on cooking

it was one of those cozy, crispy, breezy mornings

which made me want to turn on the

oven and bake something.

so, i made my family's hands down favorite, quick bread.

this is possibly the world's best poppy seed bread recipe.

so, if i were you, i would make note of it....

Poppy Seed Bread

but quite sweet, so let's tell it like it is.....poppy seed cake

3 cups flour, sifted

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/8 cups vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

1 1/2 tsp butter flavoring

Glaze:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp butter flavoring

Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans and cut parchment paper to cover bottom of pans.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix all bread ingredients together, then beat for 2 minutes.  Pour into pans and 

bake for 1 hour.  Mix glaze ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over

hot bread in pans.  Let cool before removing from pans.

from: A Pinch of Salt Lake Cookbook

while we are on the subject of food...

let me introduce you to my favorite cookbook!

apples for jam 

by 

tessa kiros

tessa writes cookbooks from heaven.........falling cloudberries, for example.

real, back to goodness, simple tried and true recipes from family kitchens sprinkled around the world.

and the richly colored covers are frame worthy.

sometimes i revert to my toddler ways and simply just look at the pictures.

what i would give to be able to photograph like the dreamy, real, slightly rumpled, 

comfortable, comfort food images in her books.............deliciously inspiring.