Caramel-Glazed Apple Cake

It’s the apple season! Here is an apple cake recipe. This cake is easy to make and delicious to eat (the recipe is from Costco Connection Magazine).



Cake:
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 5 Washington Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and cut in ½-inch pieces
• 1 ¼ cups chopped pecans or walnuts
• 2 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract

Caramel Glaze:
• 4 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• Pinch of salt
• ½ cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch pan.
To prepare the cake, beat both sugars and oil in a mixing bowl until very well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, mixing just until blended. Stir in apples, pecans, and vanilla; pour into pan.
Bake for 50 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan while preparing the glaze.
To prepare the glaze, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in both sugars and salt; cook over medium-low hear to 2 minutes. Add cream and boil for 2 minutes stirring constantly.
Poke holes in the cake with a skewer or toothpick. Pour on the glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or ice cream. Makes 12 servings.

Help! Mysterious Rose Death

My heart is broken; I am devastated. Look at the picture bellow and you will now why… My gorgeous rose bush is dead. But let me start at the beginning.


When we moved into the house a year and a half ago, we were so excited about the beautiful little side-yard that the previous owners created. The absolute jewel of that yard was the arch of roses. It was magnificent. In spring, if the windows were open, our sitting room would be filled with the sweet fragrance of roses. But soon something terrible began to happen.
About two months ago, the first dried branches appeared on one of the two bushes. The leaves began to fall off. We searched the net for any possible reasons for fading of our rose, such as too much or too little water, insects or fungal infection, animals eating the roots, but none of these seems to take place. The exact same rose bush on the other side of the arch is alive, though it doesn’t look as healthy and beautiful as it used to.
What am I to do now? Should I prune the small branches, but leave the main vines and hope that my rose bush will miraculously revive? Or should I remove the vines but leave the roots? Or perhaps it will be better to get rid of it completely and plant a new one. I wonder how long it will take the new one to grow big enough to cover the arch again…
It is so pitiful to lose such beauty.

Simple Tomato Ideas

It is October already, yet my little garden still provides me with its fruits. Everyday I pick beautiful and ripe tomatoes, and almost everyday I try some new ways to serve them. Here are two simple ideas – Insalata Caprese and Roasted Tomatoes.
The first time I had Insalata Caprese was a few weeks ago in a restaurant. I was impressed by the simplicity of this beautiful and delicious starter.

• 2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Simply arrange the mozzarella slices on top of the tomato slices. Add basil, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.



Several days ago, I was sitting in a café enjoying a cup of tea and the only vegetarian sandwich they had – pesto, mozzarella and roasted tomatoes. The taste and texture of the roasted tomatoes were intriguing – not as juicy as the fresh ones, yet not as chewy as the dried ones. The following day, I roasted some of my homegrown tomatoes. They turned out quite well.

• 1 lb ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• a dash of mixed dried herbs (rosemary, marjoram, and thyme)

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the tomatoes in halves and lay them on a cooking sheet cut side up. Mix together olive oil, garlic and herbs. Put the mixture on the tomatoes.
The roasting time varies depending on how tender or chewy you want your tomatoes to be. I roasted mine for 25 minutes.