Aidan enjoying spaghetti and eyeballs.
Lovin the Season
They aren’t completely sure exactly what Halloween is except it’s funny and at night. The boys and their friends are haunting the neighborhood and then…pizza!
The last warm summer days of 2009. Jake learned to walk and Aidan consumed every tomato grown in the garden this year. Not a good growing season but it will still be missed when we drag out the snow shovels and boots.
The lookout at Searles Castle
A lookout at the edge of Searles Castle property in Windham, NH. The estate stretched for about 15 miles into Massachusetts with a sister castle and stocked ponds and a lovely gate house where we lived for a time. It is now a historical museum in the town of Methuen
Photos by Frank Dunn
Here’s a blast from the past - the 60’s to be exact. Our Mum could come up with the yummiest meals and sweets imaginable when her large brood of kids were little. This cake is made from ingredients that are staples in the pantry (or should be if you are occasionally called upon to whip up a sweet at a moments notice. Not only are the ingredients basic, they are good for you, except of course for the healthy dose of sugar, but I maintain an occasional serving of sugar is better than a substitute and we all need a treat now and then. Cut back a bit if you’re chicken.
1 lg. orange
1 c. raisins
1/3 c. walnuts
2 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c milk
1/2 c. shortening,
2 eggs
1/4 c. milk
squeeze: the orange, saving the juice for later. Grind the entire orange, rind,
and all, the raisins and the walnuts with a hand grinder if you’re lucky (or
old) enough to have one or a food processor.
sift: flour,soda, salt and sugar into a mixing bowl
Add: Milk, and shortening and beat (it’ll look a bit funky for a few minutes but
will work itself in due time)
Add: eggs, milk and beat another 2 minutes, batter will be smooth by now
Fold: The orange/raisin/walnut mixture which will be smelling incredible
Pour: Into a greased 9x12” baking pan and sprinkle with a mixture of 2 tlb sugar
and 1 tsp cinnamon.
Bake: at 350 for 40-50 minutes.
This is a cake worthy of a holiday dessert, a baby shower, any type of party,and of course, good old PTA meetings. I can’t imagine how many were served at THOSE.Your house smells better than any pot pourri could possibly make it and you will be the hero for the day. And I mean a day. This cake does not last long even it it’s rather large. I can remember it disappearing before she planned to serve it if she dared make it on a Saturday morning, between my Father, my Uncles,Aunties and older and hungrier older brother, it would be reduced to crumbs by mid afternoon. Mum rocked. This recipe was lost for many years until Auntie Carol came to the rescue, reaching into her recipe archives to save the day. Uncle Bill and their five boys enjoyed this cake while growing up too. Auntie rocks too.
Nothin says lovin……baking for Dad’s birthday is always sweet! A theme is always nice, and Spiderman is king this October!
