Tuesday, June 30, 2015

My Cleveland visit...Part 2.

Here we are in the middle of summer, and I'm showing you winter photos...how silly is that!?
The reason for that is because I need to catch up over the last six months that I have missed posting.
Thank you so much for your sweet and kind comments that you left on my blog, and I truly appreciate that you care and have missed me...as I certainly have missed you!

So here we are, on our way to visit my parents' grave near by...me taking the beautiful scenery winter photos which I rarely get to experience since I moved away from Ohio decades ago to sunny S. Florida! One thing for sure, I don't miss the terribly cold winters, but I do love the snow when it's just like this, with a bit of sunshine, clear skies -minus- the snow storms.

We arrived at the cemetery, all the graves are covered with blankets of crisp fresh snow, glistening in the sun. It's about 27 degrees F. way too cold for me, but I decided to take a 'selfie' of us and my sister actually was happy to pose for the photo!
Now comes the good part...she thinks she recognized our parents' grave which is near that tree in the background (turns out it was actually in the next row) also near the tree!
In the meantime...she decides to say a prayer and have a conversation with our parents standing on the wrong grave...to say the least!
I must share this most amazing, super moist and sooo delicious Apple cake that Susan, (my nephew's wife) made for us, after a scrumptious Bolognese sauce with homemade gnocchi!
You probably recognize this famous Jewish Apple cake...a recipe which I also had from the seventies and eighties that is still very popular!
This apple cake is super moist, with all these wonderful apple chunks half of them in the middle of the batter, and the other half on the top which makes it so attractive...so pretty!

Mom’s Apple Cake
by: Smitten Kitchen 

6 apples, Mom uses McIntosh apples
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar
2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a tube pan. Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.
Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.
Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely before running knife between cake and pan, and unmolding onto a platter.

11 comments:

Emma said...

Snow does look gorgeous when it's like that! I envy snow in a way living in a hot place but not the snow storms.

Lovely looking cake, the top looks so pretty and rustic :) I see you put a lot of cinnamon in there which would make it taste amazing with the apples!

http://www.asplashofvanilla.com/

Joyful said...

I don't like long cold winters but I do love crisp white snow on a sunny day :-) Glad you had a chance to visit your mom's graveside. The cake looks so good and perfect for a cold day.

Ola said...

OMG, I thouth you are maybe somewhere in Australia:) (do they have winters at all?):))

Angie Schneider said...

I love that selfie of you and your sister! You looked really chic and great! The apple cake looks SUPER!

Elisabeth Foodandthrift said...

Ola, I'm nowhere near Australia, I live in the U.S. in South Florida...the photos I share are from the state of Ohio in the U.S. of America!

Amelia said...

Hi my dear Elisabeth, nice winter pictures. Love your selfie picture, both of you look beautiful.
The apple cake look very tempting, great to go with coffee.

With lots of love and hugs to you.
Have a lovely weekend, regards.
Amelia

Éva said...

Kicsit hűsít a hó látványa mert nálunk most igen meleg van! Nagyon guszta ez a sütemény! Örülök hogy ismét köztünk vagy !

Kathy said...

Lovely post, Elizabeth! I do enjoy the way the snow looks blanketed over everything. Glad you found your mothers grave.
That cake looks scrumptious!

Liz Berg said...

Looks like Indiana :) So good to see you posting, my friend! And that apple cake looks spectacular. xoxo

mangiabella said...

will definitely try this recipe this fall, it looks delicious!!!! oh that snow makes me shiver!!!! love hearing your posts again xoxoxo

mia xara said...

Hi Elisabeth, the winter scenes are so beautiful, they make you appreciate cold weather, especially on a hot day with elevated humidity!!! In Montreal we get lots of the "white stuff" accompanied by very low temperatures so I can understand why you don't miss Ohio that much... I love the apple cake, it looks absolutely delicious!!! Have a great week, XOXO