Friday, January 2, 2015

Scandinavian Almond Cake & Snow in California

Our new year started off to a very cold start.....Yes!  we had snow here in southern California in some parts of our county.  I grew up with cold weather and lots of snow but maybe I have become climatized these last six winters in California...Here's some photos of the snow on the mountains near our home:

 These photos were taken from the bedroom balcony.  The "white" on the mountains is snow!

 My little grandson came over and his parents took him to an area about 10 minutes from our home and he was ankle deep in snow!  He was ecstactic and had so much fun.  But this snowfall caused a lot of problems for the people who were on the freeways/highways when the storm hit our area.

During the nights, the temperature dropped almost to freezing.  My succulent garden exploded in color:
We had severe winds one night and it blew over my pencil plant.  Luckily it wasn't harmed.

I ended up taking down all the Christmas decorations on December 29th.  Here's what is left of my poor tree....
It's waiting to be picked up by the recycling people and on it's way to a new life....

Do you recall that I ordered some Christmas goodies from Fortnum and Mason?  Well, they arrived in like four days and I was so pleased with everything.  But, this past week I got a bill in the mail from the delivery company and it showed that I owed $22.00 in customs duty.  I guess it was because my order was over the amount allowed customs free.  I learned my lesson.


I am so enjoying my new Emma Bridgewater teapot my husband gave to me for Christmas.  The teacup and saucer was given to me by my dear Mother in 1992.  It was the last Christmas we ever spent with her.  She passed away in the spring of 1993.  But, we all have wonderful memories of her that will never pass away.

Tomorrow I am hosting a dinner party for some dear friends.  The main course will be "Baghala Polo", Persian style lamb shanks.

 I like to write out my menu so that I know what I need to make ahead of time....

 I always make the dessert first and today I made a Scandinavian almond cake to serve:

It's such an easy, one-bowl recipe and tastes yummy too!  Here's the recipe:

Beat well:
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup milk
Add in:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
mix well and then
Add:
1/2 cup melted butter

Continue to blend until batter is smooth.  Pour mixture into a greased and floured loaf pan (the pan above is called a  “Rehrücken” you can use a regular loaf pan if you wish).  Bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 40 to 50 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and place cake face down on a wire rack to cool.  You can dust with powdered sugar or frost with a chocolate ganache or icing.

I will sign off for now.  I'd love to hear from you if you have the time to comment.  Enjoy your weekend everyone.

with my best wishes,
Pat















14 comments:

  1. Good afternoon, Pat! We also have a lot of snow, more than usual for Odessa :) joy to children and adults inconvenience :) My nephews of Southern California also now enjoy the by snow they live next to Temecula in the mountains Anza.
    Very nice kettle !!!And I like cake with almonds :) I wish you a good 2015!

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    1. Hello dear Maria. Isn't it a small world? Temecula is just over the mountains from me and my family was there today and went wine tasting. I hope to visit Odessa in 2015.

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    2. Pat, the world really has become a small :) If you visit Odessa, I would like to to meet you. You Alert the me in advance if of course you do not mind ... :)

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    3. Yes, I would love to meet you in Odessa! We are hoping to make a trip there sometime later this year if all goes well. I will keep you posted of my plans.

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  2. Wow I can't believe you had snow in California. I bet your Grandson was so excited. Your cake looks delicious, I will have to give it a try.
    Wishing you and your family a very happy 2015.
    Ali xx

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    1. Thank you so much Ali. YES we had cold temps but now it's getting back to normal. Have a great week.

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  3. Your cake looks totally wonderful. I shall have to keep the recipe for another time, as we're cutting back just now after the Christmas (small) excess.

    Jean
    x

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    1. Hi Jean, I agree we've been on a sugar overload. Wishing you the very best.

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  4. What a view from your bedroom balcony! Breathtaking!

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    1. Thank you so much for visiting. I hope your new year is off to a great start!

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  5. Beautiful snow, beautiful view, your grandson visiting, a beautiful teapot, and a yummy dessert...what a treat to visit your blog! :) Thanks for stopping by and commenting on my winter china cabinet!~Zuni

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    1. Thank you Zuno for stopping by and visiting. I hope that your new year is off to a great start. It's going well for me ::)

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  6. Visiting from LLFarm. Lovely view of your snowy mountains. It is about teatime, and your dessert sounds yummy! Definitely going to try making it! Have a great week!

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