Mango Bread (Fresh Mango Loaf Cake)

As you have probably already noticed I have a thing for fruit cakes, especially those with lemon. Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate. I really do...especially Swiss chocolate with nuts. But, quite honestly, I am not too crazy about chocolate cake. I am still searching for a chocolate cake that will inspire me. If and when I stumble across something interesting, I promise to write about it.

Lemon Cornmeal Cake

by Jill



In the midst of a cold and dreary Chicago winter it's nice to eat a little something sunny to get you through the day. And what could be more sunny than a lemon cake? I love this recipe because it's sweet and super moist and the little bit of cornmeal added along with the flour gives it such a unique taste.

While I planned on whipping this together quickly to bring to a dinner party tonight, instead I baked quite leisurely while enjoying a brief afternoon with Katia as she filled me in on her recent vacation to Brazil where she and the kids enjoyed seeing family and having a rendez-vous with summer down there south of the Equator. It's always hard to leave a warm vacation spot to come back here to the Arctic but what lays much heavier on the heart is leaving the comfort and love of one's parents and extended family never to know when or if you'll see them again. My heart goes out to you, my friend. It's a heartache I share with you when I return from visiting my family as well. I truly get it. It's the half a life you leave behind that just pulls at you. I hope the little bit of sun we shared today in the form of good company and a sweet treat helped let a little light back into your heart.

Lemon and Blackberry Olive Oil Cake

While I was never a super-dutiful blog follower, I did like to visit a few specific food blogs time and again. This was all before I began my own blog. Once I started blogging myself, I simply stopped being a blog consumer. I didn't do this consciously...rather, I had just simply stopped, totally unconscious of any reason why. Looking back, I initially figured I had gotten too busy. But then, the other day I was talkling about this with Jill and I realized more fully why I was avoiding the very blogs I used to enjoy perusing. I didn't want to somehow be influenced by them when commiserating on what to write about in my own blog. I would hate to subconsciously, out of some reverence for something I had come across, end up writing about something or photo-featuring something that someone else had already blogged. I always like to give credit where credit is due.

Almond Cake Roll with Dulce de Leche

This week was my first grader's first field trip to a pumpkin farm. He was very excited that I was leaving his twin brothers with a good friend so that I could come along with his class. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate and the field trip to the patch was cancelled due to the crazy "Cyclone" that hit Chicago.

Cranberry Orange Scones

I don’t think I ever seem scones until I was an undergrad at Urbana-Champaign. I honestly don't recall ever having seen scones in Brazil. However, upon stumbling across these delectable treats, I came to really enjoy them. My first encounter with these lovely sweet treats was at a cafe near where my children began attending a preschool co-op in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago. Nearby there was a coffee shop that sold delicious orange and cranberry scones which soon became my breakfast of choice accompanied by a latte.

Coconut Custardy Cake

It is quite true that in the summer lighter meals are so much more appealing. I just wish these hot days similarly diminished my sweet tooth. But really, what could be better than a nice homemade cake after a day out at the pool? This is a great recipe for those sultry afternoons where nothing says summer better than coconut. This custardy coconut cake is so moist and seasonal that it makes you feel like you are in the tropics even if you actually are in the Midwest. The real beauty of this cake though is that you can simply throw all the ingredients in a blender, turn it out into a pan and bake - simple as that!

Syrian-Style Date-Nut Torte

This past Saturday I attended MCC Full-Time School's Muslim Women's Spring Fashion Show & Bazaar in the beautiful north Chicago suburb of Morton Grove. I was pleasantly surprised by how wonderful it was. I congratulate these fellow Halal Mamas on the well-planned, professionally executed and enjoyable event. It was a great opportunity for my daughter and me to experience such a fun, high-energy show in a totally halal atmosphere. The clothes presented on the runway were impressive, displaying a modern take on Muslim fashion from retailers based all over the globe. I was especially taken by the abayas from Aab of the UK - these beautiful dresses exuded elegance as they were very simple yet made with incredibly fine fabric and attention to detail. The bazaar that followed was also fun and quite shop-worthy! I ended up with a nice printed tunic, an Indian Jewelry set and some bangles for my daughter.

Madeleines

The market is a great place to look for things that inspire me to cook. I typically shop for items beyond what's on my handy dandy shopping list, that is if I've remembered to bring the list from off the kitchen table. I guess it's a good thing my husband does most of the market runs in our house. Not only is he good at bringing the much-needed list, he always chooses great produce and picks up unusual or exotic items I would never think of getting. This is great for me since our tastes are so different and his additions to our kitchen help me to cook and bake beyond my comfort zone.