Lemon Crazy

We've had good prices here on lemons lately......and I love me some lemons.  A while back I had a delicious lemon loaf that I could have sat down and eaten all by myself.  After buying too many lemons....I decided to make some lemon loaf myself.  It is really the lemon syrup or glaze that makes this loaf yummy.  Very fitting for our fine spring weather.....with a cup of tea, coffee or what ever.  The flavour is bright and lemony and the texture is coarse but moist.......I really like that you can make this with seemingly next to no special ingredients.  If you have a lemon....you very likely will have everything else.  You totally have to try this one....yes I mean you!  I dare you to make just one.  I'm just about to make my fifth one to bring over to my neighbour......her father is doing some volunteer work for our school while up for a visit.......and he's just as cute as a button too!  And number six will be for my other neighbour's birthday........ It's like a lemon loaf factory here!

Lemon Loaf
1/2 cup butter or margarine (at room temperature)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs (large)
1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/8 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
the zest of one lemon
Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add one egg and beat in.  Add second egg and beat in.  Mix in the milk.  Set aside.  Into a second bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Grate in the zest of the lemon into the dry ingredients.  Pour the dry ingredients over the top of the wet ingredients and mix just enough to  moisten....do not beat this mixture.  Pour into a lightly greased loaf pan (or line the bottom and long sides with baking paper to make it easier to remove) and bake at 350 F for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
While loaf is baking.....make the glaze by heating and stirring the juice of one lemon and 1/4 cup sugar over medium heat just until the sugar is all dissolved.
The Glaze
the juice of one lemon
1/4 cup sugar

When the loaf is finished baking, poke holes all over the top of the loaf with a toothpick and slowly spoon the glaze over the top allowing it to seep through the loaf.  After letting set for 10 minutes, remove the loaf from the pan and set it on a cake rack to finish cooling.

Quick Bar Cookies with Chocolate Chips

Spring is slow to come here.....but we knew it would be that way, with the large amount of snow fall accumulated in the winter.  Signs of spring are coming though and maybe it is good that the snow has not all left, piling on a new type of yard work for me.  It has been very busy here with work and life and I have been trying to sort out a crochet pattern which seemed so easy at the start, but which has lead to quite a few attempts being ripped and restarted many times already.  I am not quite ready to give up though....since I feel pretty close to figuring it out.

After making such a frustrating job of all this crochet 'busy work'.....I nearly ran myself out of time to  make a lunch box snack for  Ike this week.  So I decided to make something really quick. I have not made these in many years.  They are quick and easy and chewy if you don't over bake them.

Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup melted butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips
Melt butter and set aside to cool.  In large mixing bowl, beat slightly cooled melted butter with sugars, eggs and vanilla.  In a separate bowl mix flour, soda and salt together, then fold the dry mixture into the wet without over mixing.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Lightly press into a greased 9 X 13 inch pan and bake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes until slightly golden.  Top should be slightly risen and sides should just be beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. When cool slice into serving sized squares.

Easter Bunnies, Horses and Flowers

Last weekend took us on a visit to see friends and relatives in Alberta.  Time has been a little short here, so I am just getting around to this now.  We are back home and pretty deep into school work, work work, and very soon to have yard work added to the list.  

Ike had such fun in Oyen that I think we might need to get him a job there:)  He loves to visit Auntie Lee and Uncle Bill's Green Houses and this trip got a special treat when he got to ride Uncle Bill's horse too.  

He was pretty pleased with himself.  The drive was pretty through the mountains and prairies and there was lost of wildlife to be seen.  We saw trumpeter swans, cranes, mallards, antelope, deer, gophers......and bunnies (of the chocolate variety) as well.  Hope your Easter Weekend was fun too!