Wednesday Hodge Podge

Welcoming spring with four inches of snow here today!!!!

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1. On this first official day of spring tell us something (besides the weather) you're looking forward to in this season of the year.

We always go to visit our daughter and grands, 

come spring,  early autumn  and then everyone takes their turn around the holidays.. We try to wait until the threat of snow is over... since they live  near Boston.... but it is  a wonderful time to see the girls...no matter  what spring time month I will bring Easter baskets and  we will hide eggs....  otherwise , well,  it is  probably as much for Gaa Gaa as the girls!

2. When it comes to spring cleaning would you rather wash windows or wash baseboards? Clean out closets or clean out the garage? Dust ceiling fans or dust bookcases? Wipe down the patio furniture outside or wipe down the light fixtures inside? Any of these tasks recently completed?

At our house it has always worked best for  us together to wash the windows on the inside  and then  Hubs does the outside when he paints them about every 5 years.  Hubs  does the baseboards usually when he vacuums if they are looking shabby!We just finished our closets.. I usually do mine  with the change of  seasonal wear.  The garage is Hubs domain!praise God we only have  a couple of ceiling fans and we do them  when they start to look  bad, not necessarily  during spring.. I do the bookcases  in  spring and  fall. After the  onslaught of pollen we take a Saturday to  do the whole porch.. We remove everything and hose the porch and  walls and pillars.. sometimes the pillars need to e cleaned with a  bleach to kill  some mildew Hubs painted the ceiling and pillars  last fall so      this year it will be an easier task  Then  we clean the  wrought iron and the cushions  and  put it all back together..  I love it once it is all done!  yayayaya

I love our new rug we bought for the season!

3. Your favorite thing to make/eat that calls for cream cheese? Sour cream? Whipped cream?

Cream Cheese~Cranberry  Walnut Scones

3 c  Virginia’s best  self rising flour

1 T baking powder

½ c sugar

¾ c butter…slice in  tablespoon  slices  to make  working it in  easier

1 c fresh cranberries… I added golden raisins to make a cup

½ c chopped  English walnuts.. I used pecans

1 1/2 T orange zest

1 c buttermilk  I used  clabbered milk  ( 1 cup milk  with 1 table of  white vinegar)

To top  unbaked scones.

1 T cream or milk

1 T sugar mixed with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Stir together all dry ingredients at top  of list..   Rub the butter  slices into the mixture until  only coarse crumbs form…   Like  cornmeal….  Incorporate the butter evenly.. no large  chunks….Stir in cranberries, nuts, and  zest. Add buttermilk and mix with a fork until evenly moistened.  I  didn’t  mix  it too much  and  as soon as I saw it coming together  I  poured it out on a floured surface and  shaped it into a  ball.   Pat the ball into a  ¾ inch thick circle.    Don’t work the dough too much…   it should be  fairly easy to  work with   you will have a lot on your fingers 

   As it will be moist. So  incorporate just enough flour     so not so sticky

   But  keep it   pliable.

Cut  rounds with a biscuit cutter and place on a greased sheet. Brush tops with the cream or milk and  sprinkle the sugar mixture on top.    Bake at 400 for 14-16 minutes or until  golden…  if you desire  lightly sprinkle with  powder  sugar.

 Cream topping:

8 oz  cream cheese.  I used mascarpone and thought it was much  better.  But  it is  much more expensive

  1 T  zest

  2 T honey  but I didn’t have honey so I sued 1 T of orange Marmalade  This is a fine  spread for any  specialty bread!

                                                                       Sour Cream~

 We don't use  sour cream too much in cooking..  but I do use it as a condiment or garnish for  things like tacos,  baked potato dips  etc

Whipped cream~

Victoria Cake

ingredients

200g caster sugar
200g softened butter
4 eggs  beaten
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
For the filling
100g butter softened
140g icing sugar, sifted
drop vanilla extract (optional)
half a 340g jar good-quality strawberry jam
icing sugar, to decorate

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line with non-stick baking paper.

In a large bowl, beat all the cake ingredients together until you have a smooth, soft batter.

Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed.

Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

To make the filling, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in icing sugar. Beat in vanilla extract if you’re using it.

Spread the butter cream over the bottom of one of the sponges. Top it with jam and sandwich the second sponge on top.

Dust with a little icing sugar before serving. Keep in an airtight container and eat within 2 days,  or top with whipped cream and strawberries!  

4. I read here a list of commonly mispronounced words. What is a word that gives you trouble when it comes to pronunciation?

I  have no trouble with words  at least the ones given!

5. What's a song you love with the word 'rain' in the title or lyrics?

Singin' in the Rain...  I had a major crush on Gene Kelley

6. Insert your own random thought here.

My pansies,  daffodils, blood wort, and hyacinths are all blooming so   profusely..  Around town the  Bradford pears and cherry trees are  loaded with their pink and white glory...  yet tomorrow,  the first day of spring,  it is going to snow... and we could be in for it!  Bah!!  Time for spring, I say!