Cookbook Sundays and....a whole bunch of other stuff

I have not been posting any food posts lately, because we are in the process of  'fixing' up our kitchen.  I'm not sure what to call it exactly.  It's not a remodel, but it is a complete up do!  Renovation?  Oh yes!!  This must be what we are doing, because  the dictionary says this about renovating:

1. to restore to good condition; make new or as if new again; repair.

2. to reinvigorate; refresh; revive.



Yep.  That's what we are doing alright.
Here sits the Handyman  in his lonely job of taking up the old floor.

Old Floor: 

I will keep you updated on the progress, as it  'slowly' goes.  We are doing the work ourselves.  And we own our own business and we only get 1 1/5 days off a week.   So, last week, tear up the floor and put down plywood to make the dining room and kitchen level.  This weekend,  put down backer-board and go order our new appliances and buy paint.
Anyway---it could be a while before I do much food blogging.

BUT....a few weeks ago, I happened to make (and take some pictures of)  a coffee cake from one of my cookbooks, which I will post for Cookbook Sundays, which is now being hosted by Melynda at  Mom's Sunday Cafe. This is the 1st time I've been able to participate since Melynda began hosting, but I am excited about getting back into the swing of things!  (hello Melynda!)

About a year ago,  the bloggers that are following "Tuesdays with Dorie"  all made  "Swedish Visiting Cake."  I used to follow along and try to bake from Dori Greenspan's   Baking: From My Home to Yours, but I had to drop out. I followed for a about 5 months and I just couldn't keep up with baking and posting every Tuesday. It was becoming not fun for me, so kudos to those of you who have kept up!
As I was saying tho, about a month ago, I was looking thru Baking and came across this great coffee cake and decided to make it...it was everything it promised to be. 

You've seen it around the food blogging world many times,  (even my friend Brenda made it a few months ago, and she's never been a part of Tuesdays with Dorie ) but it is so good, and so easy, and it deserves it's place on a brunch table, believe me.  (and also....I made it and it counts towards my own personal cookbook countdown)

At the same time, I also made Baked Eggs, which I had never made before.  I had been talking to my friend Karen (at karencooks) and  she couldn't believe I'd never had or made a baked egg.  So included are a couple of photos of my baked eggs, which we had with our Swedish Visiting Cake.

Baked eggs are easy.  I just put a couple of eggs in a custard dish, with splash of half and half, salt, pepper,  slivered green onions and a sprinkle of cheese, then bake till set but the yolks are still runny--so you can dip your toast in it!


Mmmmmmm.....

Swedish Visiting Cake
by Dori Greenspan
Baking: From My Home to Yours

1 cup sugar, plus a little more for sprinkling

grated zest of one lemon
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick (8 tablespoons or 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
about 1/4 cup sliced almonds (blanched or not)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof skillet, a 9-inch round cake pan or even a pie pan.


Pour the sugar into a medium bowl. Add the lemon zest and blend the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Whisk in the eggs one at a time until well blended. Whisk in the salt and the extracts, if you're using them. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour. Finally, fold in the melted butter.


Scrape the batter into the skillet and smooth the top with the rubber spatula. Scatter the sliced almonds over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar. If you're using a cake or pie pan, place the pan on a baking sheet.


Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is golden and a little crisp on the outside; the inside will remain moist. Remove the skillet from the oven and let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and bottom of the cake to loosen it. You can serve the cake, warm or cooled, directly from the skillet or turned out onto a serving plate.

I am also linking this to Weekend Cooking at  Beth Fish Reads.

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs

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Yesterday I walked in the March of Dimes walk with my son and his family.  He and his wife had twins 2 years ago, who were born at 32 weeks (that is 8 weeks early).  Our babies spent a month in the NICU.  Today they are healthy and happy and thriving.  That is not always the case for every baby born prematurely.

March for Babies is America's favorite walking event. When you walk, you give hope to the families of babies born too soon or sick. The money  raised supports programs in each community that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the serious problems that threaten our babies. 

 March of Dimes is the champion for all babies, those born healthy and those who struggle to survive.

I enjoyed the walk very much.  The weather was nice, the view was great and it was for a good cause.

It was fun.

Those little babies walked most of the 2 mile course.

While their dad was happy to have them walk and not be carried (we had a stroller too, but they wanted to walk the walk ) it made us one of the last who crossed the finish line. He had to grin and bear it tho, because he is really not the type who wants to be last.  He was just glad his kids were having a great day and that they are able to walk and run and dance and clap during the festivities.

Some premature babies are not so lucky.

And that is why we walked to raise awareness as well as money.