Friday Fish Dinner

Please join Michael for Foodie Friday at designsbygollum.blogspot.com for this delicious weekly event and get some inspiration.

This year I decided to be good and during Lent I will eat fish on Friday's. I made Tilapia which is becoming a favourite fish in my house for my husband and I, but my daughter refuses to even come near any fish.
While at the veggie store they had some zucchini which looked good and first I bought them I thought I would make a zucchini cake but as you can see I roasted them for the first time and I loved them otherwise I'm not too much of a fan of that veggie unless it's in a cake or muffin.

Roasted Zucchini Spears

[Adapted from The Classic Zucchini Cookbook]

2 medium zucchini, cut in half and then 3" spears.
2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp. EVOO [Extra Virgin Olive Oil]

salt and pepper to taste

Balsamic Vinegar

Preheat oven to 450 deg. Faren.

Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Arrange zucchini spears skin side down on baking sheet.

Lightly brush the cut sides of the zucchini with the EVOO, garlic and salt and pepper.

Roast for 15 till done or tender and lightly browned.

Transfer Zucchini to a serving plate and drizzle with Balsamic Vinegar.......serve warm.

*I omitted the Balsamic vinegar but used a wee bit of red pepper flakes crushed and some Italian seasoning.

Roasted and ready to eat.......yummmmmm.

Baked Tilapia

Preheat oven to 400 deg. Faren.

Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

I used some Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper sprinkled and rubbed some on the Tilapia fish fillets.

Roasted them for 25 min.............til done. Some ovens maybe different.

Here's my dinner on a plate........we also had Basmati buttered rice with some chick peas. I just use the canned chick peas and sauted some in a wee bit of butter and then add them to the cooked rice............. you can use any rice but this happens to be my husbands fav.

Thank you for visiting me today and do visit the other participants for some Foodie Friday fun!!!!!

On Top of the Piano

Today I'm joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for the first time for Tabletop Tuesday. Be sure and visit the other participants for some inspiration and fun.

This is on top of my piano that I have in a corner in my house. It's an old piano from the 1950's. I actually picked it up at a yard sale. It was a steal and my daughter was lil' and I wanted her to play the piano like I use to. She didn't want to really take lessons so I thought at this price I'll buy this piano and if she's better interested in her later years we would get a nice Baby Grand. ........but as you can see she played for 6 years and decided to quit.........I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Here's another tid bit for this piano purchase...........my husband is originally years and years ago from Turkey so every once in a while he likes to visit his childhood home.........well when he's gone by himself for a month this is when I buy big purchases and this was one of them. I could go on and tell you what I have purchased in the last 25 years when he goes away himself to Turkey and I stay behind due to business......but another time.

I have a very vast collection of Blue ad Whites which I keep in vignettes all over my home. The picture behind was my Mom's that I inherited, so it brings back memories.

This brass thingy is called a Samovar..........I actually have a few different ones. Also in silver that I have from my side of the Family from the Ukraine. But this brass one is from Turkey, it was used in the old days for tea. When I visist Turkey there are a few places where you can order one of these Samovar's and they bring the whole thing to your table and you can serve yourself in these small glass cups with no handles. They look like large shot glasses. The tea is so good and I'm not a tea drinker really.

Turkish Tea Samovar...........yummy tea.

This is my all time favourite lamp in my house. I purchased it in Buffalo at a mall as I was walking by and it was in the window. Isn't the lil' guy cute with his lil' hat?????

This figurine was my Mom's and I inherited it because for Mother's day I had purchased this for her when I was in High School..............it always reminds me of my Mom. [rip]

Thanks for stopping by! Love to hear from you all.........:-)

"Blue' Teddy Bears

Thank you Hostess Sally for hosting "BLUE MONDAY". For some fabulous and inspirational ideas and fun!.........

Be sure and visit the other participants at http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

Today I chose Mr. and Mrs. Bear to show for my Blue Monday because they are wearing blue clothes. I was looking around to see what was blue when this couple caught my eye........ :-)

Mr. Bear is so cute in his wool sweater.

Mrs. bear all decked out in her Blue checkered dress.

Thank you for visiting my Blog today for Blue Monday!!!!

Be sure and visit the other Bloggers on Blue Monday........due leave comments and don't forget me because I love to hear form you.

Antique Romantic Lamp

"Show and Tell Fridays"!
























I looooooove this Lamp, it has been around my Mom's house ever since I can remember. She got it sometime in the early 1950's. Well actually she bought it off an estate sale. I'm not sure how old it is but I do know that it's been in the family for 60 years.
My Mother adored this lamp, it was her favourite piece in her living room.........we were never allowed to touch it when we were younger. When my Mom passed away I inherited the Lamp, she always told me to keep it and as her wish I do. Maybe one of these days I will have it restored and rewired.

It looks all chipped away now, but I love the patina on it. I guess during the years the paint finish is coming off. When I dust it I do it very gently.................. I have had some comment on it like let me paint it for you, thats when I cringe.

I had some tassels and didn't have someplace really to hang them so for the time being I hung them on the Lamp and I guess they managaed to stay there.

.....here is the finial on top and I believe it is the original and the original lampshade.....but it is getting very fargile so I have to be extra careful with cleaning it.

