Nancy on the Home Front

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

When our son was home recently I wanted to make him a favorite dessert. We have had an abundance of blueberries this year so what better dessert to make then Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake. This moist Lemon Bundt cake is filled with fresh blueberries and topped with a sweet lemon glaze. If you have a blueberry lemon lover in your midst serve this fabulous dessert. I stored the leftovers in the fridge and they were delicious served cold!

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh blueberries
1 Tbsp. flour
2 ¾ cups flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Salt
¾ cups butter
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup oil
1 cup full fat sour cream

Lemon glaze:

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioners sugar
2-3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions:

First make the cake. Preheat your oven to 350. Add the blueberries and 1 Tbsp. of flour to a mixing bowl and toss together until all of the blueberries are coated with flour. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time and then mix in the vanilla. Slowly mix in the lemon juice, lemon zest and oil. Add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients on low speed. Mix in each addition until just combined, making sure not to over mix the batter. Add the blueberries and gently fold them into the batter until just combined.

Spray a 10-inch Bundt pan well with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and evenly spread it around.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake mix comes out clean. Remove from the oven and et cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then invert the cake onto the wire rack to finish cooling.

To make the glaze:

In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until well combined and no lumps remain. If the glaze is too thick, add a little more lemon juice. If the glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.

Pour the glaze on top of the Bundt cake and allow to sit for about 10-15 minutes so the glaze with harden.

September 2018 Update

Usually in September I am harvesting the last of the tomatoes. Putting my gardens to bed and getting ready for the winter ahead. I still hope to get out and do one last weeding in the garden and doing some deadheading before we head out on our next adventure.

In the meantime my life is boxes! Packing boxes, trying to figure out which box will work for what I’m trying to pack. I know the end is in sight because I have so many empty cupboards.

We have just two weeks left before the house is packed up and loaded into a truck. Trying to figure out what we need to wear for the next few weeks, what we need for the basic meals is a challenge. Looking at what we have on hand and trying to come up with meals. For example tonight will be pesto with pasta! Using up a box of pasta noodles and a small container of pesto from the freezer! End result…it was delicious!

I am so thankful for the friends that have offered meals during our last few days. I am also so thankful for the few frozen meals that will help us get through dinner planning.

The “To Do” list is long. Pack up the last little bits. Pack the suitcases for our drive west. Figure out what is going in the car and what goes on the truck. Figure out who to give the gas grill to? What about the various cleaning supplies, who gets those?

I would much rather have this September Update be about the blueberries that still need to be picked.

Usually I would be saving my tomato seeds for next year’s garden.

Our garage would be filled with drying garlic instead of boxes.

Instead of packing I would be making Blueberry Lemon Bread, using up some of those last blueberries.

However as this September races along we are getting ready for our move west and our next big adventure. I hope you continue to follow along, as we look for our next home, a home with room for a garden and a few chickens. We may be downsizing but I’m not ready to give up my garden yet!

Goal Setting Week 37

Two weeks and we are heading west! The house is looking very packed up, and it looks like everything has fallen into place and the closing will occur as planned.

~~1. Find a new hosting site for my blog and make it secure.~~ Done! This was the first goal accomplished this year and I am so happy to have a secure website.

2. Monetize my blog. I have set up two affiliate accounts. You may be noticing links to my favorite items on Amazon. I’ve also teamed up with an amazing heirloom seed company, Mary’s Heirloom Seeds. Really don’t want to clutter my blog up with too many ads however I sure appreciate any support in running this blog!

3. Create a cookbook. This is definitely getting put on hold. Hopefully I’ll have more time once we are relocated, this may be postponed until the new year!

4. ~~Be diligent about getting 10K steps in 5 out of 7 days a week.~~ I’ve decided to change this goal to 3 out of 7 days a week! I may not be getting outside to get my steps in but with all the running around packing and going upstairs and downstairs I am managing to get my steps in! Just so you know I count my week Tuesday to Tuesday since that is the day I post my goals!

5. ~~As we continue to prepare for our house sale, continue to de-clutter~~. DONE!!

