Its hot,hot,hot!

Man, Oregon weather can be a booger! 3 days ago I was freezin' and now I have a sunburn. It cooled down to a breezy 91 today. Yesterday I went to nap and woke up in August. Whew! It'd be great if we had a week or two to get revved up for summer. Still, it is nice not to be cold and wet.....Oh who am I kidding? I wouldn't be happy if the moon was, indeed, made of cheese. Maybe if it was dark chocolate?? I think it's safe to say the baking binges are over for the time being.
Since it was so hot, I left the slider open in the bedroom, and even though the screen was shut, I ended up with three soldier beetles and a very thirsty mosquito flying around. The soldier beetles must have found their way back out,or are hiding until I go to sleep, but the bloodsucker isn't going to be draining anyone else. I will, however, need to wash the wall.
On the up side, my yard is in full bloom. The winter daphne and tulips are done of course, but all the columbine is blooming and the carnations, rhodies, iris, coral bells (thanks Melanie), calendula, candytuft,and periwinkle as well. I think I probably lost all the cherries to frost AGAIN, but the fava beans and peas look good. We have to have broccoli tonight because it's starting to bloom, and the lettuce is already bolting. We just put in tomatoes, squash and artichokes; cukes, okra, and pole beans go in tomorrow. The sorrel is seeding up and the radishes are ready. The swiss chard is going bonkers and the basil loves the heat. I have two handfuls of currants this year (last year only one). We have the all-time favorite sungold tomatoes (got my first blossom!), a couple of heirlooms-cherokee purple and brandywine, and the cantaloupe plant that never died from last summer. It's a mystery how it survived. And I need to transplant the grapevine. Gosh, I'm a busy girl! Better get back at it.

Bakin' away again in sourdoughville

After an incredibly long hiatus my oven is back! I've since been on a baking binge-just making up for lost time. Bread, casseroles, cookies with the g-kids, and the latest, my Aunt Monica's sherry cake. I can't say it was only nostalgia that compelled me to bake it. It was definitely a factor (loved Aunt Monica..also loved the cake.) But it was also because the sherry bottle was in the middle of the floor and every time I had to step over it, I was reminded of how incredible those cakes are! I was using it to hold a cone of yarn still while I crocheted and being naturally lazy, I left it there until I couldn't hold back the yearning anymore. Since there's only DH and me in the house, we've had cake for dessert for the entire week. Now I've been pretty good about not eating sweets lately, trying to keep my blood sugar under control. But not this week. It's physically impossible for me to resist this particular cake. If you've ever had it, you're drooling right now, so you know of what I speak. If you haven't, well ....I'm so sorry for you!
I never wanted the glaze some people put on it, so that helped with the sugar content. To me, it's practically a sin to corrupt anything so delectable by putting a syrupy glaze on it. That part wasn't hard to resist at all...but the lightly sweet, rich nutmeggy perfection? I sooo lost that battle! Come to think of it, I believe I hear the siren song calling to me right this second.....yup, that's the song! I'm off to serve up the last two slices. I've earned it, sweating all day planting the garden. And then I'll start a new crochet project...just not one that needs a sherry bottle to hold it still, lol. TTFN