I have my lap top back

 I finally have my lap top back. It was running really slow and doing weird things for quite awhile, so Seth has fixed it for me. He had to take everything off it and re-set everything . So as far as I know I have a "brand new" lap top. Its running like a charm and all is well again. It is however, minus all my pictures. But they are safe. The above is a picture of my mothers day lily. I took it with my phone. Good picture for a "phone" I'm happy with it.

I just really wanted to remember this breakfast.  Homemade sourdough toast with my very own plum jam. Homemade Greek yogurt with Mandarin oranges. MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Well that's all for today... More again very soon.
Meanwhile, Ponder your blessings, some of them are unrecognizable at the moment but are truly there all the same.   Blessings, Sue

Fair Time.....

 It's once again fair time here is East County. If you have been reading long, you will remember fairs in the past with Allison showing her goats. This is her senior year and so she finally got to "do" her dairy heifer.

 This is Sweet Pea Honey Badger. She is a "loan" for Allison's FFA project from the Van Ommerimg Dairy here in Lakeside.

 Such a blessing to us because they actually kept her at the dairy and fed her and Allison got to go out and care for her and train her and show her...free. It costs a LOT of money to feed one of these babies and I'm not sure we would have been able to have her for a project this year without the Van Ommerings generosity.

 So this is the morning of. YES, that's me in the middle. I got roped in to help practice... by... "pretend your the judge"

 Some of the kids walked their cows around me and I stood there and said GOOD.... GREAT STACK....MOVE HER FEET A BIT BACK.... PERFECT!!!!!  You know all the things a great pretend judge would say!!!!! It was fun. Bless these girls hearts. They all have their white jeans and white shirts on under their sweats. Gonna have a talk with the big FFA kahuna about WHITE... COME ON REALLY.....

 This is the first year I have been able to fix my baby girls hair. I have been in the hospital every other fair. We have pictures of Jennifer and Molly fixing her hair. So finally, in the nick of time, I got my chance.

 So then after you hurry up and get ready... all the while trying to keep your clothes WHITE, you must sit around and wait.... and wait..... and wait your turn to show.

 Yes that's Daddies pesky little paw going in for a cheek pinch. hahahahahahahahaahahahah'

 Finally in the ring for showing. Allison did really great, Badger did really great. They didn't win any ribbons however. hahahah

 You see... Allison being a kid after my own heart, picked her heifer because she was CUTE... She was also the RUNT. hahahah    Her Ag. teacher warned her that she was picking the wrong cow for showing, but Allison said she was picking her because she was cute. SOOOOOOO If you know anything about judging dairy heifers... they are judged completely on the way they are built for having babies and producing milk NOT BEING EXCEPTIONALLY CUTE. hahahahahahahahah. A lot of character was built during this project and that's our real goal anyway.....

 Now Ruby.. on the other hand..... Won first place for best in her breed. Which again has nothing whatsoever to do with anything Allison could have or would have done but by simply the act of God making her perfect!!! hahahaha She is a Himalayan. And she is one of Allison's favorite pets. WIN...WIN....

And this is what my tired, woman child looks like the rest of the time, and by that I mean when she is not out wrangling thousand pound animals, reptiles and rodents. A beautiful angel if I may say so.... AND
 I MAY......
Blessings, Sue

Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy!!!!

 I am excited to share this cake with you. I made it for our Easter celebration and it was a BIG hit. It was fun to make and very easy.

 I found in one of my old cookbooks, Better Homes and Gardens, 1963, a recipe for a dear little yellow cake that is not only easy to whip up but really good. It turns out moist with a light crumb so I decided to use it a a base for my Lemon cake. I wanted my Lemon cake to turn out bright and sunny and taste of fresh lemons and I do believe I succeeded as there was not one crumb left on the plate, even after our ham dinner.

 The recipe is as follows:      Busy Day Cake

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour * see note at bottom*
2/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter or oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter until fluffy. Add everything but the flour and beat well. Add flour last and combine. Pour into a 9 inch greased and floured caked pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick come out clean.
This makes a single layer, cake. Perfect for a quick, light desert. You can use your imagination and add so many things to this recipe. I have served it with strawberries and whipped cream.
*note; To make all purpose flour into self rising flour which is better for some cakes etc you simply add 1 teaspoon baking powder to the 1 cup measuring cup and then finish off with flour to one cup.* Cool trick since I buy my flour in bulk and always all purpose. You can make all purpose into pastry flour by adding 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch in the same manner, I do that for my pie crusts.

Lemon Glaze
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 cups sugar
1 Tbs butter
The zest of one lemon, save some for the top of the cake if you want.
Put lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat just until sugar dissolves and butter melts. You don't need to actually cook it you just want the sugar to dissolve really well. Add lemon zest.

To make Lemon cake. Double the recipe for the busy day cake and bake in 2, 9 inch round cake pans. While baking make up your glaze and sit aside.

While cakes are still warm from oven poke holes all the way down to the pan with a wooden skewer or a fork. Make sure you poke alot of holes and make them deep. Pour the gaze over the top of the cakes and, make sure you get the sides too, and let them cool to room temperature. It will seem like a lot of glaze, but don't worry it will sink in. When your ready to decorate your cake, Place one cake on a plate, smear a bit of frosting and add second layer. Top with remaining frosting and sprinkle with lemon zest. It would be so pretty just like that but I added a few flowers from the bouquet I had that day. You could serve it with vanilla bean ice cream but believe me....It can stand alone.
Oh yes.... I cheated and used a tub of Pillsbury vanilla icing..
Please, please , please let me know if you make this. I would love to hear how it turned out. If you have any questions just ask in the comments.
Sunshiny Blessings, Sue