Merry Christmas! Christmas Cookie Cake & Cannoli Cake (Cake Mix) / Anna Sultana's Pound Cake & Cannoli Pound Cake / A Big Kid’s Christmas by Margaret Ullrich

                             Happy Holidays, everyone.
                               Wishing you and yours
                a Christmas filled with all you hold dear!
                             Thank you for visiting ~
                                       Margaret

Well, the big day has come!
We’ve made it!
Hope you are having a lovely day, filled with everything you wished for.

You’ve earned it… all that baking, ready for everyone to eat.
Soon it’ll all be gone.
No problem. There’s always something new for you to bake.


Hints:

About the Pound Cake…
You can line a greased loaf pan with parchment paper leaving about a 2 inch overhang on the sides so that you can remove it easily.

Instead of the orange or lemon extract you can use 2 Tablespoons of vanilla or any citrus juice in the cake.

You can use 1 Tablespoon each of your favourite three from the following: orange, lemon, lime and grapefruit zest, finely grated, instead of 3 Tablespoons of one type of zest.
Or you can use half and half, or two to one. Your choice. It’s your cake.

While you’ve got the grater out it wouldn’t hurt to grate a bit extra. You can wrap zest in plastic wrap or aluminum, then place in a container and freeze up to a month.

About the Cannoli Pound Cake…
Instead of the chocolate topping you can top the cake with a Simple Syrup:
Place in a small pot
3 Tablespoons water
Heat until hot.
Add
1/4 Cup sugar
Stir to dissolve.
Stir in
1  Tablespoon lime juice *
1  Tablespoon lime zest, finely grated *
Allow simple syrup to cool to room temperature.
Brush over the completely cooled cake.
Let the syrup soak into the cake at least 15 minutes before serving.

* Instead of lime juice and zest, you can use orange, lemon or grapefruit.

If you’re in a rush, or prefer a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, that works, too.
It’s your cake.

                        Christmas Cookie Cake

Grease well a 9 inch springform pan
Heat oven to 325º F

Place in a large mixer bowl
1 box French vanilla cake mix
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3/4 Cup heavy cream
1/2 Cup olive oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoons almond extract
Beat until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Cool completely.
Run a knife around, between the cake and the cake pan, to loosen the cake.
Place the cake on a serving platter.

Place in a small bowl
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 Cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat together, then drizzle over cake.
Sprinkle with multi-coloured sprinkles.
Allow frosting to set 1 hour before slicing and serving.

                        Cannoli Cake

Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans

Prepare and bake according to package directions
1 box French vanilla cake mix
A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes.
Run a knife around, between the cake and the cake pan, to loosen the cake before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For filling
Place in a large mixer bowl
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1/2 Cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted 
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat until blended.
Stir in
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped or miniature chips

For frosting
Place in a clean large mixer bowl
16 ounces Mascarpone cheese
3/4 Cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 Cup whole milk
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat on medium speed until creamy. Do not over mix.

Place one cake layer on a serving plate.
Spread with 3/4 of filling.
Top with second cake layer.
Spread remaining filling over top of cake to within 1 inch of edges.
Spread frosting on sides and top, covering the area within 1 inch of edges.
Press into sides of cake
1 Cup sliced almonds
Sprinkle over the seam where the frosting and filling meet on the top
4 Tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Refrigerate until serving.


                        Pound Cake

Heavily grease and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan

Sift together into a medium bowl
1 3/4 Cup + 1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Set aside.

Combine in a small bowl
1/4 Cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 teaspoon orange or lemon extract
3 Tablespoons zest, finely grated
Set aside.

Place in a large mixer bowl
1 Cup butter
1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add, one at a time, beating well after each addition
4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350º F

Add half of the dry ingredients into the large mixer bowl.
Blend on low speed until just combined.
Add the sour cream mixture and mix until well blended.
Add the remaining dry ingredients and blend just enough to combine.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Place into the preheated oven and bake for 70 to 75 minutes.
A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Remove from oven and allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
Run a knife around, between the cake and the cake pan, to loosen the cake.
Remove the cake from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
When cooled, place the cake on a serving platter.

