My week has been filled with plans for a garden, looking for new ways to better my photography, lunch with friends. With a renewed selection of piano songs– even a new, old piano. With books devoured in a day, late mornings, barefoot walks. With travelling, and a new addition to our growing mini herd of horses. With sunlight, and green things, and blossoming landscapes. Summer. It’s creeping up on us.
Just a little walk from our home is a small butte. Named after a family who lived here long ago, it is known to the community as Mormon’s Butte. Until today, I had never hiked it, but I was looking for something new to photograph, and had plenty of time on my hands. Abby (our dog) and I set out for little butte with lens’ and camera in tow, and began the trek up to the highest point nearest home. Surrounding the bluff are fields stretching across the prairie. Far away, the craggy badlands jut into the sky. Little dirt roads criss-cross the landscape, and in the distance I can see our barns, with cattle dotting the hills around them. I sat for a while on the pinnacle of the hill, shooting away with my camera at the scenery below. Abby and I soon made our way down from the top, climbing over a carpet of crawling juniper bushes, but not before I had taken at least 100 photos! (guilty as charged…)
So, it’s been awhile since I posted anything about food, and even since I baked… Lemon sounded like it would go quite perfectly with the spring atmosphere, so I pored over my cookbooks to find something to bake. I dug out some bowls, layed all the ingredients out on the table, and set to work…
Cupcakes:
generous 3/4 cup self rising flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
8 tbsp. softened nonsalted butter
generous 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
grated rind of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp. milk
just a little bit of lemon extract…
Sift the flour and baking powder. Add butter, sugar, eggs, lemon, and milk, and beat until smooth. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit in a paper lined muffin pan for 15 minutes. Let cool.
Frosting:
6 tbsp. softened unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp. lemon extract
Beat butter until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy. Spread over cooled cupcakes.
Bon appetit!
