Valentines Day

Today is Valentines Day and I started out having breakfast with my sweet friends, Valerie, Maria, Nicole and Susan. We went to Panera and had a little knit fest. We really did more talking than knitting.

My husband brought me flowers...and took me back to Panera for lunch. Lol. I thought the lady working there was going to say, "Don't you ever make a meal at your own home?" But she didn't.

I can't wait for the lilies to open. Sadly, it's not warm enough here to make them open, and as you maybe can see out my window, there was no sun today either.

I made this delicious apple cake for dessert tonight.

It warranted seconds. Here is the recipe:

Apple Cake

9 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 Golden Delicious or Gala apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

Grated zest of 1/2 lemon

2 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Cinnamon, for dusting

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add apples and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.

2. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour a 6 cup Bundt pan. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter with the sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well mixed. Using a wooden spoon, beat in flour mixture in three batches, alternating with milk in two batches. Stir in apples.

3. Scrape batter into the pan and bake in the center of the oven until a toothpick stuck in the center of the cake comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Turn out on a wire rack and cool. Just before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar and cinnamon. Serve with creme fraiche.

p.s. I used an angel food pan, so it's a little flat. It will look much prettier in a Bundt pan.

Too delicious.

Speaking of cake, we had a visit from Bob and Nic recently and Nic made a double layer cake that was to die for. It was so tall, we had to measure it.

No wonder I can't lose any weight. Hmm, maybe I should make some changes to my diet. I have to think about that one.

The night was topped off with a good old fashioned Catholic school basketball game. Complete with opposing coach who thinks his team is playing for a college scholarship and that he is trying for a job in the NBA.

Little V is 00 there. Going for the rebound. We lost, of course, and I hate losing to jerky coaches.

All in all a nice day. So thankful for my good friends and my loving family.

Have a good night!