LEMON BLUEBERRY CAKE

Hello dear blogging friends and welcome to my weekly blog party.

You might wonder how I am able to keep blogging as
 I am getting ready to move - 
well believe me it was definitely a challenge today!

The other night we wanted something sweet and I noticed I still had blueberries and lemons in the refrigerator.  Since all my cookbooks are already moved, I googled Lemon Blueberry Cake and found this recipe at the site "Sally's Baking Addiction".  This was really intended to be a layer cake but I had no cake pans that aren't packed so I used a bread pan.  The second half of the batter got baked in an oval casserole dish -
 yes, it worked too.

I didn't have any vases out either so I just

 tucked my paper whites in a glass!

I also hardly had anything to use as a "prop" but I had picked up a couple vintage linens earlier in the day. In between 2 denist appointments I had a few minutes to kill.  So I am sharing a sweet runner and little round crochet piece too which came from my friend Sharon Doughterty's booth at the local antique mall called Willowstone.  Sorry, no teacups here to include in the posting.  They have all gone bye bye.  In fact - that carpeted window shelf below AND another one just like it are now covered in wood.  I think the new owners of this house will like the wood seat/shelf so much more!

  Because we  are moving and putting this home up for sale, we are having our home recarpeted and granite counters installed in the kitchen, new sinks, etc.  My husband is currently painting the whole inside and staining the woodwork.  I am packing things up in the basement.  Anyway - lots of work.

As you can see, the cake turned out nice and moist!  I definitely recommend Sally's cake!

SCALLOPED PINEAPPLE AND COCONUT DRESSING

Looking for an easy casserole dish - here it is! The ingredients are simple and the process is easy! We like that...

You will need: 1cup of butter melted, 2 cups of sugar, 3 eggs, 1 can of crushed pineapple with the juice, 12 slices of fresh white bread shredded, 1/4 cup of milk, and 1 1/2 cups of shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Mix the melted butter, milk, sugar and beat in eggs. Add the pineapple and coconut and mix rest of ingredients. Place in buttered casserole.  A repost from 2009

ORANGE CREAM HORNS FOR A SPRING AFTERNOON TEA

This might be fun for your Easter/Spring Tea 

 and impressive item for your Afternoon Tea Tray. Bake some Orange Cream Horns.

You will need to purchase at least 12 metal "horns" at a specialty kitchen shop.

You need a box of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry. Inside will be 2 sheets of dough folded into thirds. Take one sheet out and let it thaw out. It will open out into an 8 x 10 piece on a floured cloth which you will roll out into 12 x 10 " and cutting (12) 10" strips which you will wrap around and around the metal horn overlapping edges. Do not take it all the way to the top! Chill the horns 20 minutes before baking at 450 degrees until well puffed about 9 - 10 minutes. Brush with 1 egg white which has been blended with 1 tsp water. Return to oven reducing temperature to 350 degrees. Bake until glazed.

LET COOL COMPLETELY AND FILL WITH MY RECIPE FOR ORANGE CREAM FILLING: 1 1/2 cups squeezed orange juice, grated orange rind from 1 orange, 1 tsp lemon rind, 4 egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour

In the top of a double boiler over hot water

 beat the egg yolks and add the sugar and flour and orange juice using a whisk to stir until thick (about 7 minutes) Stir in the orange and lemon rind. Let the pudding cool. Now whip 3/4 cup of whipping cream in a separate bowl. Blend with the pudding until thick. Fill the horns.......can dust with confectioners sugar too!

Last note: I also added a couple of drops of yellow and red food coloring to make a nice light orange color and 1 tsp orange extract for more flavor!  This is a repost from 2009.

FINDING VINTAGE LINENS AND LOVELIES

As many of you know we have been packing and working on our home to get it ready to be put up for sale.  We took a days break after my husband's arm was really hurting.  We had carried a heavy computer  desk to the garage - you know how this goes.  He had carried most of the weight.

We decided to go to a couple of antique malls

 in Denver "one last time" and relax and let my 

husband's arm take a rest.  These places were having

 annual sales.  Most booths were 10%-50%

off for the Valentines Day weekend. 

 I chatted in one booth with a lady name Fiona

 who was from England and had items in

 her booth that she brought back from there.  

I found some lovely linens (seen above) that

 she had gotten there and the prices were really inexpensive.

At the Hampden Street Market, I found

 this wonderful English chintz

 teapot by Lord Nelson Ware called "Briar Rose". (above)

  I also found a lovely red transferware sugar bowl by Meakin to the left below:

 At the Colorado Antique Gallery I found a wonderful Colough

Violet cup and saucer and an old "Alice In Wonderland Book". 

Would you believe I found a Sadler Valentine Teapot?  I never got to even get my Valentine things out this year because they were packed up.  I shall look forward to using this next year

Below are photos of two malls in Denver: the Colorado Antique Gallery on Broadway and the Hampden Street Market.  We also visited the Brass Armadillo which was absolutely packed because of a 20% off storewide sale.

I found one more treasure too.  For about a year I have been looking at some Taylor & Smith red transferware pieces in a booth at the Colorado Antique Gallery.  This is the pattern with the cream design with red transferware in the middle called "English Abbey".  It was made in the USA.  I already owned 1 large platter which I shared at Christmas.  I am not unpacking the pieces I found today but  I will share those later.  These were all 20% off an already good price for 51 pieces.  This is my February birthday gift.  The platter below in the top and bottom photo is one of the pieces in the set that  I am talking about.

THE LEGEND OF THE BLUE WILLOW CHINA

The Legend of the Blue Willow China is the story about

 2 "Love Doves" Koong and Chang....

This pattern was produced in England in the 1700's but probably was copied from a Chinese pattern. The legend about the china began around 1849 when it was printed in an English magazine as a very romantic story about a young couple.

A wealthy young woman named Koong fell in love with Chang who was just a poor secretary. She was forbidden to marry him or even see him. Her father demanded she stay at home and quickly made arrangements for her to marry a man of financial security.

Escaping from her home, she met up with Chang and the couple fled across a bridge to an island. In hot pursuit, Koong's father follows but suddenly the couple are transformed into love doves who fly away to safety.

No wonder we love this pattern so much - maybe your mother had it?

Reposted from 2009!