Mom's favorite Angel Food Cake

While my mom is a whiz kid when it comes to sewing, quilting, thrifting, crafting, reupholstering, and even producing artwork, she is not the cook in our family, Dad is. I love telling this on her: Mom once burned boiled eggs! (While reading a book, she cooked the water out of the pan.)

To save energy when boiling eggs on an electric stove-top burner,
bring pan to a boil, then turn off heat and set timer for 10 minutes.
(Yeah, a smaller pan would've saved even more when boiling just two!)

   Both my folks are very generous in sharing their talents with us "kids," and there is no way I could ever give back as much as they have given and continue to give to me. So, it is my great pleasure to sometimes share what I cook around here, and Mom especially loves it when I surprise her with an angel food cake.
   With a stand mixer, angel food cakes from scratch are pretty simple. Not quite as easy when standing with a hand mixer for 10 minutes of whipping the egg whites, but I've done it. Even used a hand whisk once to see if I could...boy, did my bicep "feel the burn," but the cake tasted good!
   For Mom's favorite angel food cake, I use this Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook recipe, except I do sift together the powdered sugar and flour instead of just stirring them together.
   Sun came to see us today & even stayed awhile! Rumor has it we're in for sunny days all weekend. Yea! Hope the Memorial Day weekend sun shines on you as you remember those you love, as well as those you've loved and lost.

Something oddly satisfying about the folding-in stage.

Living with more than enough and even some to share

Planting edibles in the front yard...chives add cute little purple puffs of color!

Hubby is my favorite gardener. Each year he grows more than I can cook, and we feel blessed to be able to share what we can't use.
   When family and friends have had all they can take, we take extra produce to our local Centro Latino, which distributes charitable gifts free of charge to migrant and immigrant families in need.
   And these days, we don't even confine the foodstuffs to the garden out back.
   Since I am a terribly LAZY cook, I'm trying to think less "flower garden" and more "edible landscaping" right out our front door. That way herbs/whatevers are just a step away and I don't have to tramp out to the garden. Not that it's far away as we only live on an acre of ground, but did I mention that I'm lazy? ;)
   Got the idea originally from an article in Mother Earth News: "Grow $700 of Food in Less than 100 Square Feet." Who'd have thought food could be incorporated seamlessly into attractive landscaping?
   Anyway, some folks out in Sonoma, California are spreading the word about folks sharing their garden riches with others while reducing those thirsty lawns, and 350.org is trying to help this charitable giving go viral.
   Congrats to all those planting to share with others on May 15th and 16th--they're earning stars in heaven! For more info on how to join this effort, check out the 350 Home and Garden Challenge.

Happy Passover--celebrating each other's faiths with food!

Banana bread cooling; blond brownie dough ready to bake.

My blond brownies turned out okay, but I'll keep looking for the BEST recipe. Meantime, you may want to check out these Chocolate-Covered Caramelized Matzoh Crunch by David Lebovitz. Pretty much the same as the Saltine Cookies I make, but using Matzoh makes a nice Passover variation.
   I'm not Jewish, but I love celebrating foods with other faiths.
   I feel privileged to have visited and witnessed Rosh Hashanah services at a Jewish Temple, Friday prayer at a Muslim Mosque, a worship service at a Hindu Temple and a meditation with a Buddhist Dharma study group. Not to mention visits to several different Christian denominations.

One for Hubby to take hunting; one for freezer for later.

   Some of these visits were college credit requirements for a class in Comparative Religions; some visits were made for fellowship with friends. I am richer for having all these experiences -- MUCH richer for gaining a respect for all the different faiths. Gives me great hope to know the MAJORITY of us are seeking to find and do the right thing by each other.
And now for my cooking confession:
   Did I mention that I'm lazy? The pic at top tells the tale. Once it cooled in the pan on the rack, I propped my banana bread on top of the pan to finish cooling, so I wouldn't have to clean the cooling rack!
   Washing dishes never seems to end. If anyone likes washing dishes, please teach me your secret! Better yet...tell me how YOU avoid cleaning something!

Share the surplus

The last green peppers and tomatoes from the garden filled two large grocery sacks. After keeping a few for our use, I took the lot to my folks, who took what they wanted. What was left I took to the local Centro Latino (outreach center for immigrants/migrants), along with the last of the jalapeños picked before the frost. This was such a little thing too do, very little effort on my part (especially because my husband culled the garden), but I feel really good about having helped someone else. Christianity would grow faster if people shared their surplus as willingly as they share their beliefs.