This and that....

It's been raining here and cold here lately, but I was in the mood for some sunshine!  This lemon cake, served with homemade lemon curd and whipped cream, was like eating sunshine from a fork.  I sent some cake and curd with my college boy to share with his friends and we've been nibbling at the rest.  If you've never had real lemon curd, you are really missing out!  It's pretty easy to make if you have plenty of eggs and lemons.

LEMON CURD

2 1/3 c. sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 cup fresh lemon juice

4 large eggs

4 large egg yolks

4 T. butter, cut into pats

3 tsp. lemon zest (or more)

In pyrex bowl mix together the sugar and cornstarch.

Whisk in lemon juice and eggs and yolks.

Put in the microwave for 2 minutes and whisk, continue to cook at 2 minute intervals and whisk until the lemon curd becomes thick.  Add butter lastly and whisk well.  Allow lemon curd to cool and then refrigerate.  This recipe makes about 3 cups.  You may store curd in jars in the frig for a week.  I like it on everything from cake to biscuits to toast or straight off the spoon.

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Today was another windy, cloudy day so I didn't get to hang my bedding on the clothesline like I usually do on Monday.  The laundry all went through the dryer.  Since it was an "indoor day" I decided to make another bonnet to stay at my house for the days that Hazel Peach comes to visit.  This way we always have a sun hat for working and playing in the yard.  I really like this one.  It's reversible.

I also spent a chunk of time with my itibit sampler.  I embroidered three more squares and am about ready to go stitch some more tonight.  It seems some days I get the bug to stitch, and I don't want to quit.  I'm looking forward to finishing my sampler and then possibly starting another.   Amy from the 39 Squares Stitch-Along is going to have another stitch-along called Counting My Blessings.  The idea is to embroider one hundred square inch blocks, each one representing a blessing or a prayer.  I really like this idea.  It might take an eternity for me to finish, and it's not because I don't have enough blessings, I do, I just don't always keep up with everyone in the stitch-alongs.  But  that's okay with me.  I'll just begin and see where the project takes me.

Another item of interest is that BW, the calf, has a mommy.  He hardly knows what to do with her since his birth mother didn't lick him off, let alone feed him.  The men had to suckle BW on her so he would get the idea of where the milk comes from.  He thinks it comes from us!  This particular mama cow lost her calf to a fast-moving strain of intestinal disease.  The vet posted the dead calf (did an autopsy) and found out what it was, and we plan to vaccinate the young cows' calves as soon as we can get the vaccine.  In the meantime, BW and his new mama are getting to know each other.  I think he'll enjoy sucking real milk from the cow much more than drinking that icky powdered milk we were feeding him, don't you?