason, I love their salmon. They sell these bags of individually packaged frozen salmon fillets. It makes it easy for my small family to enjoy the fish whenever we want to. I can pull ou two of the fillets, which defrost in only 10-15 minutes and have them on the table in another 15 minutes. It makes for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

Quick and easy Salmon

(by Ina Garten)

4 skinless salmon fillets

olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, pat the salmon dry with paper towels. Cover liberally with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Place salmon season side down into the dry skillet. Cook without turning for 2 minutes. Flip salmon over (if the salmon sticks, wait another minute for salmon to form a brown crust) and place the skillet in the over to finish cooking for 5 -7 minutes.

Since I am in a secret divulging mood, can I share another one? This bowl of beautifully colorful veggies makes me giddy. I mean, when I see all of those delicious veggies layered in a glass bowl I just smile and it instantly brightens my day. Does that sound insane? I just love them. In fact, tonight before dinner, well maybe not just before dinner, more like all day, I was in the worst of moods. I don't know what it was, probably just girlie hormoes, (curse those hormones),but I was not the nice fun mommy today. I think my kids were thinking that their mommy had been kidnapped and replaced with Cruella De Vill. But once I cut up the veggies and saw them layered up in the bowl, I just smiled. I had to run and find the camera so that I could snap this picture. Maybe I'll use it for the screensaver on my computer that way it'll brighten up my day everytime I look at the computer.

So, what did I do with all of those lovely veggies you ask? Only my favorite thing of course, I roasted them. I love roasted veggies. Everything gets better when covered lightly with olive oil and cooked until browned. I love the way that the onions get a little crispy and caramelized and the carots get a little toasty. Oh my goodness, I am drooling all over the computer. Another thing that I love about these beautimus veggies is their versatility. I can roast up a cookie sheet or two one night and have them for dinner. The next day I can turn them into several other dishes. I have made them into a vegetable pot pie by covering them in a vegetable gravy and topping with biscuits or skip the biscuits and top with a layer of cheesy mashed potatoes and you have shepards pie. Inevitably tomorrow morning you'll find me in front of my fridge snacking on them cold. What can't these wonderful veggies do?

Roasted Veggies

1 butternut squash, pealed, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into thin 1/2 in. pieces
1 red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
3 cloves of garlic. peeled
4 red potatoes cut into 1/2 in. pieces
olive oil
salt and pepper
1tsp. dried thyme, optional

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray.

2. Place cut up veggies onto cookie sheet and drzzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on salt, pepper and thyme, if using. Toss to combine and to coat all of the veggies. Spread between 2 cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 45-60 minutes, tossing the veggies and rotating the sheets after about 25-30 minutes. Toss with a little more salt and serve.

Apple Cinnamon Stuffed Waffles

My friend Jen asked me the other day if I ever make things from a box. Of course I do, I'm a mom and there are lots of days when the best that I can do is a box of mac and cheese. And my kids love it all the same, but I also love to change up some of the box mixes to make them better. Today I will show you my from the mix waffles that I have jazzed up a bit. These are made with a basic pancake mix following the directions for waffles. I do make a few changes like adding in vanilla and almond extract and a few tablespoons of brown sugar. Here I also stuffed them with cinnamon sugar apples and then topped them with some more of the apples. I love the sweet ooey gooey things, they remind me of when I was a kid. My mom used to make them for us for a snack and we would eat them right up barely waiting for them to cool down. And then the house would have the left over scent of cinnamon. I haven't made them for awhile and was surprised by the nostalgia that I felt when eating them today.

Cinnamon Sugar Apple Stuffed Waffles

Pancake mix made following waffle directions
4 apples, (I used pink lady apples)
brown sugar
cinnamon
powdered sugar
chopped walnuts, optional

1. Mix up the pancake mix following the waffle directions, set aside.

2. Peel and chop up the apples into small bite sized pieces. Add to a saute pan that has a lid and add some water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover with the lid and cook over medium heat for a few minutes until softened. Check to make sure there is still water in the bottom, you don't want the apples to burn. meanwhile, heat up your waffle iron.

3. When the apples are softened add a few Tablespoons of brown sugar (adjust depending on the sweetness of your apples) and a few shakes of cinnamon. Stir to combine. Make sure that there is still a little water in the pan and cover withthe lid and simmer for one more minute.

4. Grease the waffle iron and add a little bit of the batter. Top each section with a spoonfull of the apples and then cover with a little more of the waffle batter. Cook according to your waffle iron's instructions (it may take a little longer than normal because of the apples).

5. Remove waffles and butter. Dust with a little powdered sugar and top with another spoonfull of apples. I also like to top mine with a few chopped walnuts. Delicious!