                        Cannoli Pound Cake

Chop finely
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

Cut horizontally into 4 slices
1 prepared pound cake

Place in in medium mixer bowl
1 package (4-serving size) vanilla instant pudding 

1 Cup cold milk 

1/2 teaspoon orange extract or orange juice
Beat 2 minutes.
Stir in
1/2 Cup ricotta cheese
1/4 Cup chopped chocolate
Fold in
1 1/2 Cups frozen whipped topping, thawed

Place bottom cake slice on serving plate.
Spread 1/3 of the pudding mixture over the layer.
Place a layer of cake on top and spread the pudding mixture over it two more times.
Top with remaining cake slice.

Place in a small pot
the remaining chocolate

1 Tablespoon butter
Place the pot over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until butter and chocolate are melted and mixture is blended.
Spread on top of cake and allow to drip down sides.
Refrigerate until serving.                              


                                                            ~~~
In 2004 I wrote a story about when I was 5-years-old and worried if Santa Claus would find me after we moved. I read it on our CKUW radio show '2000 & Counting - Older & Wiser'. For a few years it was an annual tradition for ‘2000 & Counting’ and for ‘Better Than Chocolate’.
After I had first read the story we chatted about when we were children and had realized that our parents were Santa’s main helpers. Here is what I remember of that discussion. Merry Christmas!

So, Santa did find me and my nine-month-old sister.

My fifth Christmas was a time of change for our family. I was becoming American. Thank you, Nonni.

Christmases marked the milestones in my family’s changes. The next Christmas, in addition to a sister, I had a 15-day-old brother. Well, it was the 1950s.

That was a huge Christmas for our family. Santa was in a very generous mood that year. Pop was in his glory. He finally had a son, an heir. Pop's dynasty could begin. He was one up on England’s Prince Philip. We had his family's name. Visions of grandsons were dancing in Pop's head. And there'd be hundreds of descendants to come. He'd be another Abraham. In the 1950s all things were possible.

Another thing that was possible was my learning how to read and write. The next year I was able to write my own letter to Santa. I wanted a bicycle. I asked my parents if they thought Santa would give me a bike. Pop said that I'd been a good girl, helping Ma with the two babies. Ma agreed, saying that I was becoming really good at changing diapers and giving bottles. Yes, they thought Santa would grant me my wish.
 
My siblings were also growing and going after what they wanted. While George had barely been aware of his first Christmas, that year he was a toddler and was fascinated by the Christmas tree. He kept trying to grab the ornaments. Every chance he got, he'd climb onto the sofa and reach out to the branches.

We weren't worried. He just sat on the couch and reached.  

Then George figured out that he'd get closer to the tree if he got on the armrest and then reached for a shiny ball or two. I think he'd have done it, if he hadn't lost his balance and landed on the three kings' camel. That camel wasn't exactly built to carry a toddler. No problem. There were more camels in the 5 & 10.


The big day came.  
I got my bike.
It was blue.
I called it Blue Bird.

I was so glad that I had learned how to write and read. I read anything and everything I could, including the labels on Blue Bird. The seat had been made in one country. The tires in another. The frame in yet a third.  

Suddenly, I had an awful thought.  
The parts of my Blue Bird had been made in different countries.  
Not one label said made in the North Pole.
Nothing had been made in the North Pole.
Nothing had been made by Santa's elves.   

My parents looked at each other, shrugged, and finally admitted that, yes, my bike hadn't been made by Santa's elves. They had bought it. Didn't I like it? Was blue still my favourite colour?
I admitted it was perfect. But what about Santa? Didn’t he like me any more?

They smiled, hugged me and said I was a big girl. I was too big to still believe in Santa. But, since I was a big girl, it was now my job to help the babies believe in Santa for as long as possible.

I was seven… the oldest… not a baby anymore.

In a way I was proud when they called me a big girl.
But I was also scared.
I wasn’t ready to be a big girl.
I felt like I was George reaching for the shiny balls.
I was afraid I would lose my balance and fall on the camel.

Slurpees, Water & Golden Milk Lattes / Friday the 13th Supermoon Solar Eclipse

Over the years I’ve posted about Winnipeg’s love affair with the Slurpee.

One of the things Winnipeg prides itself on is being "The Slurpee Capital of Canada".

Oh, well, it’s better than being known as other types of capitals I can think of.

I know Slurpees are pure sugar.

