strawberry lemonade cake

I was already planning on making a chocolate cake for Mupma's birthday, so I wanted the second cake I made to be the total opposite.  Light and fruity.  What could be better than a strawberry lemonade cake?  Sweet, tart, light, fluffy.  Total heaven.

Have I mentioned already that I'm POSITIVE there is nothing scarier in the entire world then transporting cakes?  Just imagine trying to drive somewhere with a big gift, two wiggly boys, and TWO cakes?  One of which was on a pedestal?  Completely terrifying.  Luckily Jeff is awesome.  He put one cake at his feet (with a cover over it just in case!) and held onto the pedestal cake while I drove like two miles an hour.  Or, at least it felt like it.  It was the biggest relief ever to get to my parent's house and set the cakes down.

Once the cake has been made and cooled completely, frost the bottom layer and lay thinly sliced strawberries over the top and tightly as possible.  You want to get a good strawberry chunk in every bite.  Make sure the strawberry slices have been washed and dried thoroughly before slicing.

There is nothing better than a nice fresh strawberry!

Place the second layer of cake over the strawberry slices and finish frosting the cake.  This cake came out of the oven with fairly flat tops so I didn't need to slice off any puffy tops.  I just left them as-is.  If you want to place strawberries like this around the edges of the cake, just make sure they have been stemmed and thoroughly rinsed and dried.  Also, you might want to do this part as close to serving as possible.  You really don't want to deal with the possibility of them dripping juice down the side of the cake, or sliding around on top.  No thank you!  Also, this cake should be refrigerated as soon as you finish frosting.

I just love a nice fluffy fruity cake.  It is just such a classic look.

The worst part about there being two cakes at a party is that you feel like you need to try both of them!  I love my chocolate cake, so I needed a sliver, but I was trying out new recipes with this strawberry lemonade cake, so OF COURSE I needed a little piece of it too.  *sigh*  I suppose this is a great example of first world problems?  :)

If you saw my previous post you've already seen this photo.  I made both cakes for my Mupma's birthday party.  Because you need options when it comes to cakes.

Also, I don't believe there is a four year old alive who doesn't try to help blow out birthday candles when the chance presents itself.  Am I right?

Lemon Velvet Cake
recipe from Rock Recipes
http://www.rockrecipes.com/lemon-velvet-cake/

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

55 mins

Developed from an outstanding Red Velvet Cake recipe, this lemon cake is a perfectly moist and tender crumbed cake with a lemony buttercream frosting. An ideal birthday cake for the lemon lover in your life.

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups sifted all purpose flour
• 1½ cups sifted cake flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups sugar
• ⅔ cup vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup vegetable shortening at room temperature
• 1 tsp good quality vanilla extract
• 2 tsp pure lemon extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1½ cups buttermilk
• zest of two small or one large lemons, grated and finely chopped

Instructions

1. Grease and flour 2 nine inch round cake pans and line the bottom with 2 circles of parchment paper. Sift together both flours, baking soda. baking powder, salt and sugar, Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the vegetable oil, shortening, vanilla and lemon extract. Beat well at high speed with whisk attachment until light and fluffy
3. Beat the eggs in one at a time.
4. Fold in the lemon zest.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.
6. I always add dry ingredients in three divisions and liquid ingredients in 2 divisions. It is very important to begin and end the additions with the dry ingredients. Do not over mix the batter. As soon as it has no lumps in the batter, pour into the two prepared 9 inch cake pans.
7. Bake at 325 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Fresh Strawberry Frosting

(I kinda made this recipe up, and it worked fine, but frosted cake should be refrigerated until ready to serve, and if you want the frosting to be extra stiff add an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of powdered sugar)

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup fresh strawberried, stemmed and sliced
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar (add 1/2 to 1 cup more for firmer frosting)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Puree the strawberries.  Set aside.
2. Add butter to stand mixer and beat several minutes until white and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
3. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar to the butter and beat until creamy.
4. Add 1 more cup of powdered sugar and beat again until creamy.  
5. Add the strawberry puree and beat.
6. Add remaining powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy.  
7. For extra thick frosting add in additional powdered sugar, otherwise, frost the cake.  

note: There will be about 2 cups leftover frosting unless you frost very thickly.  If desired add stemmed strawberries in a ring around the top edges like I did.  If you are planning on doing that, wait until the last second and make sure the strawberries are very well dried.  Otherwise strawberry juice might start dripping down the side of you cake.

8 uses for lemon juice and simple syrup

I think fresh squeezed lemon juice (it really makes a difference) and simple syrups (especially flavored ones) get the short end of the stick in the kitchen.  Either people don't remember to use them, don't know what to do with them, or think they are too much work to make.

You don't know what you're missing!

