It’s
Tuesday, that means tonight is the night for the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, one of my guilty pleasures.
I’m
really enjoying the two new housewives this season, soap stars Lisa Rinna and Eileen Davidson, and it help that
their hubbys are also entertaining to watch, (Harry Hamlin and Vince Van Patten).
Back to Yolanda… I love her fashion sense, seeing her beautiful home and watching her dinner parties that always feature music by her husband, David Foster and a few talented musical guests (last week it was Babyface).
BUT, most of all, I get a kick out of the huge hoard of lemons she grows in her backyard orchard. She’s a bit obsessed with lemons, as I am too.
I have a few trees in my back yard, but Yolanda takes it to a whole new level, as witnessed in these photos!
I do love how Yolanda incorporates the lemons on to her dinner table with flowers and candles. These pics are plucked right from Yo’s Instagram, so let me know what you think!
.jpg)
Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake
1-1/2
cups all-purpose flour
2
teaspoons baking powder
1/2
teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup
plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3
cups sugar, divided
3
extra-large eggs
2
teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2
teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup
vegetable oil
1/3 cup
freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the
glaze:
1 cup
confectioners’ sugar
2
tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8½ x 4¼ x
2½-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and
flour the pan.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into one
bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs,
lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet
ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the
batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the
prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in
the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup
sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear.
Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10
minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While
the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it
to soak in. Cool.
For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice
and pour over the cake.
Recipe by the Barefoot
Contessa at Home by Ina Garten,
Lavender Lemonade
4 lemons
1/2 cup dried lavender
1/2 cup raw honey
1. Using a vegetable peeler, remove
zest from two lemons, leaving white pith behind. Squeeze all of the lemons for
2/3 cup juice and set aside. In a large pot bring 5 1/2 cups of water and zest
to a boil over high heat. Stir in the lavender. Partially cover the pot, lower
the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
2.
Meanwhile, place a large strainer lined with cheesecloth
or a damp paper towel over another pot or heat-proof bowl. Strain tea, pressing
on herbs to extract all liquid. Stir in honey until dissolved. Stir in lemon
juice. Let cool completely, about 45 minutes. Fill four tall glasses with ice.
Pour tea over ice and serve immediately.
Recipe by Martha Stewart.