And, yes, the resulting brain freeze headache is something this side of a kick in the head. 

But we are Winnipeggers and Slurpees are given away FOR FREE on July 11th!

A few years ago, as we sat outside sucking the slush and freezing what few remaining brain cells we had, the 7-11 manager walked by and said, “It tastes better when it’s free, doesn’t it?”

Oh, yeah!!

Paul and I have enjoyed quite a few Slurpees since we moved to Winnipeg in 1975.

But, to be honest, water is becoming our preferred summer drink.

Ah… water!

It is the single most important thing your body needs to survive. 

Really. You can survive longer without food than without water.

Water makes up more than half of your body weight.

It helps you digest your food, improves your skin and hair, and helps you to maintain a healthy weight.

Feeling hungry? Have a glass of water - or a cup of broth in the winter.

Way less calories than having some junk food and it's good for you.

Water helps your body do a lot of things. For example:

Water in your blood carries oxygen to all the cells of your body.

Lymph, a fluid that helps you fight off disease and infection, is mostly water.

Sweat rids your body of toxins and helps you to stay cool.

Don’t like plain water? No problem.

Try a carbonated water, such as mineral water or seltzer. 

You can also add natural flavour to your water.

Add slices of cucumber to a pitcher of water, stir, and place the pitcher in your fridge for a great, low calorie, inexpensive refresher.

The cucumber makes the water smoother and adds a slightly tangy flavour.

Lemon, lime, or orange slices, both alone or in combination, can also add a punch to your glass of water.

The citrus slices also combine well with slices of cucumber.

Mix or match and stay healthy!


Golden Milk Lattes are also good for what ails you.
Turmeric, ginger and cinnamon are said to have health benefits.
As well as being tasty!

Hints:

Unsweetened almond milk can be used instead of regular milk in this recipe.
You can use a 1 inch piece of peeled fresh ginger in place of the ground ginger.

If you have fresh turmeric, substitute a 2 1/2 inch piece of peeled fresh turmeric.

If you do use the slices of fresh ginger and turmeric, transfer the cooked mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.

You can also enjoy Golden Milk Latte without refrigerating before serving. After you stir in the vanilla let it sit for 10 minutes, then pour the milk into a glass and enjoy. 

About those Slurpee posts - some of them had recipes. Why not check them out?

Piña Coladas and Slurpees by Margaret Ullrich - Piña Colada recipe

Safeway Tuscan White Bean and Zucchini Soup

Slurpees and Flapper Pie 

                        Golden Milk Latte

Makes 4 servings

Combine in a medium pot
1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons dried turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 to 4 teaspoons honey or 1/4 Cup golden yellow sugar 

1/4 teaspoon salt

Stir in 

2 Cups milk

Bring to a simmer over medium heat, reduce heat to low and, stirring occasionally, cook for 15 minutes. 

Remove from heat and stir in

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Let cool to room temperature.

Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool completely.

Fill 4 tall glasses with ice.

Stir and divide chilled latte between the glasses. 

Garnish with ground cinnamon and serve.

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

The term Dog Days of Summer means the 20 days before and 20 days after the alignment of Sirius with the Sun (from July 3 to Aug. 11).

Yesterday Jupiter became stationary in the night sky and resumed its eastward course, meaning Jupiter will no longer be in retrograde (westward motion). 
If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere you can see the planet high in the southwest sky as soon as darkness falls.

July 12 - New Moon at 10:48 p.m. EDT.  It is completely invisible to the naked eye.

July 13 - The Friday the 13th supermoon solar eclipse will be the first of its kind since Friday the 13th on December 13, 1974. The partial solar eclipse begins after dark at 9:48 p.m. EDT, and unfortunately will only be visible to penguins, as the viewing area will fall in open waters between Australia and Antarctica.

July 14 - Catch the waning crescent Moon pair up with Mercury after sundown. You may need binoculars to spot them, especially if you live in the mid-northern latitudes like the U.S., Canada, and Europe.

July 15 - Following its proximity to Mercury, the waning crescent Moon with move on to Venus. With the unaided eye or binoculars, you may be able to spot the soft glow of earthshine (twice-reflected sunlight) on the nighttime side of the Moon.

