Coconut Blueberry Cake

I don't remember where I got this recipe anymore but my family loves it and I've learned to always serve it for Easter and Mother's Day. They tell me the lemon sauce makes the recipe. Enjoy!

Coconut Blueberry Cake

Preheat oven to 375 F

Cake:

2 cups, all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1- 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (do not thaw) blueberries--dredged in a tablespoon of flour

1 cup flaked coconut

In a bowl, combine the flour sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat the eggs, milk and oil; stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in blueberries.

Pour into a greased 13 in x 9 inch x 2 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with coconut. Bake at 375 for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center of cake comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Lemon Sauce:

1/2 cup sugar

4- 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 cup water

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and lemon peel. Gradually add water until blended. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and lemon juice. Cut cooled cake into squares and drizzle with lemon sauce.

Feet, they're not just for breakfast anymore...

Talk about challenges when you are trying to feed a guy his cereal!

IT'S HOT!

8:17 and 70 degrees already: It feels as hot as the tropics, but more humid and full of spring tree pollen which means: AIR CONDITIONING! Oh how I hate to put the a/c on this early but I just can't breathe outside with the maple pollen falling. The humidity seems to make the pollen linger in the air. Tomorrow I think we are going to have rain (please) which should help and the temps are going to go lower, which also should help. In the meantime, I'll be hanging with little Miles and putting off laundry until tomorrow when it is cooler... Today it is supposed to go up to 88 degrees!

Back to the garden...

Easter is over! We had a lot of people, a lot of food, and much merriment in our little cottage and garden...
Helena found many many eggs and loved her baskets... Miles was adorable and seems to like the new Phillies Jacket we got him :)

Nana Betty loved the new wall hanging for her room and we took her dinner and then out to the terrace where she could enjoy the blooming daffodils, tulips, and cherry blossoms.

It was a wonderful day and very busy. Now I need to clean up and start working again in the garden...Have a wonderful day!

Easter Greetings

From Paddie the Poodle... Little boy Seamus...

And Mr. Ted. All of the dogs are sporting Easter ties that I made them from some leftover fabric, they seem to like them (or maybe they just like the fuss we make).

Hope you have a safe and happy holiday!

Sunbonnets Finished!

Another for the finished box! A while ago, someone gave me these blocks that an elderly lady had started and abandoned. I redid most of the embroidery and pieced it as best I could (the blocks were all different sizes--a real challenge). Anyway, I like the dear sunbonnets on the quilt. I thought about adding yo-yos at the intersections of the sashing but my spice quilters group voted a strong NO so it is done...

My girls...

My nieces, Maggie and Christina surprised us with a visit yesterday! They did their first road trip yesterday (Maggie just got her driver's license this year). Don't let their beauty fool you--these two farm girls hunt, fish, horseback ride and are brilliant. Today we are going out fabric shopping; each of them need new quilts--Maggie for her dorm room (she is going to college a year early and graduates this May) and Christina has a lime room and needs a quilt for her bed. Nothing like being with the girls, shopping for fabric...it doesn't get much better!
Have a great day!

Spring cleaning...

Packing up the winter things, pulling out the spring things, it is always a process. I can't wait to get past Easter and on to the gardening, how about you?

who's outside our kitchen window?

What makes these little visits so extraordinary is that I live in a city. It's so exciting to have these surprise visits, even if it is a hawk (I think it is young hawk), searching for the next meal (take the squirrels--please). PS--If you know what this bird is, please let me know! :)