A Sunday

Sunday, 

after church and after lunch

I was busy in the kitchen

Almond Poppyseed Cake -- three of them!

Baking three sheet cakes for

The Friends Fest

on Tuesday

Almond Poppyseed Cake

a favorite

for it's moist, full of almond flavoring and poppyseed

and topped with a great white glaze

After we had delivered them, 

we loaded Dolly in the car 

and headed to

Where we had the Rotary Oktoberfest last Thursday.

Our City Park

Where Husband Jim took off on a long walk

and I followed wherever Dolly wanted to go.

Fern Lake

at the park

has ducks.

We always take a loaf of bread to feed them.

That's what cheap soft white bread is for . . .

feeding ducks!

It was a bit cool at the park and even though we kept warm by walking,

I felt it was time for tea when we got home.

Earl Grey is afternoon tea of choice

In the sunroom, surrounded by the citrus

Three cakes and one batch of cookies.

Freshly baked hazelnut cookies

A book is always at hand for afternoon tea.

A special tea cup, the everyday tea pot.

This cup encouraged me to make "time for tea" every afternoon.

When I retired, Friend Grace gifted me with this tea cup

And for a long time it was my afternoon cup for tea.

For then I would have "time for tea".

I put it up and haven't used it for a while.

But it seemed appropriate today.

For I took "time for tea"

Dolly entertained me as I had my afternoon tea.

One calm squirrel and one upset corgi

One of her "duties" is to keep cats and squirrels out of the yard.

(Ollie taught her that -- it's a corgi responsibility at Linderhof)

But the squirrel knew that a short little dog,

no matter how "barky"

could not reach it.

And so it sat and ate.

Dolly thought the squirrel should go back up it's tree

and back to it's home.

She kept telling it so!

The squirrel, I'm sure, thought that the dog should go back into the house.

I think it was a stalemate!

Dolly is one tired puppy.
Between a long walk in the park
And trying to rid the garden of squirrels
A nap is in order!

And for Jan, who visited last Sunday,
the recipe for the almond poppyseed cake.

I promised and she's looking for a cake to serve a crowd
And this one certainly does -- tastefully!

LISSA'S ALMOND POPPYSEED CAKE

3 eggs

2 1/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. milk

1 c. vegetable oil

1 1/2 t. almond extract

1 1/2 t. vanilla

3 c. flour

4 1/2 t. poppy seeds

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 1/2 t. salt

Glaze:

2 T. butter, softened

2 to 2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 to 3 T. milk

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, milk, boil, extracts.    Combine the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt; add to the egg mixture and mix just until combined.    Spread into a greased 15 x 10 pan (I use a 18 x 12 sometimes).    Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.     Cool on wire rack.

In a mixing bowl, combine the glaze ingredients; mix until smooth.   Frost cake.

NOTE:   I did use the 18 x 12 inch pan for the cakes.    It's a bit thinner of a cake but it's still good.