Thanks so much for visiting my Show & Tell, if you haven't been over at Cindy's at My Romantic Home, please go visit and see what's new at her place and stop by as many Show & Tell participants that you can. I love looking to see what everyone is up to. There sure are some pretty creative Bloggers out there

Lemon Loaf

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Lemon Loaf

I know there are lots of recipes for Lemon Loaf but I thought I would post mine. It's from a cookbook from one of my vast collections of cookbooks.
The cover of the cookbook is called The Purity Cookbook. It was printed in the 1950's, I've been making this loaf for ever since I can remember.
It's sort of falling apart at the seams as I've been using for all these years.

Lemon Loaf

Preheat oven to 350 F. degrees.
Grease a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.

Sift together;
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Stir in;
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp. grated lemon peel




Cream;
1/2 cup butter

Beat in;
1 cup granulated sugar

Blend in beating til' light and fluffy;
2 eggs

Add sifted dry ingred. to creamed mixture alternately with;
1/2 cup milk



Make 3 dry and 2 liquid additions, combining lightly after each.

Turn into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated 350 deg. oven for 60 to 70 min. til toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 5 min., then drizzle over top a mixture of;
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice.

Cool, then remove from pan.

Enjoy!!!!!!






Lemon.........

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Coffee Cake

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Coffee Cake

This recipe is a "Blast from the Past" for this Coffee Cake..... it's a recipe that I grew up with that my Mom and Aunt use to make in the 60's [sounds ancient]. I remember they use to whip it up on Saturdays and then they would have some with a cup of coffee and me with some juice as I don't drink milk.
It came from a magazine from the 50's and it said that it had won 1st prize.........I have since lost that original cut/out article that I remember b/c as I got married I coped the recipe down and since then that recipe the original has been lost in the shuffle. So.......I'm glad that I copied it down years ago as I did. I also recall my Mom use to call it Jeanie's Cake, b/c I think that her good friend Jeanie had given her the recipe, that lady was one good baker.
My husband and daughter like to have a piece for breakfast if they are on the run or just in the evening with a cup of tea.
Baked and ready to cut and eat.

Someone couldn't wait to sample a piece while still warm.

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 cup cake flour, sifted

2 tsp. baking powder

Topping;

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

2 Tbsp. finely chopped walnuts

Directions;

Grease and flour an 8" square pan.

Preheat oven to 350 deg.

Combine sour cream and baking soda in a bowl separately........it will double.

In a mixing bowl blend butter and sugar thoroughly.

Add eggs and vanilla.......beat well.

Alternately add sifted dry ingredients and sour cream to butter and sugar.

Spread half of the batter into prepared pan.

Sprinkle with half the topping mixture.

Cover with remaining batter.

Sprinkle with remaining topping.

............Bake in a moderate oven of 350 for 45 to 50 min. til' done.

notes**** Sometime I double the recipe and use a 9 x 13 pan. this way I cut it up and freeze some for later. It is also great warm with a scoop of ice cream.

Ready to eat....................

Be sure and stop at http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/ for "Foodie friday", there are some amazing food blogs to see.

Blintzes

Be sure and stop at http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/ for "Foodie friday", there are some amazing food blogs to see.

I made these Blintzes the other day for my husband for a Valentine's Day treat........as I haven't cooked for over a month due to an illness. I got some skin infection on my leg and have been on antibiotics a 4th kind for a month with an intravenous stuck into my arm.....ouch! Finally I got a set of those meds orally and can now get my hands dirty so I decided to make these for him.

These Blintzes when I was small my Aunt Manya [RIP] use to turn out dozens at a a time. When she was lil' she said that her Grandma use to make hundreds of them for their large family, and they would all visit her she remembers and sit under this tree and enjoy them with cheese and sour cream on the side on Sunday afternoons...... in the old days they called them "Blini" and actually we still due in my home also.

Her are the Blintzes or Blini in my pan cooking away.

Stacked up high and ready to be filled........... :-)

Filled with a cheese filling and homemade strawberry preserves on the side.

Cheese Blintzes or Blini

1 1/2 cups milk OR 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup water

2 eggs, beaten

2 Tbsp. Butter melted and cooled

1 cup flour, all purpose or unbleached

pinch of salt

* additional butter or I use canola oil for greasing the pan.

Mix all the above ingredients in a blender until nice and smooth. you also may use a hand blender. I always let the batter rest for at least a good hour at room temperature.......or if refrigerated I usually let it sit overnight.

Heat a 6 or 7 inch skillet pan...........over heat that is moderately high.

Add about 2 Tbsp. of your batter, tilting the pan side to side and twirling as to cover the bottom. I usually brush before hand a bit of canola oil on the skillet so as it won't stick to the bottom or you may use butter if you prefer.

Cook the blini till the top looks dry..........and edges start to sort of curl. Most people don't flip over the Blini but I do as I like both sides cooked. If you cook both sides you don't need wax paper in between, but if you do one side you need wax paper in between.

I just use a spatula to flip them over and then on to a plate.

I have refrigerated these covered well in foil for up to 2 days in the refrigerature and filled them as I needed them.

To prevent cracking and tearing I bring them back to room temp.

For Filling the Blini............I usually spread about anywhere from 1 Tbsp. to 2 Tbsp. of filling. First I fold the sides and then roll in jelly roll fashion. Always plate them with the seams down as so they won't unwrap.

If I fill them up with cheese I melt butter in a skillet and cook them seam down first for about 3 to 4 min. on each side at a low heat so the butter doesn't burn.

I top them with some homemade preserves or sour cream on the side or some yummy applesauce........

Another favourite filling in my home is a mushroom filling, first I dip the filled Blini in an egg wash then into breadcrumbs and saute...........so yummy........... like a breaded crepe.

Ready to eat.

Thanks for stopping by.