Daffodils N' Lemon Bread

Daffodils and Lemon bread
bring cheer to any spring day!









This weekend was another soggy and gray day on the Mountain. However, I was thrilled to see the 150 daffodils that we planted last fall in full bloom. They warmed my heart and soul and I found great joy as I watched them gently sway in the breeze. I must thank Donna for the inspiration in planting them. Last year, I passed by her cabin and saw her gorgeous plantings and resolved to follow her example. We were well rewarded with the daffodils cheerful beauty this weekend.

When I saw our yellow daffodils, I thought of Old Fashioned Lemon Bread. This has been a favorite recipe for many years and I pulled it out this weekend. It also gave us a pick-me-up on a rainy day. The bread is sweet and the glaze is pucker-power tart. Kind of like spring. A nice warm sweet day followed by a pucker-power tart day. So, Daffodils and Old Fashioned Lemon bread are the perfect spring combination.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

2 lg. eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup salad oil
2 tsp lemon zest

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, beat eggs, milk, oil and fresh lemon zest until blended.

Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir just until blended. The key to fantastic quick breads is not to overmix. Just mix until ingredients are barely blended. Pour batter in one greased and floured 5 x 9 loaf pan or two small 3 x 6 loaf pans.

Bake 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes

As soon as the bread comes out of the oven, leave the bread in the pan and poke holes all over the top and then drizzle warm glaze over the loaf. Do this process on a rack with a pan underneath to catch any glaze that overflows.

Let the bread cool in the pan on a rack for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto the rack and let cool completely.

Glaze:

4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar

Put in a small saucepan and gently heat until sugar dissolves. Keep warm and then drizzle over hot loaf. This is a pretty tart glaze but I love it paired with the sweet bread.




It really is worth it to invest a few dollars and get a "zester". This little tool just takes the outside citrus layer off and doesn't get the white, bitter part of the lemon skin. Well worth the investment.

Do use shortening to grease your pans and then sprinkle with flour and tap out any excess. If you just spray with Pam, I have found that the loaves bake uneven. I had much better results with grease and flouring.

Use a toothpick and poke holes all over the top of the hot bread.





Drizzle hot lemon syrup over the hot bread and then put on a cooling rack and let cool for about 10 minutes.






Let the bread cool completely and then cut and enjoy!



Write note to yourself!

Next fall, buy and plant daffodils!!!






Happy Spring!

- Debbie-

Soul Food

Really, It's Spring?












April 4, 2009 ****************** March 21, 2009

The above pictures are of the same place on our drive.

This weekend, we had an absolutely beautiful snowfall

on our Mountain! All the trees, bushes and weeds were

wearing their white ermine coats. Some storms are

violent and powerful but this storm was steady and gentle.

It just softly snowed for 24 hours and really piled up.

We had about 12 inches at our place in the Meadows.

Two weeks ago, I was taking pictures of the first flowers

of spring and this week of snowflakes. Ah, such is the

weather on the Mountain.

Sunday, the sun came out and it was a dazzling land of

glittering snow with blue skies. By the time we left about

6:30 Sunday night, the snow had pretty much melted

off the main roads and everything was suck your boots

right off muddy. I suspect that everything will

dry off quickly and we'll be back on the road to

spring again.

I hope you enjoy a few of the pictures I took.

Soul Food

Sagebrush Buttercup

These waxy little yellow flowers appear early in the spring just as the snowbanks are disappearing. I took the picture of these little flowers on Mar. 21, 2009 in the lower Meadows area of Pine Creek Ranch.

Watch for Sagebrush Buttercups and Spring Beauty when the snowbanks are almost gone.

Mar. 21, 2009

Sagebrush Buttercups can be really stunning when they occur in mass. They just seem to be saying, "Wake up world, it's time to get this Spring Thing going!" They are a true joy to behold!

Springbeauty

Springbeauty blooms about the same time as the Sagebrush Buttercups in early spring. On our property in the Meadows, I have observed that the Sagebrush Buttercups are just a little ahead of Springbeauty but they will co-exist together for about 2 weeks. These are so delicate and dainty that it amazes me they can survive the fickle spring weather, but they do. The tuberous corms were dug by Native Americans and eaten as we would eat potatoes. Both Sagebrush Buttercups and Springbeauty are very small, only about 1 1/2 to 2 inches high.

Turkey Tracks

Listening to and watching the turkeys is just plain fun. I don't know if it was a male or female but one called out down the road and the other went running on an all out sprint to get to the mate. I don't know if it was a hen pecked husband that was coming when called or an obedient wife that was running to her master's call. Anyone know how you tell a male from a female turkey? Let me know if you do.

Anyway, I just wanted to share the joy of spring I felt last Saturday. The south wind was blowing and drying everything out, the sun was shining and warming the earth, and my heart was swelling to just be spectator in the grand orchestration of "Spring"!

All pictures taken Mar. 21, 2009

-Debbie-