6. ~~Read 25 books this year!~~ Done! I have read all the books I had set up to read this year. Of course this doesn’t mean I have stopped reading. This week I am reading The Storyteller’s Secret by Sejal Badani. Such a wonderful story, the main character is Jaya, a New York journalist, who travels to India to uncover her family’s past.

7. Have a consistent meal plan each week and prepare ahead. No plans other than to use up every little bit in the pantry and the freezer. Made broiled shrimp with couscous and frozen peppers last night. Used up a box of couscous, a bag of frozen peppers and some frozen shrimp. Plus it was absolutely delicious!

~~8. Finish 4 knitting projects.~~ Completed! Made two hats and two scarves. Since this goal is completed I am going to put the baby sweater I was working on aside. I have a hard time knitting when the weather is warm so I will finish this sweater but probably not until the fall! Maybe I’ll do some knitting on the drive west? I am planning to take my knitting bag in the car.

9. Clean out our freezer. Definitely a priority now! I have only 2 weeks to use up ingredients in the freezer and the pantry! The downstairs freezer is empty. Making progress on the upstairs freezer. As I mentioned above, used up the bag of peppers and the shrimp as well as a bag of peas. Not much left in there!

10. Take a few road trips and visit family and friends on the east coast that we will not see as often once we move to the west coast. Have two road trips planned before we move. One to visit my aunt and my husband’s aunt on the Cape. Our last visit will be to see my mother-in-law and enjoy one last meal at Pepe’s! It will be worth the wait!

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”

Zig Ziglar

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site.

For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting Nancy On The Home Front

One Month Before Moving

You may have read my post on Things To Consider when Making a Move. If you’ve followed all those suggestions on moving you are just about ready to load up the truck and take off to your new home! We actually have less than one month before moving, but I think we are just about ready!

In the month before you move you will be busy! It’s time to select your moving company if you haven’t already, and get written confirmation of your moving date, costs and other details.

When moving a house it is a good time to clear all your clutter. If you have lots to throw out, contact your local dumpster company who can take everything away for (usually) a small fee.

Start packing the things that you use most infrequently, such as the waffle iron and garden tools. While packing note items of special value that might require additional insurance from your moving company. Make sure to declare, in writing, any items valued over $100 per pound, such as a computer. I plan to do one last weeding of the garden and then pack my garden tools!

Add items such as jewelry and important files to a safe box that you’ll personally transport to your new home. Make sure to put the mover’s estimate in this box. You’ll need it for references on moving day. We plan to drive ourselves to our new home and will plan to have this box in the car with us.

Clearly label and number each box with it’s contents and the room it’s destined for. This will help you to keep an inventory of your belongings. Pack and label “essentials” boxes of items you’ll need right away!

Do a change of address! Go to your post office and fill out a change of address form, this can also be done online at usps.com.

Notify all important parties of your move, banks, brokerage firms, also the magazines and newspapers you subscribe to. Don’t forget to contact your credit card, insurance and phone and utility companies.

Contact your doctors to have them forward your medical records. Arrange for medical records to be sent to any new healthcare providers or obtain copies for yourself. Ask for any referrals as well.

If you are planning to drive to your new location make sure you take your car in to be serviced. If you’re moving to a new climate ask about what services you’re car might need.

Stock up on any prescriptions you’ll need in the next couple of weeks.

Plan to finish your packing a few days before the actual moving date. Then pack suitcases so that you’ll have enough clothes to wear until you are unpacked!

A few days before the big move, defrost your freezer if your refrigerator is moving with you. Make sure it is empty, clean and defrosted at least 24 hours before the moving day. We are not moving any of our appliances so we just have to make sure the stove and refrigerator are clean.

Figure out how you’re going to pay the mover. On the moving day make sure the moving truck that shows up is from the company you hired. The USDOT number painted on its side should be the same number on your estimate. Scams are not unheard of! Before the movers leave, sign the bill of lading/inventory list and keep a copy.

The last time we had a big move we all slept in sleeping bags the night before the movers came. The next morning we packed our suitcases in the car, the truck was packed and we were on our way! Hoping this move goes as easily!

Watermelon-Tomato Salad

Have you tried watermelons and tomatoes yet? It’s surprisingly good and with the addition of white balsamic dressing the salad won’t get muddy from the regular balsamic. I made this salad recently when we had a houseful over Labor Day weekend. This Watermelon-Tomato Salad was a hit; there weren’t even any leftovers!

