Great Pound Cake Recipe!

Fresh and Lively Pound Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup softened butter (margarine will be okay but butter is terrific!)
1 generous cup of granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon orange zest

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a vegetable spray, prepare a regular-sized loaf pan. Combine the dry ingredients and set aside. With an electric mixer, beat the butter until very light and fluffy. Slowly add the sugar until well incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Add the nutmeg, extracts and zest. Gently fold in the dry ingredients. Smooth into the loaf pan. Bake for approximately an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The top should be well-browned and cracked. Cool thoroughly in pan before removing and slicing.

Dinner is all wrapped up!

This is an easy, fun meal you can make ahead of time and pop in the oven while you do your homework!

1 pound of hamburger
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chili sauce or pasta sauce
1 large onion
1 large potato
2 tomatoes
4 slices of cheese

Divide the hamburger into four, thin patties. Put each pattie in the center of a 12-inch square of foil. Salt and pepper as desired. You can add herbs and spices of choice, too. Add a tablespoon of sauce and a slice of each vegetable and cheese to each pattie. Wrap packages very securely. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for approximately 2 two hours. You can check for tenderness. Serve in the foil with bread and a salad.

You can also use slices of carrots, cabbage, etc. This is an easily to personalize recipe!

Lemon Ice Cream

1 large lemon, juiced and zested
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream

Combine the lemon zest and sugar in the container of a food processor. Blend until the zest is very fine. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and milk until sugar has dissolved, then stir in the lemon juice. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cread until stiff. Gently fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture until evenly blended.

Pour the mixture into a loaf pan and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for 3 hours or until firm.

Donuts - so good, you might want to double the recipe!

I was blessed with an early start to the day AND a cool morning in the climate department so I decided to surprise the family with donuts. People seem to think this is a difficult task. It is surprising how fast you can whip up a batch of them. Sharing my recipe!

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
2 beaten eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Donut cutter*

Heavy-bottomed cooking pot for the oil and enough oil to fry the donuts. If you have a deep fryer, even better!

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and gently mix with a spoon until combined. It should be just combined. Knead the dough briefly on a floured surface. Roll out dough (you might have to do this in two or three installments.) to under 1/2 inch thick. Cut out donuts and holes and set out on waxed paper.

When the oil is hot (about 375 degrees in a fryer), put in enough donuts to cook without crowding. It takes about a minute on each side. Remove to a baking tray covered with several layers of paper towels to drain. Repeat until you are finished.

Combine a cup of granulated sugar with a generous tablespoon of cinnamon. Roll the donuts and arrange on trays, plates, whatever suits your purposes. They won't last long once the family smells them, anyway!

*If you can't find a donut cutter, you can use a round cookie cutter and a thimble or pill bottle cap to cut the hole.