Lemon, Sour Cream Pound Cake

I have to admit there are times when I like the sweet,
tangy flavor of lemon as much as I like taste of chocolate.

So tonight I made a Lemon, Sour Cream Pound Cake.




Lemon, Sour Cream Pound Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
1/4 cup lemon juice
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a loaf pan.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Using a hand-mixer cream the butter. Add 1 cup of the sugar and mix. With the mixer running at low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract and lemon extract.

Working in alternating batches, and mixing after each addition, add the dry ingredients and 1/4 cup of the lemon juice to the butter mixture. Mix until just smooth.

Fold in the sour cream.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about an hour. Check with a toothpick to be sure the center is cooked.

Glaze for the top of the cake: In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 tsp lemon extract,1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup lemon juice. Stir until completely combined.

When the cake is done, let cool in the pan 5-7 minutes. If it won't come out of your pan easily you can use a knife around the sides of the pan. Set on a wire rack with reynolds wrap underneath the rack. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake.

Serve warm or wrap tightly and serve later.




YUMMY!

Basil Pesto

I am so excited about growing basil again this year.
I just planted a few plants about 3 weeks ago and they
are really producing some amazing basil.

Since they are growing so quickly I decided to cut some of
the leaves and make some pesto to freeze and use a little later.

Here are my lovely, little basil plants.


I cut a few bunches off the plants and cleaned off the leaves.




I put the basil leaves in the food processor with some sauted garlic, parmesan cheese, olive oil and pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse in the food processor until
you get a creamy texture.



I was able to make three wonderful containers of pesto that I will freeze for future recipes.



Yeah! Basil Pesto!

Grilled Pork Kebabs

I made this fun, little recipe the other night
and I was delighted by the way it turned out.
It was very good.
The only thing I would change is that I would
add more oranges because they added a nice, natural sweetness.

Pan - Grilled Pork Kebabs
From Everyday Food
3/4 cup long-grain white rice
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 navel orange, cut into chunks
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard





Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees; place a baking sheet in oven. Prepare rice according to package instructions. Stir in peas, and heat briefly to warm through.
Alternately thread pork and orange chunks onto eight 6-inch skewers; season with salt and pepper. Heat grill pan to medium; brush with 2 teaspoons oil. Cook half the skewers until pork is opaque throughout, 4 to 6 minutes per side; transfer to oven to keep warm. Brush grill pan with 2 teaspoons oil; cook remaining skewers.
In a small bowl, whisk together honey and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Reserve half of sauce for dipping.
Working in two batches, return skewers to grill pan, and heat over high, brushing with sauce, until glazed, about 2 minutes. Serve with rice and reserved sauce.



Perfect for summer ~ so get ready for some Grilled Pork Kebabs.

Pizza and Pot Clips

We made a super, delicious pizza last night.
Roasted some cherry tomatoes in the oven with olive oil and garlic.
Then rolled out pizza dough. Added a little pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese,
fresh basil, artichokes, and the roasted cherry tomatoes.
Wow, it was good!




How many of you have these neat, little pot clips?
So easy to use and they save you from having a mess
on your counter top. Just clip them on the side of your
pot and place your spoon or stiring utensil into the clip.

Check it out:


AWESOME!!

The Metropolitan Cooking and Entertainment Show

I went to the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertainment Show
this weekend in Atlanta at the Cobb Gallaria.

Paula Deen, Bobby Flay and Mario Batali were all guests
at the show but I did not purchase tickets to their events
due to the cost and the fact that by the time I ordered my
tickets there weren't many seats left. I am sure they put on
a fabulous show!

I purchased general admission tickets which allowed me into
the Gallaria Expo Floor to access to 150 exhibitors,
cooking demos by Atlanta's best chefs, tastings and entertaining workshops.
We did see a few cooking demonstrations but mostly walked around looking
at the different products the vendors were advertising. It was nice to
learn about a few local places that sell specialty itmes that could make
nice gifts.

We purchased a few small treats at the Cooking Expo that we thought
were unique and fun!