“It is a miracle if you can find true friends, and it is a miracle if you get to spend your days and evenings doing whatever it is you like to do, and the holiday season – like all the other seasons – is a good time not only to tell stories of miracles, but to think about the miracles in your own life, and to be grateful for them.” ~ Lemony Snicket, The Lump of Coal
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
We have been busy doing what we love this last week before Christmas, grateful for the miracles in our lives. My Bella Lumina Choir made holiday appearances at two senior centers, our grandson’s Minnesota Boy Choir made a guest appearance on Minnesota Public Radio and had the first of their winter concerts, and our other grandson’s basketball team played their last game before the holiday with an 83-19 win!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
I brought this breakfast cake to our Thanksgiving weekend at the lake, and expect I will also bring it to our annual New Year’s sleepover game and movie marathon. The recipe came from Alexandra’s Kitchen online. She said it reminds her of summer mornings… it reminds me of any lazy morning. Soft, delectable and cake-like without being a cake… simply delicious with a hint of lemon. I realized I only took one photo of it after it came out of the oven… don’t judge it by the photo, it’s really good!
BLUEBERRY BUTTERMILK BREAKFAST CAKE
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
- zest from 1 large lemon
- 1 cup sugar – set aside 1 tablespoon for sprinkling
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups flour – set aside 1/4 cup to toss with blueberries
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter with the lemon zest and the 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon of sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with 1/4 cup of flour, then whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder and salt.
Stir half the flour mixture into the batter. Add all the buttermilk and stir. Add remaining flour and stir until flour is absorbed. Fold in the blueberries.
Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan, and line with parchment if desired to make it easier to remove from the pan. Spread the batter in the pan and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake for 35-45 minutes, checking with a toothpick for doneness. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