I like to make a big batch of each and keep in bottles in my fridge.  Bonus if you put them in pretty bottles.  I always find super cheap but pretty and functional bottles in places like Marshall's.

The simple syrup especially lasts forever because you only need a splash most of the time.  My favorite uses for these two include:

1. a splash of lemon juice to brighten up a soup.
2. lemon juice mixed with powdered sugar over crepes (Jeff is a master of crepes!)
3. lemonade.
4. lemon drops (cocktail, not candy.  Hmm, now I need to try making the candy...)
5. a splash of lemon and/or syrup used with a soda stream.
6. a splash of lemon and/or syrup mixed in tea.
7. a splash of lemon and/or syrup sprinkled over fruit.
8. Add fruit  to lemon juice and simple syrup to make freezer jam.

Making Simple Syrup
Making simple syrup, flavored or plain is soo easy, and just takes a few minutes.  In a small saucepan pour in an equal measurement of sugar and water (say 1 cup of each) and bring to a boil  Stir.  When the sugar has completed dissolved into the water, turn off the heat, let cool, pour into a sealed container of your choice and store in your fridge.  So easy.  If you want to up your game and flavor the syrup, either stir in an extract once the syrup has cooled, steep some teabags for several minutes in the syrup while still hot, throw some herbs (thyme, lavender, whatever) into a mesh bag and steep for a few minutes while still hot... the possibles are almost endless!

Boil the sugar and water

pick an optional mix-in

If your mix-in is not an extract then add and steep in syrup while still hot.  I used three bags of green tea in 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water, the green tea flavor is mild.

If you want your syrup to be a pretty color be careful about which add-in you use.  Green tea gives a nice mellow flavor, but is an unattractive green color.  I put mine in a blue bottle to hide the color!

Liam and I each have a new favorite drink.  His is Green Tea Lemonade.  Mine is the grown up version, the Green Tea Lemon Drop.  Oh yeah.  That's right.  I added green tea to my simple syrup for a refreshing summery twist on the originals.

Green Tea Lemonade (makes 1 serving)
1/4 Cup green tea simple syrup
1/4 Cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 - 1 Cup cold water

Mix together and serve.

Green Tea Lemon Drop (makes 1 serving)
I used a shot glass for measurement

1 part vodka
1/2 part lemon juice
2 parts green tea simple syrup
lemon slice garnish (optional)


Hopefully this will get you thinking about other fun ways to use lemon juice and/or simple syrup.  I know I'm still thinking of fun uses!

Mediterranean tapas

Sorry, I've been a bit absentee lately.  Thanksgiving, having company stay, getting sick, having two wild and crazy boys, etc.  It's been a bit mental this Fall!  This recipe has actually been in the works for a while, but as you'll see when you scroll down, its fairly long and actually involves multiple recipes.

Okay, I know most people wouldn't really put Mediterranean and tapas together, but I really don't know what else to call this, because its accurate.  And yummy.

This spread is great to just leave out on the counter and grab at will.  The veggies are easy, just use what you have.  I made some pitas pretty quickly (they taste better than store bought, but they aren't as pretty).  I like to put a little of everything on my plate, and I've learned to make a lot of hummus because Jeff will eat gallons of the stuff in one sitting.

This hummus recipe can be easily halved, and is very quick and easy to make.  You don't even need that many ingredients (other than seasonings).  I don't use tahini because I really dislike the flavor and consistency.

This is all you need to make a good basic hummus: garbanzo beans, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt, cumin, water (not pictured), and a food processor.

Pulse until smooth, adding more water if necessary.  If you like a little heat add some cayenne.  I know this sounds weird, but before adding the garbanzo beans into the food processor I microwave them in a bowl for 2 minutes.  This helps soften them and they puree better.  Once the hummus is ready, scrape it into a bowl and refrigerate until cool.

Now comes the finish.  This isn't very pretty is it?  Not so much.  Time to dress it up with a light drizzle of olive oil and a few shakes of paprika.

So much better.

This hummus is easy, yummy, healthy, and will last over a week in the fridge in an airtight container.

Onto the carrots!  These are very simple to make too.  Start by dicing the carrots and steaming them until they are soft (not mushy!)

Saute some garlic until it turns golden and soft.

And here are your seasonings: cayenne, paprika, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, and coriander.

Toss the carrots in a pan with the garlic, salt, seasonings, lemon juice, and water.

Voila.  All done.  Healthy, delicious, easy to grab, colorful tapas.  Also, I can tell a meal is a winner when the kids take all of it before I can eat it!

Once again, store bought pitas are fine, but these were easy and so good.  Here's the excellent recipe from the view from great island on how to make perfect pitas every time.  I made 8 pitas with this recipe.  They were thick and doughy (in a good way), but thin enough to have pockets and be pliable.
I highly recommend this recipe, but make sure you give yourself about an hour and a half to complete it, there is a lot of resting dough time involved.

