Victoria Sponge Cakes

My oldest daughter, Gina, has always been a bit England obsessed. Gina brought over a few of these magnificent Victoria Sponge Cakes recently and I'm slightly ashamed to say I didn't even think about sharing them. I also (with her generous permission) shared them at my cooking class and now we're all in love with chintz, Vitoria Sponge and a cuppa....

I made tiny ones for my future sister in law's bridal shower this weekend and can't help but sharing Gina's recipe via her blog. Enjoy!




Please visit Gina's blog for this recipe by following the link;
Www.thissideoftheatlantic.blogspot

posted from Bloggeroid

Non-traditional Paint Project

I almost always choose the classic style, the proven combination, the traditional, the button down cardigan in black. I like it that way. Season after season it looks "nice". I'm not exactly sure what just happened here. I chose non-traditional paint colors for the exterior doors and shed and mailbox.



Before; Mid-western white with Sage green trim. It was a nice color combo, that was just needing a paint job.




I like it. I think it has style....or at least more than it had before! I am excited to plant the windowbox with purple something or other and John has agreed to not mow over any perennials (or maybe sunflowers) I might plant along the bottom.

I didn't photograph the mailbox yet. I spray painted it with copper paint to see if I'd like a real copper mailbox. It's unusual and funky and fun. I think I owe the mailman a bonus since I'm almost positive he had copper smears of paint on his hands for a couple days! It also took the entire can of spray paint to cover evenly.

It feels good to do something a bit different. A bit uncomfortable at first, but hey, in my case, it is just paint!

A Spring Vignette

Ranunculous Flowers, Lillet and Jelly Beans....Spring Pleasures

Irish Soda Bread

It was a glorious Spring St Patrick's Day in Michigan!  68 degrees,sun, corned beef and green beer!! 
John is the Irishman in our family and I've had fun over the years making some lovely traditional meals, however, we celebrate St Patrick's Day American style.  Corned Beef in the pressure cooker, cabbage and potatoes fried in butter and Irish Soda Bread. 

I have made many soda bread recipes and the following comes from The KitchenAid Cookbook, which is hands down, our favorite.  Flavorful, moist and crusty bread that tastes great served sweet or savory.  I usually add raisins, but wasn't in a raisin mood today, so went with the plain version.

SOUR CREAM IRISH SODA BREAD
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon caraway seed
1 tablespoon milk for brushing on top of loaf
1 tablespoon raw sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Place flour, soda, salt and butter in mixing bowl.  Using the flat beater, mix about 2 minutes until mixture resembles crumbs.

Add remaining ingredients and mix about a minute until well blended.
Shape into a round on a greased baking sheet or stone, brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar or herbs. Bake 45-55 minutes until loaf is deep golden brown and crusty.  Let cool and serve with butter or jam.

I like to brush the top with a bit of milk and sprinkle with some raw sugar for a great crust and a bit of sweetness.  You could also sprinkle with fresh or dried herbs.  Dill is especially lovely and goes with the green theme! 

Tulips are sprouting!

Spring!

This week I have been changing gears and getting Spring projects done. Closet cleaning, touching up paint (sort of- I bought the paint and brush!) putting out the patio furniture, washing curtains, etc. (We won't discuss that the cats are furious or my Lysol induced migraine!) We leave for Paris next week and I thought it would be nice to come home to a clean (er) place!

I love the what the whole putzing around the house does for my soul. I feel such a sense of accomplishment when I open up tidy linen closets or see the sun shining through clean windows! I am trying to eliminate some STUFF in my house, so this feeling happens more frequently. I'm not on "hoarder" status, but that show scares the heck out of me and I've started making regular trips to Goodwill!


I got the most pleasure out of 2 projects, planting purple pansies in my window boxes and making a potato green bean salad. I guess it's always the little things!

This salad combines my most favorite foods and I ate the first batch standing up at the counter! I shared the 2nd batch with the family and the 3rd with my spring cooking class. All in the same week! (We are having it on Easter Sunday too!) Soft creamy potatoes, just crisp, bright green beans and a hint of licorice in the tangy vinaigrette! The salad would pair up great with any grilled meats or ham, some fresh bread and cheese! I drank it with Santa Guistina's Malvasia, a lovely white wine from Italy that has a bit of floral essesence and the perfectly balanced acidity you need for a salad course!


POTATO AND GREEN BEAN SALAD

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Sambuca
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ cup Extra virgin Olive Oil (best quality)

1 ½ lbs. red potatoes cut into 1 inch chunks
¾ pound Haricot Verts (tiny, skinny green beans) blanched (3-4 minutes in boiling water)
½ Red Onion, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
Optional:
½ cup Parsley, finely chopped
½ cup tiny black olives
Combine the first 7 ingredients in a glass jar, or shaker and shake vigorously to combine. This can be made several days in advance.
Boil potatoes until tender about 20 minutes and blanch green beans. You want the beans to be bright green and retain a bit of snap. Drain.

Combine potatoes, onion, green beans and herbs, coat with vinaigrette and toss to coat. Do about an hour in advance for the best flavor! This salad is best served slightly warm or at room temperature.