lemon everything

so, the Jones' are big fans of lemon desserts. i find myself looking for unique lemon anything to share with my hubby and in laws. I found this recipe for a lemon yogurt cake that is TDF. really good. I made it for the first time when we had my friend Chris Talley and his wife Rachel over for dinner one night. they loved it. Chris and i were missionaries together in Lisbon, Portugal. so many years ago I don't even like to admit it! i like to think the cake is semi-healthy since it has yogurt instead of sour cream or something. really easy to make. enjoy.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

1 1/2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. plain yogurt

1 1/3 c. sugar, divided

3 eggs

2 tsp. grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. canola oil

1/3 cu. freshly squeezed lemon juice

glaze:

1 c. confectioners sugar

2 Tblsp. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2 inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 c. sugar, the eggs, lemon zest and vanilla. slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. with a rubber spatula fold in the canola oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 c. lemon juice and the remaining 1/3 c. sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. set aside.

when the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. while the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. cool.

for the glaze, combine the confectioners sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake and serve.

welcome to i heart food and wine! first post, first recipe

so i started a blog a year or so ago, because it seemed to be the thing to do. But it didn't last, because i didn't think i really had anything interesting to talk about. i don't have kids, i don't take a lot of pictures. i work a lot. and travel a lot (for work and pleasure). and, in my spare time i cook a lot. i love to cook. i'm passionate about it. it's therapeutic for me. i'm passionate about wine, too. my sister janell suggested i start a food blog and post recipes. i think it's a good idea, so i'm doing it!

first recipe. blondies. why? I made them a few weeks ago for a bake sale we were having at the hotel to benefit the march of dimes. we were having a competition between departments to see who could make the most $$$ for march of dimes by selling baked goods. we've been doing this for a few years now, and it's been a fun way to raise $$$ for charity. we set up a table in the employee break room/cafeteria at the hotel and sold our good (the sales team). trevor told me that a new front desk agent (tatiana, i think?) bought a blondie and came back for more, asking who made them, and asking trevor to let me know she wanted the recipe. then, one of our engineers bought one of my blondies and something else, and apparently 5 minutes later, came back and bought the remaining 6 or so blondies. who knew? i mean, i think they're good, but i'm glad others thought they were good, too. the recipe calls for chocolate chips and nuts to be sprinkled on top before baking. i usually use pecans, because that's what i seem to have on hand, but this time i made them with macadamia nuts i bought in hawaii a year or so ago that i want to use up. don't worry, they've been in the freezer. anyway, they turned out great and here's the recipe:

BLONDIES

2 c. flour
1tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1&1/4 sticks butter
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. chocolate chips
3/4 c. chopped nuts

preheat oven to 350F. spray a 13 x 9 pan with Pam. mix flour, baking powder, salt & soda in a medium bowl. melt butter in a big glass mixing bowl. add sugar & whisk to blend. whisk in eggs & vanilla. gradually stir in the flour mixture. spread batter in prepared pan. sprinkle with chocolate chips & nuts. bake until toothpick comes out clean & bars are golden brown, about 20 minutes. cool and serve.

p.s. - the sales team won the baking competition.