BLISS!

Hello everyone!  I hope you all are enjoying your May so far.  We are getting our April showers a month late here, but that's OK because it gives me time to do all the things I should have done last month but didn't.  Like taking down the heavy draperies and hanging the lace and sheer ones. While I was at it, I  put a vase of pussy willows on the window sill.  One of the things I love most about this old house is that it has nice deep window ledges.  Perfect for flower vases.  Aren't pussy willows wonderful?  Something about them belongs in the fairy tale realm.  By the by, can you see how close our house is to the neighbors?  That should give you an idea about the size of the yard we have.  So no more excuses about lack of yard for not gardening, now!

Now if you have remained with me after my scolding, I will reward you with a picture of my little southern border garden. Ha!  At the moment it is in it's purple/lavender glory, with lilacs, tulips and aliums in bloom.  I'd like to take credit for planning such a beautiful display, but the truth is it is just one of those happy happenstances.  I planted the mini-mini lilacs (they only grow to two feet tall!) but the tulips were there from the previous owner.  And last year I bought the alium bulbs at the end of the season for a deeply discounted price.  After they sat around the house for a week or so, I decided I better get them planted before the snow flew, so I just popped them in where the ground was easiest to dig.  And there they are! The perfect companion to the tulips and lilacs.  What a delight to discover them this spring.  I'm ashamed to admit it, but I had forgotten all about them.  What a wonderful surprise!

May is also, the month of my dear husband Ran's birthday.  He requested kuchen or crumb cake for his birthday.  This picture doesn't do it justice, but it was the last piece grabbed away from you-know-who to get a shot before being eaten.  I love to bake, but with Jamie being not much of a sweets eater and me being perpetually on a diet, I rarely get the opportunity.  A far cry from the days when all the boys were at home and there were always big crowds of  neighborhood children lurking in the kitchen, waiting for cookies or pies to come out of the oven.  My neighbor Pam, dubbed our house The Bakery.  A very nice thing to be, indeed.  So anyway, when I do get an opportunity to bake something, I don't hold back.  Farm fresh  eggs, real butter  and vanilla, cane sugar, and sour cream with the higher fat content the better.  I warn you, this is not a health food! But birthday cakes shouldn't be, should they?

Kuchen

1/2 C. butter
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 C. (8oz.) sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Topping:
1/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. brown sugar (I use dark)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 C. chopped nuts (I use pecans)

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the sour cream and vanilla; mix well.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Spread half of the batter into a greased 9 inch baking pan.  Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle half over the batter.  Spread the  remaining batter over top and sprinkle the remaining topping over the batter.  Gently swirl the topping with a butter knife through the batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

This is nice served with whipped cream and strawberries.  Maybe for a Mother's Day brunch?  I must confess we eat it  plain and warm from the oven, when the cinnamon part is all melty.  Tastes like a cinnamon roll.  Well, I hope that you all are enjoying and will continue to enjoy your lovely May. Until next time, I will leave you with a verse from my favorite hymn, Simple Gifts:

                                 And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
                                 "twill be in the valley of love and delight.