Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake

Source: here, via pinterest

Ingredients:
for the cake:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (I only had salted, so I reduced the salt to 1/4 teaspoon)
1 and 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, careful not to overmeasure (I used 2 cups all-purpose and 1 cup fresh ground hard white wheat)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (I cut this down by half because I had salted butter)
1 cup buttermilk (I used my favorite buttermilk substitute: 1 Tablespoon lemon juice + enough milk to make one cup)
zest + juice of 3 medium lemons (I used 6 Tablespoons lemon juice and 2 Tablespoons zest from my frozen stash)
1 and 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or non-thawed frozen
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

for the cream cheese icing:
8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3.5 cups confectioners' sugar
1 - 2 Tablespoons heavy cream (I used 1% milk instead, and while the recipe author said it would be less creamy than cream, I thought it was divinely creamy)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt (I skipped this because I had salted butter)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray three 9x2 inch (mine were 8" but it was just fine) cake pans with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Make the cake: Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high until creamy - about 1 minute. Add granulated and brown sugars and beat on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until everything is combined, about 2 full minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Set aside.  (I was lazy and just added everything at together at the beginning - it probably wasn't quite as smooth as if I would have beat the butter first, but it worked out just fine in the end.)

In a large sized bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed for 10 seconds, then add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat on low until just combined. (My handheld mixer doesn't handle thick stuff super well, so I just stirred it by hand.)  Toss the blueberries in 1 Tablespoon of flour and fold into the batter. Batter is extremely thick. Do not overmix at any point. Overmixing will lend a tough, dense textured crumb.

Spoon batter evenly into 3 prepared cake pans. Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Make the frosting: Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until no lumps remain, about 3 full minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, 1 Tablespoon cream (or milk), vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add 1 more Tablespoon of cream (or milk) to thin out, if desired.  (I ended up with about 1 1/2 Tablespoons milk and it was silky smooth and easy to spread.)

Assemble and frost: First, using a large serrated knife, trim the tops off the cake layers to create a flat surface.  (I just skipped this step because my cakes didn't really dome up after baking so they stacked easily as they were.)  Place 1 layer on your cake stand. Evenly cover the top with cream cheese frosting. Top with 2nd layer, more frosting, then the third layer. Top with frosting and spread around the sides. The recipe doesn't make a ton of frosting, just enough for a light frost. Top with blueberries or lemon garnish if desired. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before cutting or else the cake may fall apart as you cut.  (Whoops - I didn't do that and it cut just fine.)

Make 1 day in advance if you'd like. Extras keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes:
I always (for the last several years, anyway) have some sort of incarnation of strawberry shortcake for my birthday.  The strawberries come into season and show up in grocery stores right around my birthday and they're just too tempting to resist.  Until this year.  This year I had a plethora (well, a dozen) fresh lemons brought directly from Arizona by a kind lady in our ward who shared with anyone and everyone who wanted one (or twelve).  I brought them home and zested them all, then juiced them all, and froze the zest in a jar and the juice in ice cube trays.  And then I got busy searching for delicious desserts and meals I could make using these lemons.  Enter pinterest and this amazing recipe.  I took one look at the pictures in her original post and I knew that this would be my birthday cake this year.  Especially because I had a pint bag of fresh frozen blueberries from Kim waiting in my freezer for something spectacular.  This was it.  And it did not disappoint.  I was a tiny bit nervous about constructing a layer cake since I had never done so before, but it was easy . . . a piece of cake you might say.  And now I have a new desire to try other layer cakes.  The possibilities are endless!

Lemon Angel Hair with Chicken and Spinach

Source: a quick google search led me here, after a different blog I had originally seen it on via Pinterest ended up conking out on me - apparently it's a popular recipe on the interwebs

Ingredients:
1/2 lb angel hair pasta
4 cloves of garlic (diced, only because my garlic press broke on the first clove)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I cut this down by half)
Perfect Chicken, cut into chunks (I'm not exactly sure what "Perfect Chicken" is - I'm sure I could have googled it, too, but instead I just seasoned a chicken breast with salt and pepper, cut it into chunks, and browned it in a bit of oil on the stovetop.  It was delicious, and perfect enough for me.)
2 lemons, zested and juiced (I used ~ 4 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice that I had frozen in ice cube trays in the freezer)
3/4 cup half-and-half (I used a handy substitution trick I found here: melt 1 Tablespoon butter and add enough milk to make it 1 cup.  Bam.)
1 cup Parmesan, grated (or shredded) (I'm very un-gormet and used the canned stuff, which was just fine by me)
1 cup baby spinach, stems removed
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I just used regular vegetable oil - again, un-gormet)

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over low heat. Add oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Cook until the oil sizzles (about 7-10 minutes). When the water in your pot is boiling, add pasta - remember Angel Hair doesn't take very long to cook, so don't add it too early*.

To the skillet with the oil-garlic mixture add lemon juice, half-and-half, and a ladle of the pasta water. Raise the heat to med-low to med heat until the sauce begins to bubble. Drain pasta - do not rinse. Add the pasta, zest, and 1/2 c. Parmesan to the cream sauce. Toss for a minute or two. Add chicken and spinach, and toss until well distributed. Top with remaining cheese. Enjoy!

*Side note: If your pasta is cooking too quickly, just take the pot off the heat, but leave the pasta in the hot water. The pasta will continue to cook, just at a slower pace.

Servings: 4

Note:
I was blessed with a dozen fresh lemons straight from Arizona one week at church.  I came home with all kinds of ideas in my head for what to do with them: lemon bars, lemonade, lemon pie.  And then I started searching for savory dishes that had lemon.  I found this and knew I had to give it a try.  Oh boy oh boy!  It was delish!  I actually doubled it for a Sunday dinner when two of my sisters were visiting.  I was a little worried it wouldn't be saucy enough for Gregg's liking, but he loved it enough to eat the leftovers for lunch for the next two days.  We all loved it.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
4-5 medium russet baking potatoes
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
6 cups milk (I used 1% and it was just fine)
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup finely diced green onions
1/3 cup light sour cream (I had regular sour cream, but if you're looking to save some calories, go ahead and use light)

garnishes:
Sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped green onions
Cooked, diced bacon pieces (a must, in my book!)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pierce the potatoes all over with the tines of a fork. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for about an hour (mine took a little longer than an hour), until tender and baked through. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them sit for about 20 minutes, until they are cool enough to handle (or use an oven mitt if you don't want to wait for them to cool slightly). Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the insides of the potatoes. Place the potato chunks in a medium bowl and mash with a fork or a potato masher until the potatoes are broken into smaller chunks.

In a large 4-quart pot, melt the butter over medium heat. When melted, add 1/4 cup of the flour and whisk to combine. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes until lightly browned. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and remaining 1/4 cup flour. Gradually whisk the mixture into the pot, and cook until thick and bubbling, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the potato chunks and salt and pepper. Whisk in the cheddar cheese until it is completely melted. Stir in the green onions and sour cream. Serve immediately with desired toppings (like I said, the bacon is a must!).

Notes:
Another Thursday Soup Day attempt and it was a hit!  Totally thick and creamy and delicious.  I'll be making this one again.