Friday, September 22, 2017

Ten Year Anniversary of my Blog!

Wow! Can't believe this Sunday will mark ten years of maintaining this blog.

I started it during the time I was offering a baking service from home taking small orders for cake or cookies. I named my business West Falmouth Baking Company because we lived in West Falmouth, I liked the sound of the name and I loved baking. Still do!

Then I went back to teaching and no longer took orders but as someone who always prepared meals for her family I decided to continue to post when I felt I had something to share.

 I've kept it non commercial over the years but some beautiful things have emerged from maintaining it. Most recently I was selected as SCN's featured blogger of the month. A few years ago it led to a fun podcast when I was interviewed by Girlfriendology. Many food related articles I've published started with an idea that I first wrote about here. I was invited to write a series of food columns for Cape Cod.com as they started to feature local food stories.

My book contract came in part because the Publisher liked my blog. I've printed out the blog and have a hard cover version of it that I keep on my Baker's Hutch.
What I love more than anything is that it offers me a diary of sorts of time spent in my kitchen preparing food for my family. The blog will be added on the Food Lover page of my website soon.
Thank you for stopping by! I haven't decided what the future holds for this blog as my creative interests have changed and developed over time.

The photograph above is of my cranberry biscotti with white chocolate.

Monday, September 11, 2017

Comfort Foods & Recipe for Linda's Lemon Cake



Look for my upcoming peice in the Falmouth Enterprise, Fall Home Supplement. I wrote an article offering ideas for using slightly healthier alternatives in our favorite comfort foods.

We can have the comfort we crave and eat healthy too! I shared a delicious recipe there for a healthier version to a baked Macaroni and Cheese. I made it yesterday, pictured above, to have throughout the week to add to my daughters school lunch. The recipe calls for cottage cheese as a healthier option and tastes delicious.

In case you'd like to bake yourself a bit of comfort this week here is my recipe for Linda's Supreme Lemon Cake included in my cookbook "Meet me in My Cape Cod Kitchen: Recipes for Seaside Living" (Published by Schiffer, 2015) that I mentioned in last weeks post. If you decide to make it be sure to share with a friend or two.

It's an easy recipe and so moist.

Linda's Supreme Lemon Cake

For the Cake:

2 sticks butter, unsalted and softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup buttermilk
3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup grated lemon zest

For the Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease well a 48 ounce Bundt pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, and butter at medium speed, scraping bowl often until creamy (2 to 3 minutes). Mix in lemon juice and buttermilk until well blended (about a minute).
2) In separate bowl mix together flour, powder, soda and salt. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture and mix well.
3) Continue mixing on low adding the eggs one at a time and then mix in the vanilla until well blended then mix in the lemon zest.
4) Pour batter into greased bundt pan. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5) Let cake cool 10 minutes, then turn onto wire rack to cool completely.
6) To make the glaze, in small bowl, stir all ingredients. Generously spread on cake as desired.