This Watermelon-Tomato Salad is the perfect summertime salad. It is light and refreshing and the salty, sharp bite of the pecorino Romano chees is delicious. I can’t think of a more perfect salad to serve during the warm weather. this salad also travels well if you are asked to bring a salad to your next gathering.

Watermelon-Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. white balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

¼ tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Pepper

1 cup tomatoes, cut into chunks

1 cup baby arugula

¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced

¼ cup fresh mint

12 ounces seedless watermelon, cut into thin triangle slices

1 ounce pecorino Romano cheese, shaved

Directions:

Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients. Toss gently and serve immediately.

If you want to make this recipe ahead of time, add everything but the watermelon. Add the watermelon just before serving. As I said this Watermelon-Tomato Salad was delicious and perfect for a gathering with friends.

September Hiking in Vermont

Recently we went for a long hike on the Appalachian Trail. We hiked a section close to our home and the destination was Luce’s Lookout. Usually we do this hike later in the fall and enjoy the fall colors but early September hiking can be just as fun as long as the weather is good.

The one difference between early September hiking and fall hiking is the quietness. The leaves haven’t started to fall yet and it is so quiet as you walk along. The only sound is an occasional bird or chipmunk chattering away. We did hear some turkeys clucking in the distance, but for the most part our walk was so quiet.

There was also an abundance of wild mushrooms. We found all sorts of assorted mushrooms. My husband used to carve mushrooms and is interested in picking up that craft again. As a result we spent a lot of time looking for mushrooms during our September hike. The above mushroom is called a Turkey Tail. I think they are so beautiful. Various extracts of turkey tail mushrooms are said to prevent the formation and growth of many different types of cancers. Additionally, they reduce treatment-related side effects and restore weakened immune systems in cancer patients who have been subjects to harmful chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

I thought I’d share the pictures with you and do my best to identify the various kinds. The above mushroom is the Amanita jacksonii, a species of fungus in the Amanitaceae family. It is a reddish-orange colored mushroom species extending from the Province of Quebec, Canada to at least the State of Hidalgo, Mexico.

The above mushroom may be the Omphalotus illudens. commonly called the jack-o’lantern mushroom. It is a large orange mushroom that is often found in clumps on decaying stumps, buried roots or at the base of hardwood trees in eastern North America. Its gills often exhibit a weak green bioluminescence when fresh. Omphalotus illudens is sometimes confused with edible chanterelles but is poisonous to humans when eaten, whether raw or cooked, and typically causes vomiting, cramps, and diarrhea.

September hiking may not be for everyone, sometimes the weather can be hot or the bugs bothersome. However there is still so much to see and enjoy. I will miss these woods of Vermont.

We have been blessed to have both the Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail run so close to where we live. If we wanted we could actually walk to the Appalachian Trail from our house! I’m glad we had such a nice day to hike and enjoy the trail once more.

Yellow finger coral fungi (Clavulinopsis fusiformis) look like tiny yellow flames licking up out of the forest floor. Each finger might reach an inch high and grow in tight clusters, while look alikes do not. They are also called spindle corals and like to grow in the hard packed earth along forest trails.

While mushrooms are fun to find and interesting to try and identify I would not eat any of the ones we found without consulting a mycologist who could verify what we found and whether or not they are edible!

Goal Setting Week 36

Three weeks and we are heading west! At least that’s what the plan is. One more week before we know for sure that the issues are resolved. Everyone assures us that things we’ll be fine and we’ll close as planned.

~~1. Find a new hosting site for my blog and make it secure.~~ Done! This was the first goal accomplished this year and I am so happy to have a secure website.

3. Create a cookbook. This is definitely getting put on hold. Hopefully I’ll have more time once we are relocated, this may be postponed until the new year!

4. ~~Be diligent about getting 10K steps in 5 out of 7 days a week.~~ I’ve decided to change this goal to 3 out of 7 days a week! Busy, busy week. Our son left and more company arrived for an overnight, they left and we had a crowd here for the weekend. Friends we’ve know for ever! In fact one of the men visiting and my husband have been friends since they were 4! Got some nice walks in but did not meet my goal this week.

