Yankee Kitchen Moments

Have you ever had the experience of being transported back to an earlier time in your life?  You never know what might set it off.  A place, an aroma, or a feeling can be a powerful memory trigger.  It happened to me just the other day, and it brought me back to The Yankee Kitchen.

Last Monday, in the beginning of January, it felt like a beautiful spring day here in New England.  It was so warm! It's amazing how the weather can have such a profound effect on your mood.
I was feeling happy with more energy than usual, opened the windows, collected the remnants of the Christmas decorations outside, then went grocery shopping. It was about 1:30 in the afternoon, as I was putting the last of the groceries in the car, that, for just a split-second, the thought ran through my mind: "When I get home, I can listen to Gus."  It was just that time of day, getting close to 2:05 in the afternoon, with the kids still in school, that I would be tuning in to the Yankee Kitchen.

For almost 30 years, the Yankee Kitchen was an important part of my life.  I started listening with my mother when I was growing up, and continued through my college years, and later, when I got married and had children.  It was a pleasant routine on weekday afternoons for so long, that it's no surprise that it would come to mind on a beautiful springlike day.

 

Listen in to a few moments with Gus and a "satisfied customer"



Now, with the approach of spring, a perennial thought comes to mind: I've got to lose weight!

Well, let's not jump into things here.  Let's ease into this.  Let's start with lemon.  That's light.  How about a lemon bread?  It's carbohydrates, but it does have the essence of lightness.  That's the ticket. 

And, what's more, it's delicious.

 

Lemon Bread

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 2/3 cups flour

3/4 cup buttermilk*

1 1/2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Glaze

3 TB lemon juice

1 TB sugar

Beat butter until softened.  Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly combined.  Stir together flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  Add flour mixture, buttermilk, and lemon peel and beat until moistened.  Pour into a greased 8x4" loaf pan.  Bake for about 1 hour, or until tests done with toothpick, in a preheated 350 degree oven.  Cover with foil if necessary to prevent overbrowning.

Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan. 

Combine glaze ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Spoon glaze over bread and allow bread to cool.  Slice and enjoy.

*Buttermilk substitute: combine 1 c. milk with 1 TB vinegar.  Let rest 5 minutes, and measure out 3/4 c. for recipe.

This recipe is a slight adaptation of a recipe featured in the Boston Globe Magazine many years ago.

Wishing you beautiful days and all the things that make you happy.

Anita