Anna Sultana’s Sweet Heart Pound Cake for Mother’s Day

The weather’s been so odd lately.

Guess what - Mother’s Day is this weekend.

You’ve been reminded.

A light cake goes well with anything, whether it's a formal meal or a barbecue.

Speaking of Mothers and cake, I just remembered a cake that Ma surprised us with one Spring day.

She told us that the clipping said that it had a sweet tart flavour.

I forget who started it, but we started to tease her about making a sweet heart cake.

Well, you know how family jokes go… from then on we called it Ma’s Sweet Heart Cake.

And we enjoyed it every time she made it.

Actually, that name suits it.

It’s delicious and uses up whatever you have in your fruit bowl.

In my book, anything that is that accommodating is a sweet heart of a recipe.

Hints:

You can line a greased regular loaf pan with parchment paper leaving about a 2 inch overhang on the sides, so that you can remove it easily.

This is a cake that is open to suggestions.

You can use 1 Tablespoon each of your favourite three from the following: orange zest, lemon zest, lime zest and grapefruit zest, finely grated, instead of 3 Tablespoons of just one type of zest.

Or you can use half and half, or two to one. Your choice. It’s your cake.

Zest is a handy thing to have. You can wrap zest in plastic wrap or aluminum.

You can also place it in a small freezable bag or container.

It stays good up to a month.

Instead of the orange or lemon extract you can use 2 Tablespoons of any citrus juice or vanilla extract in the cake.

You can also top the cake with a Simple Syrup:

Place in a heatproof measuring cup or bowl

3  Tablespoons water

Heat water in a microwave until hot. 

Add 

1/4 Cup sugar

Stir to dissolve. 

Stir in 

1  Tablespoon lime juice

1  Tablespoon lime zest, finely grated

Allow simple syrup to cool to room temperature. 

Brush the simple syrup over the completely cooled cake. 

Let the simple syrup soak into the cake before serving, at least 15 minutes.

About the syrup… 

instead of the lime juice and zest, you can use orange, lemon or grapefruit.

If you’re in a rush, or Mom prefers a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, that works, too.

Like I said: it’s your cake.

Your Mom prefers banana pound cake? No problem. Make

Anna Sultana’s Banana Pound Cake With Caramel Glaze

                                                Sweet Heart Pound Cake

Heavily grease and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan

Sift together in a medium bowl

1 3/4 Cup + 1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Set aside.

Combine in a small bowl

1/4 Cup sour cream

1  teaspoon orange or lemon extract

3 Tablespoons of orange, lemon, lime or grapefruit zest, finely grated (or see hints)

Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350º F

Place in a large mixer bowl

1 Cup butter

1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar

Beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add, one at a time, beating well after each addition

4 large eggs

Add half of the dry ingredients into the large mixer bowl.

Blend on low speed until just combined. 

Add in all of the sour cream mixture. Mix until well blended. 

Add in the remaining dry ingredients. Blend just enough to combine.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Place into the preheated oven. 

Bake for 70 to 75 minutes.

A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Remove from oven and allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. 

Run a knife around, between the cake and the cake pan, to loosen the cake.

Carefully remove the cake from the pan.

Place onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

When cooled, place the cake on a pretty serving platter.

While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting:

                                                Frosting 

Place in a medium bowl

3 Cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon lemon or orange extract

Add 

1/4 Cup water gradually, beating until the glaze is  smooth.

Spread the frosting over the cake.

Sprinkle over the top

3 Tablespoons of lemon or orange zest, finely grated

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

Look to the southeast after dark to see Jupiter, shining at magnitude -2.5 in Libra. The king of the planets reached its opposition to the Sun on May 8th, so it’s up practically all night this month. Jupiter is edging slowly westward toward from the 2½-magnitude star Alpha (α) Librae (Zubenelgenubi) nearby.

May 15 - New Moon, 7:48 a.m. In this phase, the Moon is not illuminated by direct sunlight and is completely invisible to the naked eye.

May 17 - Look to the west-northwest sky at dusk to see the slender crescent Moon, 9-percent illuminated, to the left of the brilliant planet Venus. Venus hangs at practically the same height, moderately low in the west-northwest during twilight all through the month of May.

Anna Sultana’s Strawberry Sangria and June’s Full Strawberry Moon

The May we had in Winnipeg has been on the brisk side.