5. ~~As we continue to prepare for our house sale, continue to de-clutter~~. DONE!!

6. ~~Read 25 books this year!~~ Done! I have read all the books I had set up to read this year. Of course this doesn’t mean I have stopped reading. I’d been waiting for Glass Houses by Louise Penny which finally came in. I was trying to get it done before the return date and I almost made it. Nothing more frustrating that opening your Kindle app and seeing the book vanish before your eyes! I put another hold on it but I am #15! I was really enjoying it too.

7. Have a consistent meal plan each week and prepare ahead. This week all the prep was in preparing for a house full of company for Labor Day weekend! We had 9 people staying here for the weekend and twenty for dinner Sunday night. such a wonderful gathering of friends and family. the downstairs freezer is completely empty, we ate all the lasagna I had made for the weekend. Started off the weekend with 8 for dinner on Friday night. Served the Baked Spaghetti which was a hit!

9. Clean out our freezer. Definitely a priority now! I have only 3 weeks to use up ingredients in the freezer and the pantry! The downstairs freezer is empty. Making progress on the upstairs freezer. In another couple of weeks it should be just about empty! I was happy that the crowd consumed the majority of the food this weekend, ended up with very few leftovers! We will enjoy eating the last of the cake our friends surprised us with!

10. Take a few road trips and visit family and friends on the east coast that we will not see as often once we move to the west coast. We will be staying put until one last road trip in September. It was a full week of company again. So wonderful to catch up with everyone before we start our big adventure of moving west. We plan to make two stops on our trip west. It will be fun trip and we’ll beak it up with a two day stop in Colorado staying with friends.

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.”

Zig Ziglar

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site.

For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting Nancy On The Home Front

Food for a Crowd: Baked Spaghetti

My mother in law shared this recipe with me for Baked Spaghetti. It’s the perfect meal for a houseful of company. You can make it ahead; it feeds a crowd and is always a hit. I’ve shared this recipe before but it’s worth repeating especially when you are looking for food for a crowd.

When my son was home recently we were visited by 7 of his fraternity brothers, what better meal to make than Baked Spaghetti.

Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:

6 slices of bacon
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
3 – 14oz can diced tomatoes
2.25oz can of black olives, sliced
1-2 Tbsp. oregano
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey, browned
Box of thin spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
10oz can of mushroom soup
¼ cup water
¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Grease a 9×13-baking dish. Preheat your oven to 350.

Fry bacon, remove and cut into small pieces. In the same fry pan sauté the onion, garlic and green pepper. Add tomatoes, olives oregano, bacon and browned beef. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Assemble the casserole by placing ½ of the cooked spaghetti noodles in the casserole, top with ½ of the meat sauce and sprinkle with the cheddar. Repeat with the rest of the noodles and sauce.

Combine the mushroom soup with the ¼ cup of water. Pour over the casserole. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 35- 40 minutes.

Next time you are hosting houseful of company and need food for a crowd try this baked spaghetti, you can make it ahead and enjoy your company!

Goal Setting Week 35

Four weeks and we are heading west! At least that’s what the plan is. It looks like the issues are getting resolved and we are on track to move by the end of September. Oh, and if you noticed I skipped a few weeks I’m just adjusting what week it should be! Somehow I got mixed up along the way as to what week number it was!

~~1. Find a new hosting site for my blog and make it secure.~~ Done! This was the first goal accomplished this year and I am so happy to have a secure website.

3. Create a cookbook. This is definitely getting put on hold. Hopefully I’ll have more time once we are relocated, this may be postponed until the new year!

4. ~~Be diligent about getting 10K steps in 5 out of 7 days a week.~~ I’ve decided to change this goal to 3 out of 7 days a week! This week I met my goal! Between running up and downstairs as I pack boxes, we also went for a beautiful hike this past weekend. Our son was visiting from Seattle and it was the perfect day to go for a hike.

5. ~~As we continue to prepare for our house sale, continue to de-clutter~~. DONE!!