My stomach is officially growling now... :)

Mediterranean tapas:

ingredients:

• veggies (red bell peppers, spinach, etc.)
• pita triangles

hummus:

• two 15 oz cans garbanzo beans
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp olive oil (more for top)
• 1 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
• water as needed
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• paprika for top

carrot dip:

• 3 large carrots, diced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 garlic cloves, diced
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• water as needed

directions:
1.  Cut up some veggies and pitas and spread them on a plate with some greens (spinach, lettuce, etc.)
2.  To make the hummus, drain and rinse the garbanzo beans.  Microwave in a heat safe bowl for two minutes, until warm through.  Add into food processor with salt, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley, cumin, garlic, and optional cayenne.  Pulse until smooth.  Add water 1/2 tablespoon at a time to get the consistency you want.  Occasionally scrape the sides down.  Once smooth, scrape hummus into a bowl and refrigerate until cool.  Serve.  Store in an airtight container for at least a week.
3.  To make the carrot dip dice the carrots and steam them until just soft.  Set aside.  Saute the diced garlic with the olive oil until lightly golden and fragrant on medium heat.  Add in the carrots and season with the salt, coriander, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, paprika, and cayenne.  Mix together well.  Pour in the lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of water at a time until you have a bit of a sauce.  Serve warm.

orzo soup

This soup makes me so happy.  It looks like sunshine and tastes like it too, mixed with lemons.  It sounds strange I know.  I don't usually think of lemons and soup together, but it works.  The orzo and bit of cornstarch make the soup creamy and I just can't get enough of the color.  

You know what else makes me happy?  Cooking with wine.  :)  White wine can really kick up soup a notch.  And a little for me, a little for the soup...

On a completely unrelated note, sorry about the lack of posts for the past week or so.  Apparently it is really difficult to find time to blog while prepping for vacation and getting Liam ready to start preschool.  He's growing up so fast!  Crazy.

As oh so many of my recipes begin cut up the onion, carrots, and garlic and stir on medium heat with olive oil for about five minutes.

Add everything but the orzo and bring to a boil.  Let simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the orzo and continue to cook on medium low.  Stir fairly often to discourage sticking.  Take off the heat as soon as the orzo is soft and enjoy!  I love my soup with a nice piece of fresh bread and a glass of white wine.  Delicious!

 
I like my soup fairly thick.  If you want yours to be a bit thicker or thinner don't hesitate to add a bit more orzo or some more chicken broth.

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orzo soup

by Liesl September-3-2014

delightfully zesty and creamy soup

Ingredients

• 2 large garlic cloves, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 1/2 cup orzo

Instructions

1. Dice up the garlic, onion, and carrot. Saute in olive oil and salt on medium heat for five minutes until fragrant.
2. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, cornstarch, white wine, and thyme. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the orzo, stirring often to avoid sticking. Feel free to add more orzo or broth to change the thickness to your tastes. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins 
Cook time: 50 mins 
Total time: 55 mins 

Yield: 4 servings

crockpot lemon tilapia

This is the easiest and most foolproof recipe I think I've ever done.  It only requires a crockpot and a small amount of ingredients.  This is perfect for a busy afternoon when you need to figure out something for dinner.  Besides the fact that Jeff and both kids loved this, my favorite part about this is the extreme lack of cleanup needed.  Seriously, the food all goes on your plate, the foil gets tossed, and the crockpot is spotless.

Start with two tilapia fillets, although you can make more if you prefer, my crockpot is small, so it could only fit two comfortably.  Drizzle with olive oil lemon juice, then slice the lemon and place it over the tilapia, along with the seasonings.

Fold the foil into a packet and place it in the crockpot on low for two hours with the lid on.  If your fish was taken straight from the freezer, keep it in for three hours.  Oh my gosh, pleeease don't pay attention to my hideously stained crockpot.  I just now noticed how terrible it looks.  Ugh...

It should be flaky and soft.

Remove the tilapia onto a plate and brush with some of the olive oil and lemon juice from the packet.

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crockpot lemon tilapia

by Liesl July-22-2014

simple and easy tilapia

Ingredients

• 2 tilapia fillets
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small lemon, sliced
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic
• 1/4 tsp oregano

Instructions

1. Place the tilapia in foil and drizzle with olive oil, squeeze lemon juice over the fish and slice the lemon, laying it over the fish. Sprinkle the seasonings over top and seal the foil up in a packet form. Place the packet in a crock pot on low with the lid on. Remove after 2 hours (3 hours if the tilapia started out frozen) or when the tilapia is hot and flakes off easily. Serve with the lemon slices and some of the olive oil brushed over the top.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 2 hour Total time: 2 hour 5 mins Yield: 2 fillets