To be honest, so cold we had the heat on last week.

But now it’s June, and that means Summer.

Okay, not really for three more weeks, but the cottages have been readied and everyone has summer on the brain.

Sangria is perfect for this time of year.

It has something alcoholic (usually wine - either red or white) and chopped fruit. 

The alcohol is a bit watered down, so there’s less risk of dehydration.

Think of it as a warm weather version of mulled wine.

In honour of June’s Full Strawberry Moon, why not make a pitcher of Strawberry Sangria.

People first talked about sangria in the 18th century. 

Some say they got the name from the Spanish word sangre (blood) because of the red colour of the drink.

Others say it comes from Sanskrit as in the Urdu word sakkari (sugared wine).

Whatever… in the late 1940s Hispanic Americans and Spanish restaurants introduced Sangria to the United States and it really became popular when the 1964 World's Fair in New York was in full swing.

Hints:

Dry white wines such as a Rueda, Jumilla, or Valdepeñas are traditional for sangria with white wine.

Other popular choices are Pinot Grigio, moscato and Sauvignon Blanc.

You can also use red or rose wine.

Don’t have strawberries? No problem. You can use whatever fruit you have on hand, such as apples, peaches, melon, berries, pineapple, grapes, kiwifruit or mangoes. 

You can sweeten it with honey, sugar, syrup, or orange juice. 

Seltzer, Sprite or 7 Up can be used to top up the pitcher. 

Allow the sangria to mellow in the refrigerator for several hours, or a full day.

Add the soda (if you’re using it) just before serving.

Have on hand plenty of ice to refill the bucket. 

This way your friends can add as much ice as they want, and the flavour won’t get watered down.

For the kiddies you could make sangria using ginger ale, lemon juice, orange juice and sugar.

And lots of fruit!

                        Strawberry Sangria

Yield: 8 servings

Cut into thin slices

1 lemon or orange

Slice

3 Cups fresh strawberries

Pour into a large pitcher 

2 750 ml. bottles of dry white wine (see above for ideas)

Add 

2 Cups strawberry-cranberry juice or strawberry nectar or pomegranate juice

the sliced strawberries

the lemon or orange slices

Cover the pitcher and place it in the refrigerator. 

Let chill for several hours or overnight.

When ready to serve fill glasses 3/4 full with the sangria mixture.

Be sure to get some strawberries and lemon or orange slices in the glass, too. 

Top off each glass with 

Chilled club soda or sparkling water

Garnish with 

mint leaves and a whole strawberry

Have on hand plenty of ice for people to serve themselves.

About the sky this week and next, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

June 3 - Venus is farthest from the Sun. Look to the south after sunset to see the waxing gibbous Moon just 2 degrees north of Jupiter. The Moon and Jupiter will be two brightest and the first objects out at dusk. The bright star Spica in the constellation Virgo, will also join the pair, below them and to the left.

June 4 - Look to the east after the Sun sets to see this trio: the waxing gibbous Moon with the star Spica below it; to the right is Jupiter.

June 9  - Full Strawberry Moon at 9:10 a.m. See how this Moon got its name in this short Farmers’ Almanac video. When the full Moon rises it will be just past apogee - its farthest point from Earth, at a distance of 252,526 miles. It will, in fact, be the smallest (to us) full Moon of 2017.  See if you can detect its smaller-than-normal size that night. Compared to the so-called “Supermoon” of last November 14th, the June full Moon will appear 12.3 percent smaller.

June 12 - Look for the Big Dipper asterism, the most recognizable star pattern in our night sky. It will be high in the north during the evening hours during the month of June.

June 14 - Earliest sunrise of 2017. This happens every year around mid-June, despite the year’s longest day - the Summer Solstice - is one week away.

The Full Worm Moon, Easter, and a Planters' Punch Recipe for the Family

Well, it’s been a bit of an busy time.

A week ago we had Daylight Savings Time.

Sleepy or not, we soldiered on to bake traditional foods to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, then St. Joseph’s Feast Day.

Yesterday was both the First Day of Spring and Palm Sunday.

That’s right, Easter is this Sunday.

I know, you haven’t finished setting all the clocks in the house and car ahead an hour.

Too bad.