6. ~~Read 25 books this year!~~ Done! I’ve been doing a lot of reading in the evening as I am trying to read the three books I’d been waiting for at the library, of course all three came in at once. Read what I call a “beach read” this week. It was called Beach House For Rent by Mary Alice Monroe. It was a light read, took place in South Carolina on the beach. Cute story and I enjoyed this “beach read”.

7. Have a consistent meal plan each week and prepare ahead. Our son was visiting this week so we had a meal plan for the whole time he was here. Being a mom I wanted to cook his favorites. We also enjoyed a wonderful Lobster Roll Dinner from our local Farmer’s Market. A summertime treat only available every Friday during g August. Sunday 7 of his fraternity brothers came for an overnight. It was such fun having a large group around the table again. I made a batch of Baked Spaghetti which was a big hit. I’ll share the recipe on Friday. I also made popovers in muffin tins which were a great hit too. I have a special popover pan but it was packed. My son loves popovers so I used a muffin tin and they came out perfectly!

9. Clean out our freezer. Definitely a priority now! I have only 4 weeks to use up ingredients in the freezer and the pantry! The downstairs freezer is empty except for two lasagnas for Labor Day weekend. Making progress on the upstairs freezer. In another couple of weeks it should be just about empty!

10. Take a few road trips and visit family and friends on the east coast that we will not see as often once we move to the west coast. We will be staying put until one last road trip in September. This week we had lots of company! My son here, friends are stopping by for an overnight and we have a large group coming for Labor Day weekend. I will miss having a large house to entertain such large groups. Nothing I enjoy more than having lots of friends and family around the kitchen table. It reminds me of dinners at my mother’s years ago.

“You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.”

C.S. Lewis

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site.

For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting Nancy On The Home Front

Baking Popovers in a Muffin Tin

As we get ready to move I’m trying to use up everything in the pantry. What can you make when you have just a little flour left, a few eggs and some butter on hand. Popovers! I’ve shared this recipe before but it’s worth repeating. Making popovers is so easy if you haven’t tried it yet you should.

Pretty simple and fail proof. The hardest part is waiting once you’ve put the popovers in the oven. The batter can even be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, if you want. Popovers are best right from the oven. Serve with butter, jams, or other sweet or savory spreads. I have two popover pans, which make the most perfect popovers every time. One pan makes 12 mini popovers while the other pan makes 6 large popovers. Depending on how many people we have for dinner dictates which pan I will use.

This is the recipe I usually use when I have my popover pans.

Popovers

Ingredients:

1 popover pan

1 ¼ cup flour

¼ tsp. salt

3 large eggs

1 ¼ cup milk

2 Tbsp. butter cut into either 6 or 12 pieces, depending on what size popover pan you are using

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:

Oil or spray (with nonstick oil) popover pan. Preheat your oven to 400 and set the rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the popover pan for about 2 minutes.

Blend the flour, salt, eggs, milk and melted butter until the mixture has the consistency of heavy cream. This can be done in a food processor, a blender an electric mixer or by hand. Batter should be at room temperature.

Place 1 small piece of butter in each cup and place back in the oven until the butter is bubbling, about one minute. Fill each cup half full with batter and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven to 300 degrees and continue to bake for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Popovers are not hard to make and my family considers them a real treat. They are best eaten warm. Leftovers probably won’t be a problem as I’m sure your family will eat them right up!

But Can You Make Popovers in a Muffin Tin?

Of course when I went to look for my popover pan I realized it was already packed! The question was can you make popovers in a muffin tin? Absolutely. I used a slightly different recipe as I only wanted to make a small batch of 6 popovers. Here is the adjusted recipe.

Popovers in a Muffin Tin

Ingredients:

6 tsp. butter

2 large eggs

1 cup milk

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup flour

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425. Place 1 tsp. of butter in each of six cavities of your muffin tin. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Beat in the milk and then add the salt and flour. Whisk until the batter becomes smooth. The batter will resemble thin pancake batter.

Place the muffin tin with the butter in the oven for 3-4 minutes, this allows the pan to heat up and the butter to melt. When you pull the pan out of the oven, quickly divide the batter evenly into the buttered muffin cups.

Place bake in the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until the popovers are dark golden brown. Serve immediately.

The popovers were eaten immediately. It doesn’t matter if you use a special popover pan or a muffin tin to make your popovers. Both ways are delicious!