Last night’s snack
This is a lovely apple cake that we just had and I thought I should share it. I’ve actually tripled the recipe (except the apples) to fill a large lasagne pan (come one-how long would a five-by-five cake last in anyone’s house?).
Apples: 3 (preferably granny smith)
Ground Cinnamon: 2 tbsp (or according to your taste)
Vegetable Oil: 1/2 cup
Sugar: 1/2 cup
Eggs: 2 (preferably room temperature)
All-purpose Flour: 1 cup
Baking Powder: 1/2 tsp
Milk: 1/4 cup (optional)
Sugar: 1 tbsp (optional, preferably golden yellow)
Whipped Cream: or vanilla ice cream (optional to serve with)
Directions:
1. Grease and flour one 5×5 inch pan (or any pan of size roughly 25 square inches).
2. Peel and core the apples. Cut them into thin (thickness of about 5mm) half circles. Sprinkle the cinnamon over apples and toss to coat. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
4. Sift the flour and baking powder together. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl, mix vegetable oil and sugar using a whisk. Mix in the eggs, one at time and whisk well after each addition.
6. Gently mix in the flour mixture. Add the milk and whisk well (optional).
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Layer apple slices over the batter, tightly (such that each slice half-covers the other).
8. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the apple slices (optional). If you are a cinnamon-lover (as I am), sprinkle some more cinnamon on top.
9. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes. The cake is ready when the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
10. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Cut and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Tonight’s dinner
We’re just having lambchops with salad and brown rice so nothing too exciting to take a picture of or give a recipe for. I’ll think of somehting much more fun for tomorrow, especially since I took a look in the garden and have seen how many herbs are out already.
I spent the afternoon getting the pond up and running as well as, planting 200 plugs (small plants) of thyme into the lawn. This is my least favourite fob in the garden and takes me several hours each year to complete while being totally hunched over.
Why am I doing this? A few years ago I saw a great lawn that wasn’t grass. It was thyme and not only did it not need to be mowed but it also was great for not needing to ever be watered (which I wouldn’t be bothered doing anyway), white grubs don’t like it and it is always green. Thus for the past three years I have been putting 200 plugs of thyme into the lawn. It is slowly working but each year this just about kills my back.
I get them sent to me from a very reliable company called Richters. They have oodles of hard to find plants, their prices are great, the plants are super healthy and everything gets mailed to me which keeps me from going too crazy at the garden centre. Find them at http://www.richters.com/
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