Easter has to be held on the first Sunday following the first Full Moon of Spring, which is happening this Wednesday.

March 22 is the earliest Easter can occur, and April 25 is the latest.

No real reason, it just was decided to do Easter this way in the Fourth Century.

If you’d like to plan ahead, here are the dates for the next four Easters:

2017    April 16

2018    April 1

2019    April 21

2020    April 12

So, yes, it’s a bit early this year.

Too bad.

If you’re in the Eastern Orthodox Churches, thanks to the Julian calendar, you can ignore all of the above.

You usually have a bit more time.

Don’t gloat.

If you’re not so lucky, you might be hosting the family Easter dinner this Sunday.

I know, it just gets better and better.

I’ve posted a page with links for Easter Recipes.

Also a page that has some of Carmela Soprano’s best family dinner menu items: appetizers, vegetable and pasta courses, main meat courses, and desserts.

Hopefully they’ll help you plan your menu.

You’re welcome.

But, since the family is coming, it might be a good idea to have something on hand to, well, smooth over the rough edges.

Like when everyone's favourite uncle comments on the fact that a certain nephew is still living with his parents.

Back in his day, a man that age was a man…

Yeah, family… gotta love it.

Planters' Punch is a simple cocktail made of dark rum, lemon juice, Grenadine syrup and a dash of Angostura bitters.

So it’s quick and easy to make more of  this punch to keep those glasses filled.

This recipe has been around a while.

The September 1878 issue of the London magazine Fun mentioned it.

The recipe is a classic that everyone will most likely enjoy.

In the 1942 spy thriller Across the Pacific Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor both order a Planter's Punch at a bar in Panama.

The movie's plot was set on the eve of World War II.

If the writer thought a glass or two of Planters' Punch could help Humphrey Bogart get through an oncoming world war, well, who am I to disagree?

Hints:

Some people also add orange juice and pineapple juice.

The glasses can be garnished with a cocktail cherry and a pineapple slice.

                        Planters' Punch

In a large pitcher pour

a fifth of dark rum

1 Cup lemon juice

3/4 Cup Grenadine syrup

1 teaspoon Angostura bitters

Stir well.

Pour into tall glasses filled with ice.

Garnish with 

a cocktail cherry and an orange slice

About the sky this week…

According to the Farmers Almanac:

On March 20 we welcomed spring with the Vernal equinox. This marks the change of seasons where the length of daylight hours begin to win out over the length of nighttime hours.

On March 21 the waxing gibbous Moon is very close to the planet Jupiter, which will be just northwest of the Moon.

On March 23 we’ll have the first Full Moon of Spring. 

See the video on how March's Full Worm Moon got its name.

On March 25, and for the next two weeks, look to the western sky for the Zodiacal light or “false dawn,” in the early evening.

On March 30 the Moon reaches its southernmost point, sometimes referred to as lunar standstills.

Anna Sultana’s Lemon Granita

On July 11 - yes, that’s 7/11 - Paul and I, along with thousands of other Winnipeggers, did our patriotic duty as loyal citizens.

We went to our local 7-Eleven for Slurpee Day.

We had to make sure Winnipeg kept its title of the Slurpee Capitol of Canada!

it was a blistering hot day at 32º C.

With the humidity it felt like 40º C.

We most certainly did enjoy our free cups!

I had settled on the lime flavour.

I would’ve loved a lemon.

But, lime was good, too. 

I grew up on lemon granitas.

It was just something Ma had on hand during the summer.

Sometimes we even had it with breakfast.

Granita is another way to use simple syrup as a base for a cold dessert.

it’s not as fruity as a sorbet.

But you can serve it with as much fresh fruit as you want.

And the recipe doesn't call for any vodka, if you were worried about the kids.

Hints:

The measurements are a starting point.

If you want it sweeter or tarter, no problem.

Adjust the amounts of lemons and sugar.

Think of it as making a cup of instant coffee.

You don’t exactly measure the crystals or sugar, you just suit yourself.

If, after you've first placed the container in the freezer, the slush has become as hard as a rock, don’t panic.

You can leave it at room temperature and eventually it will be softened enough to break into chunks that you can put in the blender.

If, when you are ready to serve it, it has frozen too hard, let the granita sit at room temperature for a few minutes.

