Settling in

Well, I had a nice, quiet birthday. Snort! I couldn't help it, since I couldn't talk!

Emily took the last of my cake outside for this lovely photo -- isn't it pretty? I kinda wish there were more cake... On the other hand, this is a good illustration of how much we all love Apricot Nectar Cake.

The flowers were from Wesley. I am an absolute sucker for those garishly dyed daisies. I'm embarrassed to confess how much they delight me. They're so fake. They're so trashy. They're so CUTE! Nature never intended daisies to be that color, but I surely do love the addition of dye. We used to put Queen Anne's Lace in jars of water with food coloring -- remember? Ah, nothing like messing with nature.

Wesley said the daisies stood out in a display of autumn mums like neon lights on a dirt road. They do look like lollipops, don't they? Wesley knows I'm not fond of autumn colors. I prefer ... less earthy tones.

Should I post Aunt Sybil's recipe for Apricot Nectar Cake? The heck with it, I'm gonna share. I think the world would be a better place if we all had Apricot Nectar Cake once a year.

(Besides, having lost the recipe and retrieving it from Kathi -- thanks, K! -- I've decided to compile all my favorite recipes in one book. Maybe two books. So when I kick the bucket, the kids will still be able to find my recipes.)


Apricot Nectar Cake

Mix together:
1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 c. apricot nectar
3/4 c. vegetable oil
4 egg yolks
3 tsp. Lemon extract

Beat 4 egg whites very stiff and fold them into mixture.
Pour into a greased, floured tube pan.
Place in cold oven, set at 300 degrees, and
bake for 1 hour.

Glaze --
Zest of 3 lemons
Juice of 4 large lemons
2 cups powdered sugar
Mix together while cake is baking.

When cake is done, cool for 5 minutes. Poke holes with long utensil (like an ice pick or bamboo skewers), and dribble glaze all
over cake, allowing it to soak in. Let the cake cool completely before
turning it out of pan. (The longer the glaze soaks in, the better the
cake is.)

Note: This cake is incredibly sticky and if it can stick to the pan, it will. That's OK. Broken cake tastes just as good.