I’m not sure why really I got in the mood to make a spicy gingery pumpkin cake, because its been unseasonably warm around here – we’re talking temps in the 60s and 70s in January!! Sunny, blue skies, and warm warm warm. So why I got in the mood to make a cake and that too with pumpkin spice and ginger is beyond me. All I can say is that here I was looking out at sunshine and beautiful scenery with a gentle breeze and I thought “A piece of homemade cake and tea sounds perfect right now.”
Winter in the garden means lots of pruning around here, of which my roses especially get a good hard prune. But with our temperatures really mild in the 40s, 50s and 60s our roses haven’t slowed down and have plenty of new growth, buds and flowers still abloom. However, these bushes really do need a break before they start their stellar performance in the Spring. And so as I pruned I cut all the blooms and buds for winter garden bouquets to enjoy indoors.
Happy Friday! To start 2021 off on a healthy note, I thought I’d share some of Mother Nature’s colorful bounty that we received as gifts over the holidays. Our Santa Clara Valley truly is The Valley of Hearts Delight!
For a wonderful vegetarian one-pot dish vermicelli upma is a veggie packed filling and delicious brunch, lunch or light dinner option. Vermicelli upma is similar to rice pilaf but is made instead with fine noodles called vermicelli.
Hello and Happy New Year’s Day! How was your New Year’s Eve? Festive? Plenty of cooking and baking? Lots of food? I hope you got to spend quality time with your family this year.
