Lemon Loaf Cake

Simply Homemade Lemon Cake

This is one of our favorite lemon cake recipes. It is simply lemony, moist and amazing! I had several fresh lemons from some of my recent Bountiful Baskets contributions so I immediately thought of this recipe. Even the non-lemon lovers love it!

Ingredients:

3 eggs

3 tsp lemon zest (about 2 large lemons)

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 c plain yogurt

1 c sugar

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 c canola oil

1. Mix the eggs, lemon zest and juice, yogurt and vanilla extract with a whisk.
2. I use a wooden spoon to mix the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients.
3. Add the oil last and fold it into the other ingredients.
4. Grease the sides of a 9x5 loaf pan. I love parchment paper so I use that to line the bottom of the pan.
5. Bake in a 350F oven for 50 minutes (depending on your oven). I stick a toothpick in the middle to check if it's done. If the toothpick comes out clean, it's done.
6. When it's done, I place the pan on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes, then remove the cake and place it on the cooling rack.
7. Pour lemon glaze over the top. Stir together 1 cup powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. It should be fairly thin so you can drizzle it over the top and some will even soak into the cake.
8. I sliced mine into 20 thin slices. Of course thicker slices are the best according to the taste testers!

Enjoy and be blessed!
Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Cherry Lollipops

A blast from the past!

If you celebrate Valentine's Day and need a quick idea, these Cherry Lollipops take about 20 minutes from start to finish, taste great-and look good too!
Here's what you need:

• 3/4 c sugar
• 1/2 c light corn syrup
• 1/4 c butter
• 3oz box of cherry jello
• 15-20 lollipop sticks (you can find these at craft stores or Wal-Mart in the baking aisle) 

Butter a cookie sheet or line with parchment  and lay out your sticks, make sure you leave room between them for the syrup to spread a little.

Stir butter, sugar, and corn syrup over low heat in a saucepan until sugar is dissolved and candy thermometer reaches 275 degrees.Remove from heat and stir in cherry jello until smooth.  Use a metal tablespoon or  a small metal cookie scoop and spoon syrup over the end of each lollipop stick, cool and store... or share with your favorite Valentine!
This recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com

 ~Simply Angie

Simply Cherry Lollipops

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

If you are looking for a simple, easy and delicious recipe especially for these cold winter days, this is your recipe! Last week in our Bountiful Baskets we received a huge head of cauliflower. I am not necessarily a raw cauliflower lover so I decided cauliflower soup would be a great option. I think living in the Midwest, you learn to love soup when the outside temperatures are hovering below the freezing level. The taste testers absolutely loved this soup, so I thought I'd pass it on. It's great for non-meat eaters and it is also gluten-free.
Ingredients:
1 large head of cauliflower, washed and trimmed into smaller pieces
1 medium size shallot (or small sweet onion), diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp butter
2 quarts chicken stock
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/2 c plain yogurt
1 c Monterey Jack cheese or your favorite cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:

1. I used a large soup pot to melt the butter over low-medium heat.
2. Add the shallot and garlic, stir and cook about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the cauliflower pieces and stir until it's coated with the butter mixture.
4. Add the chicken stock, heat until it boils then lower the heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
5. This step is really about your preference. I removed most of the cauliflower and put it in the blender to puree it. Remember to remove the small piece on the top of your blender to allow the hot steam to escape. I placed a dish towel over the small hole so it wouldn't splatter. I'm sure you could use a mixer, immersion blender or potato masher if you don't have a blender. 
6. Place the puree back into the broth in the pan and stir.
7. Add the milk and yogurt (low heat) for about 10-20 minutes.
8. Stir in shredded cheese, dried parsley, salt and pepper. Heat until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes.

Cauliflower soup almost ready to eat!

Final reminders, remember to keep your heat low to prevent any curdling. For the meat lovers, you could add some bacon bits or small pieces of ham. For the cheese lovers in your family, sprinkle shredded cheese over the top before serving. Makes about 8-10 servings.
Enjoy and stay warm!
Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

DIY Valentine's Day Wreath

DIY Valentine's Day Wreath Project

Last year my DIY projects consisted of making holiday wreaths for the front door. Here is a refresher for the DIY Valentine's Day wreath. Now is a great time to find Christmas ornaments on clearance and who doesn't like to save a few dollars? The Christmas colors are perfect for a Valentine's Day wreath. For this project you will want to buy shatterproof ornaments rather than glass ornaments. This little wreath also makes a great gift!
After making all of those wreaths last year, I discovered a great way to store them. I use a clothes hanger for each wreath. Place your wreath over the top of a clothes hanger and hang them in my extra closet. It saves space and you don't have to find shelf space or worry that your wreath will be damaged in a box.
Supplies:
60-75 ornaments (depends on the size of your heart and the size of the ornaments)
1 wire hanger or heavy wire to shape in a heart
Hot glue gun and hot glue
Ribbon to use for a hanger

Directions:

• Some of my ornaments had secure tops so I did not hot glue them to the ornaments. However, some of them were not as secure so I used hot glue to glue the tops to the ornament base.

 

• Bend your wire or hanger into the shape of a heart. You don't have to be exact on this, just a general heart shape will work, it can be a little abstract if you like. My strong helper used a pliers to bend the hanger for this step :)

 

• Start by placing the one end of the wire through the tops of the ornaments. I placed mine on one at a time so I could arrange them by turning them. You can leave the other end of the wire open (the ornaments shouldn't fall off or you can bend it if you aren't using a hanger for your wire).
• Continue to add ornaments to the wire hanger and let them bunch together for a full look. It won't be perfect because the ornaments will move around, it'll still be beautiful.
• When you reach the end of your hanger, twist one end of the wire over the other end at the bottom of the heart. You  may need to use your pliers for this.
• I cut a piece of ribbon about 20 inches long and wrapped it between ornaments on the left and right side of the heart at the top and tied a bow at the top.
• The entire project took me about 2 hours including minor distractions, you know... phone calls, texts, taking the dog out, etc....
• Total project cost was $7.50. I love that part for this fun little project!

Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi