Monday, August 24, 2020

WALNUT COCONUT CREAM CHEESE CAKE

Yesterday I baked a Walnut Coconut

 Cream Cheese Cake.  I had baked

a similar cake last week and decided to

 compare the two and found we liked this

one better.  The other had toasted pecans

which was wonderful too.  I don't see why

this cake couldn't be made substituting 

the toasted pecans for the walnuts.


   

We were glad to slice this cake and

enjoy it! I put quite a bit in the freezer

for another day.


I see I originally cut this recipe out of an

old Southern Living magazine back in the

1970's.



This recipe called for using 2 cake pans but I

 decided to use 3 -  8 1/2" cake pans which I think

make a prettier cake.  I also used 6 eggs

instead of 5 because eggs seem to be smaller

to me these days.


So here are the CAKE ingredients:

1/2 cup soft butter, 1/2 cup shortening, 2

cups sugar, 6 eggs separated, 1 cup buttermilk,

1 tsp baking soda, 2 cups cake flour, 1 tsp vanilla

extract, 1 1/2 cups chopped black or regular

walnuts, 2/3 cup shredded coconut

 1/2 tsp cream of tartar.


If I have a recipe that includes beaten egg whites I prefer to do that task first and then I just sat that aside.


Cream the soft butter with the shortening and add the sugar beating till fluffy.  Now add the 6 egg yolks beating well.  Combine buttermilk and soda, and vanilla and stir together.  Add the flour to creamed mix and also the buttermilk mix.  Fold in the egg whites now and and lastly when they are mixed through add the walnuts and coconut stirring well.

Pour the batter into 3 cake pans which you have greased with room temperature butter and floured.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

 I believe I went 25 minutes with my convection oven.

ICING INGREDIENTS:

 1/2 cup (1 stick) room temperature butter, 1 -  8 oz cream cheese 3 cups confectioners sugar and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla.  Blend until smooth and spreadable (can add tiny bit of milk to thin if needed)

Spread on bottom layer first, then others and when all done sprinkle with more chopped walnuts.

Sunday, August 23, 2020

PURPLE COLLAGES

 



I love making collages.


These just happen to be purple.

Hope you have a wonderful evening!

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

MID AUGUST "Tea In The Garden"

 

Welcome to a middle of
 August
 "Tea In The Garden":

After a very hot July we are now enjoying
some cooler temperatures which is frankly
quite surprising since this is usually an
 even
hotter month.

I am sharing a new to me teapot that just came this week.
I adore Crown Dorset teapots.



Serena is a beloved pattern:






Right now the garden is a little boring but I was able to gather up enough flowers for
 a nice big bouquet.



Here's what's growing now:



I hope your summer has been free of
illness and you have enjoyed some
gardening, hobbies and 
 activities at home with family.

Monday, August 10, 2020

MY QUEEN VICTORIA INTEREST

 

I thought I'd share again my collection
of Queen Victoria wares which
I recently decided to move over to my kitchen
open armoire shelving.  The teapot on the
right on the stand above is a commemorative
jackfield type pottery one.  And then
another below with the sliding lid:



 Over the winter and early this year, I started collecting some Commemorative Queen Victoria spoons, a pair of sugar tongs and a couple commemorative pins which I love. The pin on the right shows 4 generations:  from Queen Victoria to the little girl,  Princess Mary:



A lady in Canada who I was communicating with told me about this book which is very interesting:
 

I found mine very inexpensively on ebay.


I was wanting just one cup and saucer for each Royal couple in the  succession of Kings and Queens that followed Queen Victoria.
After she died her son Edward VII became King and then his son George V (remember in the Downton Abbey movie)
then Edward VIII (abdicted) and followed by George VI  before Queen Elizabeth.


This week might be a wonderful time to experience
 an Afternoon Tea too!  Queen Victoria
certainly contributed to the advancement of 
teatime.  You will find many recipes on my site to
bake and prepare food items for an Afternoon Tea.


Saturday, August 8, 2020

OUT AND ABOUT IN THE GARDEN

This week we have enjoyed some
shockingly cooler weather.

I especially love seeing the Strawberry
 Hydrangeas finally start to turn pink.

And around back:


I deadhead my butterfly
bushes constantly but it
only takes a few days to
see I need to do that done again.

Thanks for visiting me!

Wednesday, August 5, 2020

A LONELY UNUSED TEA ROOM

I imagine I am not alone in saying that
I am very sad that with the Pandemic I
have not been able to use my downstairs
personal tearoom.  This has been a big
disappointment as I am sure numerous
teas could have been history down here by now.


Up on top are some of
my collection of birdhouses:


Last year I divided this wall of shelving 
 into many little tea time vignettes
using various themes.


Then a shelf for Jane Austen with my Royal
Winton yellow chintz sold years ago by Victoria magazine.   I used one of the shelves for Downton Abbey with 
cookbooks and one of my decoupage clipboards along with a Spode
 Duberry coffee pot, cream and sugar.  


Then there are lots of other favorites
like Anne of Green Gables
and my collection of antique Bibles:


That is my Gideon Bible above given
to me in public elementary school in 1959.


Above of course - I made room for
 Tasha Tudor two shelves up above!

The Titanic below is always a theme that
interested me.  See the Titanic Salt and Pepper Shakers that split into?  




 My Chocolate pots are displayed to
 the top left below and of
course I love Beatrix Potter
one of my what not shelves in the room:


A few tins and hat boxes on top feature
the art of Edith Holden from the
Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady.

I certainly understand that this cottage
style isn't everyone's "Cup of Tea" as they say.
I personally do not like beads, feathers
 or what is commonly referred to as
 Frou Frou Victorian.

Sunday, August 2, 2020

JUST BEFORE AN AUGUST RAIN STORM for "Tea In The Garden"



This will be one of those really quick posts
but I am glad to do one as I have missed out on blogging lately.  Today I baked some cookies for my Grand kids so I have some to share with you.  I made both Oatmeal Raisin and Peanut Butter Cookies for them. 


Right as I was setting up the sky began
to rumble so we will move right along.  This has sure been a challenging time
 with Corona Virus. Our city of 
Columbia has mandatory masks in public places.   I have kept busy in the garden and
sewing and baking.


I am sharing one of two fun Victorian spout tea strainers that I purchased 
earlier this year.  They are sterling
 silver and very interesting.


I am already missing the spring bulbs in the 
garden but for now we have lots of pretty hydrangeas.  




We are ready for the flooding rain with
our little dry creek which really does help.
I made a bouquet with flowers from the
garden.



So we have had plenty of hot weather lately.  Camping out has really been popular here because of covid.  I never was much of a camper - sorry to say!


I enjoyed sharing this little tea time
with you and hope you have a 
healthy "rest of your summer"!