Joy in the Kitchen!

Several years ago at a family reunion auction, we bought a cookbook put together from my husbands grandmother's recipes.  Not all of them, but some she'd collected over the years.  The cousin who made this cookbook made copies of the recipe cards in grandma's own handwriting and assembled them into a cute binder.  Seeing these hand written cards brings back sweet memories of when I joined the family and grandma helped me feel so welcome!   Thank you Jeana! Grandma Evelyn would be 118 years old now if she were still here on earth, and I'm sure this recipe was from the years she was raising her children.  Definitely fits that vintage era!  I would guess the 1940's or 1950's.  There were some delicious recipes then that were very basic homemade food. I already use some of Grandma's recipes on a regular basis but I decided to try some of the others out of this cookbook.  Since we have a few apples on our tree that could be used, I decided to try ...

Lemon is such a vibrant fruit!  Color and flavor are bright and refreshing.  This old fashioned Luscious Lemon Cake is tart and sweet with a glaze that really packs a punch.  My mouth is watering just thinking about the melt-in-your-mouth goodness!   I got this recipe from my Mom who got it years ago from her friend at church.  I find so often that these recipes that were passed around amongst acquaintances are some of the best!  Tried and true, recipes to use over and over and pass along to a friend.   There is a 5 pound bag of lemons in my fridge waiting to be used so this seems like a tasty opportunity to share this recipe! Luscious Lemon Cake 1 lemon cake mix (any brand will work) 1 small package of lemon gelatin  4 large eggs 3/4 cup oil 3/4 cup water Glaze juice of 3 lemons grated rind from those lemons 2 cups of powdered sugar Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat together (by hand or in a mixer) the first 5 ingredients, scrapi...

Need a quick and easy cake to take to a summer picnic, easy dessert for company, or a delicious afternoon snack at home?   This cake is easy and convenient to make.  My 13 year old daughter has been making this cake in several variations for more than two years and can do it my herself now.  She tried this with the cinnamon chips this past week and we all loved it!  The cinnamon and glaze make it a great breakfast cake. If you've never used cinnamon chips before, they are mini chips that melt into whatever they're baked in.  If you live near me, I can order these for you through Alison's Pantry.  Otherwise you can order them from King Arthur Flour and even on Amazon (of course!).   Click THIS LINK to see what they're like.  Unlike chocolate chips, they are not good for eating straight out of the bag, but they are a delicious addition to muffins, breads, cakes, and other baked goods. Cinnamon Chip Bundt Cake 1 pkg. white cake mix 1 C....

Pound cake has always intimidated me.  I have no idea why, it just does.  However, I love to EAT pound cake! I'm not a lover of light, crumbly cake such as you get from a cake mix... I much prefer a heavier, moist cake and this fits that description perfectly! There are very few dishes that I love to eat that I don't learn to make at home.  I did try a recipe for graham crackers once.  I'll keep buying those in the store thank-you-very-much.  Between my New Years resolution to try a new recipe each week, and my love for browsing foods on Pinterest, I worked up the courage to give pound cake another try.  (I did try regular pound cake many years ago with less than desirable results... fail, fail, fail!)  I have had some lemons sitting in my fridge for a couple of months, so when I found a beautiful picture of an Old Fashioned Lemon Pound Cake on Pinterest, I knew this was the new recipe for the week!  I was happy to finally have ...

This cake is super easy to make and tastes wonderful!  Jaylyn (who is 10) made this cake at a friends house early this summer and has had so much fun making it a couple of times a week ever since!  We've had fun changing the cake mix and pudding flavors.  (in case you're wondering - banana pudding and chocolate cake mix was NOT that great! lol ) I found a recipe online that is similar to what Jaylyn makes - only we add 1 C. of sour cream and increase the oil to 1/2 Cup.   You can find that recipe HERE. We prefer just a dusting of powdered sugar on this.  It is rich enough without frosting. We love eating this warm out of the oven .... and if there's any left, it stays moist and delicious for a few days afterward.   I'm thinking this would freeze well but haven't had a chance to have any left to try it.   Enjoy!