Rain ~ Three Kings Day ~ Picture of the Day ~ Canadian Lakes ~ Easy Lemon Pound Cake ~ Alexandria Follen ~ National Shortbread Day

 

Good 38º dark cloudy/foggy morning. 

The rain started yesterday morning early. Of course Bruiser was out and about and came in soaking wet! 

Today is Epiphany or Three Kings Day (https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/epiphany)

Picture of the Day ....

Interesting....

Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined. Approximately 60 percent of the world’s lakes are in Canada. At last count, there may be as many as two million, with 563 of them larger than 100 square kilometres. Among its largest lakes are Lake Huron in Ontario, Great Bear Lake in the Northwestern Territories and Lake Superior also in Ontario. The Great Lakes, straddling the Canada-U.S. boundary, contain 18% of the world's fresh lake water. In all, a whopping 9% of Canada’s surface is covered in fresh water.

Here is a partial list of the Canadian lakes....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lakes_of_Canada

Easy Lemon Pound Cake

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cups butter, softened

1 T. fresh lemon juice

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 T. lemon zest

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1/2 cup sour cream

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 t. lemon juice

Heat oven to 350º. Grease with shortening a 9x5 loaf pan, lightly flour.

In large bowl, beat granulated sugar and softened butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add 1 T. lemon juice and egga sn beat until well mixed. Beat in remaining cake ingredients 1-2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until well mixed. Pour evenly into pan.

Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes or until toothpick insercte in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Turn upside down on cooling rack. Cool completely about 2 hours.

In small bowl mix powered sugar and lemon juice, 1 t. at a time, until thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over cake.

***

• Pound cake gets its name from the fact that the original recipe called for 1 pound each of flour, sugar, butter and eggs.
• 
  
• For a different look, cut your loaf into wedges instead of traditional slices.
• 
  
• Cake will stay moist stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• 
  
• To freeze pound cake, wrap cooled cake without icing in heavy-duty foil, then place in resealable food-storage plastic bag. Thaw at room temperature. Drizzle with icing before serving.
• 
  
• If you have leftover cake, you can seal individual slices inside sandwich-size food-storage plastic bags. Defrost a slice whenever you need a quick treat!

Special birthday today.... my granddaughter Alex is 24 years old. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JELLY BEAN!!! Love you!!! xoxoxo

She is the one who nicknamed me Bobo. She couldn't say "grandma", it came out Bobo! I nicknamed her Jelly Bean because I always kept a jar of Jelly Bellies and she loved them!

With her grandpa Jerry....

With me at just under a year old....

Historically this date...........

1912 – New Mexico is admitted as the 47th U.S. state.

1994 – Nancy Kerrigan is clubbed on the knee at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, Michigan.

And births this date include....

1912 – Danny Thomas, American actor (d. 1991)

1913 – Loretta Young, American actress (d. 2000)

1926 – Mickey Hargitay, Hungarian-born American actor and bodybuilder (d. 2006)

1931 – Capucine, French actress (d. 1990)

On 17 March 1990, Capucine jumped from her eighth-floor apartment in Lausanne Switzerland, where she had lived for 28 years, having reportedly suffered from illness and depression for some time. Sad.... she was such a beauty and a good actress!

1960 – Howie Long, American football player and analyst

All I know. Nuff said. Happy Back to School Back to Work Monday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Shortbread Day on January 6th recognizes a classic Scottish treat enjoyed around the world. 

Shortbread is a traditional Scottish dessert typically made with:

• 1 part white sugar
• 2 parts butter
• 3 parts flour

Modern recipes deviate from the 3 ingredient rule by splitting the sugar portion into equal parts of granulated sugar and powdered sugar and adding salt. Plain white (wheat) flour is commonly used. However, some bakers use ground rice or cornflour to alter the texture.

Shortbread earns its name because of its crumbly texture. Its high-fat content provided by the butter results in a short-bread crumb.  “Shortening” refers to any fat that may be added to produce a “short” (crumbly) texture.

Prepared often during the 12th century, Mary, Queen of Scots receives credit for the innovation of the shortbread during the 16th century.  As it was expensive to make, the sweet cookie was reserved as a luxury for special occasions.

In Shetland (northeast of mainland Britain), they traditionally break a decorated shortbread cake over the head of a new bride upon the entrance of her new home.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Shortbread cookies and bars call for sharing. Invite a friend over for tea and enjoy these delicately flavored treats while catching up. Share them with co-workers or invite nieces and nephews to help you bake up a new recipe. We supply you with four different recipes to try. If you need something a little more challenging, the internet provides many flavorful options. Be sure to share your celebration, too!

Scottish Shortbread IVShortbread (With Rice Flour)Shortbread Cookies IIScotch Shortbread bars

NATIONAL SHORTBREAD DAY HISTORY

National Day Calendar continues to research this indulgent cookie holiday. While we do, we’re going to dunk a few freshly baked Scottish shortbreads into our coffee. We suggest you do, too!