Lemonade Layer Cake

This one is for my sis... She needs a cake recipe for a fund-raiser... Lemonade Layer Cake is a great one, because it's not very often that you get several Lemon Cake options at a Cake Walk... And it's SPRING! And Lemonade Layer Cake is PERFECT for Spring!

Beat until well blended:

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

3 tablespoons thawed lemonade concentrate

2 teaspoons vanilla

Add (one @ a time, beating well after each addition)

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

(mixture will look curdled)

Sift together in a separate bowl:

2 cups flour (lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level with knife)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Add flour mixture alternately with 1 1/4 cups buttermilk to the sugar mixture, beat well after each addition. Preheat oven to 350. Pour batter into two greased and floured 9" round cake pans. Bake 20 minutes or until done. (passes toothpick test)

Frosting:

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

2 teaspoons thawed lemonade concentrate

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

8 oz. light cream cheese (not softened)

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Place first five ingredients in mixing bowl and beat on high speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat at low speed just until blended. (Do not overbeat.) Chill one hour. Frost cooled cake.

Store frosted cake loosely covered in fridge.

Enjoy!

Favorite Salad

My favorite salad (this week) is PERFECT for spring! I am very much a weather-oriented eater. For example, I cannot make chicken pot pie - much to my children's chagrin - in the Spring or Summer, it just isn't right.

Last night my kids wanted meatball subs for dinner. I do not like meat. I also do not like playing "short order cook"... So I scanned my recipe files & was so pleased to come across this recipe I picked up last Spring. It's a great accompaniment to Italian food so I whipped up these dressings - threw together the ingredients & PRESTO! I had a great dinner too!

Yes - I said dressing"S"... as in plural... as in... you make 2 different salad dressings - both delicious on their own - and mix them together on your salad and BAM! - I mean... YUM!

Ingredients for Bleu Cheese Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup vinegar (I use red wine)

1/4 cup (2 oz) Bleu Cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup sour cream

2 T green onions, chopped

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Whisk ingredients together & refrigerate before serving.

Ingredients for Red Wine Vinaigrette Dressing:

3 T Red Wine vinegar

1 T fresh lemon juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp kosher salt (sorry - not pictured)

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk ingredients together & refrigerate before serving.

I've experimented with 2 versions of this salad, but really, the possibilities are endless.

Italian Salad version (inspired by local restaurant Canella's)

Crisp Iceberg lettuce +

Red Leaf or Romaine Lettuce

Red Kidney Beans

Garbanzo Beans

shredded Mozzarella Cheese

diced Beets

croutons

Spring Salad version (inspired by neighbors - who served this "salad bar" style for a church function)

Romaine Lettuce +

Red Leaf Lettuce +

Spring Mix

Grilled Chicken - sliced or diced

Bacon Bits

Chives or Green Onions

Tomato, chopped

Bleu Cheese, crumbled

Hard Boiled Egg, chopped

Avocado, diced

Both of these versions with a mix of the 2 dressings are super tasty! Try it - you'll like it.