Then work the mixture with the back of a large metal spoon until soft.

For a red, white and blue treat for the fourth of July, layer the lemon granita with strawberry and blueberry granitas.

                        Lemon Granita

Serves 4-6

Peel the zest from 

4 lemons

Set aside.

Squeeze the lemons to make 

2/3 Cup lemon juice

Place in a large saucepan

4 Cups water

3/4 Cup sugar

Bring it to a boil over medium heat.

Then turn down the heat to low.

Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved - about 2 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and lemon zest.

Cover and let steep for 30 minutes. 

Place a strainer over a large container that has a cover.

Strain the mixture into the container.  

Let cool to room temperature.

Cover and freeze until partially frozen, about 2 - 3 hours. 

Take the frozen granita out of the freezer and leave it at room temperature until you can break it up into chunks with a large spoon.  

Grind these chunks in a blender until it is like a slurpee.  

Return to covered container and place in freezer until ready to serve. 

When ready to serve, remove from the freezer about 15 minutes in advance.

Beat it again to give it a creamy texture.  

Serve the granita in glasses or small bowls.

Garnish it with mint or fruit.

Anna Sultana’s Raspberry Sorbet and Simple Syrup

In my recent post about Ma’s lemonade recipe I mentioned that it could be frozen into a slushy or popsicle-like dessert.

Well, the kiddies aren’t the only ones who love something cold during hot summer days. 

Sure, you could stock up on ice cream.

But even ice cream can become a bit boring if you have it day after day.

It’s easy to make your own frozen desserts.

Sorbet is an easy to make, cool way to eat fruit.

It tastes great and the kids can help you make it.

It doesn’t have any milk or cream, so it’s perfect for dieters, or for people who want or need to avoid dairy products. 

Some say that the Roman Emperor Nero invented sorbet during the first century AD.

He had runners along the Appian way pass buckets of snow hand over hand from the mountains to his banquet hall where it was then mixed with honey and wine.

Relax.  This recipe is way easier.

No runners, snow, buckets or mountains required.

Hints:

The simple syrup can be prepared a day or two in advance.

Just keep it stored, covered, in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

Actually it’s a good idea to have simple syrup on hand for drinks like lemonade, so it’s a good idea to make a bit extra.

If you’re making the sorbet the same day you’re making the syrup, speed the cooling by pouring the syrup into a bowl, then placing the bowl in a larger bowl of ice.

Stir the syrup until it cools.

If you want to use fresh lemon juice, you’ll need 1 to 2 lemons to get enough juice.

The vodka helps the sorbet freeze smoothly.

Don’t worry - the kids won’t get drunk from the sorbet.

On second thought, if they’re making it, maybe you should be in the same room when they are adding the vodka.

For a blueberry sorbet, use five cups of blueberries.

You can also experiment with other berries, such as strawberries.

Use lime juice instead of lemon juice for a less tart flavour.

Like it tart?  Use cranberries.

                        Simple Syrup

Place in a medium saucepan

1 1/4 Cups sugar

2 1/4 Cups water

Bring it to a boil over medium heat.

Then turn down the heat to low.

Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool.

                        Raspberry Sorbet

Combine in a blender

6 cups raspberries

1/4 Cup + 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Process until very smooth.

Pour the fruit through a fine sieve or strainer which is over a large bowl.

Press down on the solids to get a smooth mush in the bowl. 

Discard any leftover skins and seeds in the sieve.

Add to the mush

1 1/4 Cups simple syrup 

1 – 2 Tablespoons vodka 

Stir together until well combined.

Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 8 hours.

When the mixture is thoroughly chilled, remove from the refrigerator.

Pour the sorbet mixture into a shallow pan, cover with foil, and place in the freezer. 

After 30 minutes or so, remove and beat the mixture using electric beaters or a sturdy fork. 

This will break up the ice crystals that form and make the mixture freeze more evenly for a smoother sorbet.

Recover the sorbet with the aluminum foil. 

Place the sorbet back in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Remove and beat the mixture using electric beaters or a sturdy fork.

Repeat this process every 30 minutes, until the sorbet is too hard to beat.

Scoop into a resealable container and freeze until ready to serve.

You can serve it as is, or garnish each serving with fresh fruit.