Steve took this photo of me last Saturday trying to toss the beanbag into the opposite hole. Supposedly the bags were filled with corn. Steve, a lefty, got his bags in the hole three times.
Me? Zero!
I love how his photo of me caught the bag in the air, released from my hand.
Corn Hole “Cornhole is a popular lawn game where players throw bean bags at a raised wooden board with a hole at the far end. The goal is to score points by either landing a bag on the board or getting it through the hole. Players alternate turns tossing their bags underhand from a pitcher’s box beside the board”
For Birthdays it was the 1-2-3-4 Cake recipe or the Happy Day Cake recipe on the back of the Swan’s Down Cake Flour box, frosted with Penuche icing. My mother would put the saucepan into a sink of cold water and then beat it by hand once it cooled. I can hear the ring of the metal loop at the end of the pan’s handle. And as I remember it she added a dash of vanilla extract. My dad would pour milk over a slice and eat it with a spoon. Cake and frosting recipes below photo.
Happy Birthday Mary. This vintage cake pan was a gift from her to me.
1/2 cup shortening, (I use butter) at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
Sift flour with sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir shortening to soften. Add flour mixture, ¾ cup of the milk and vanilla. Mix until all flour is dampened, then beat two minutes at medium speed. Add eggs and remaining ¼ cup milk. Beat one minute longer. Pour into two 9-inch layer pans that have been lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans; remove from pans and cool thoroughly on racks.
This cake also may be baked in three 8-inch layer pans for 25 to 35 minutes, or in a 13- by 9-inch pan for 30 to 35 minutes. Batter may be spooned into 36 medium paper baking cups in muffin pans, filling half full. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.
Penuche Frosting Butter is Key
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup milk
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, more or less
hot water, optional
PREPARATION:
In a saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Add the brown sugar. Bring to a boil and lower heat to medium low and continue to boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm. Gradually add sifted confectioners’ sugar. Beat until thick enough to spread. If too thick, add a little hot water. Frosts top and sides of a 2-layer cake or a 13×9-inch cake.
Pittsburgh -My friend Roberta brought this Plum Torte to breakfast Labor Day 2025. On that same day, my friend Joanne sent me a NYTimes article about it being Plum Torte Season
My sister Mary has two clippings of recipes from the NYTimes
Ruth ~ After talking to you about Marion Burros’ Purple Plum Torte I decided to make it once again. The New York Times has made it famous by writing about it and publishing the recipe, and I know your friend brought you one recently. The recipe is easy and foolproof. I made one individual serving in a little cocotte, and served it up with some Jeni’s “Brambleberry Crisp” ice cream and a small glass of plum wine. A great idea for some future dinner party.
And I cut the large one with a 6-piece pie/cake cutter that I found at my local restaurant supply store.
Thanks for giving me the idea to bake this fall classic!
JB
Joanne’s Purple Plums in Florida St Augustine Plum Torte by Joanne
Joanne’s dear friend Colleen (you’ve seen her quilts and cookbooks on the blog )
In the late 1950s my father would get Limpa Bread from a Swedish man named Elmer in a deli in New Jersey. Sharp cheese wrapped in a paper went on the slice of brown bread. It was delicious. I made the Joy of Cooking recipe for Limpa bread about 40 years ago but it wasn’t as I remembered. But-
I got a recipe from this library book pictured below, using some of the sourdough starter my friend gave me
Orange zest, molasses, anise seed, beer, and rye flour help recreate the flavor of Limpa Bread
I wanted an honest critique of my efforts so Chef Sam met me in the Millvale parking lot to try a slice. He brought sharp cheese, a homegrown cucumber sliced and Kalamata Olives
Maybe a tad less of the dark rye, he said, but that the flavors were wonderful
I think the recipe from this cookbook was the answer to baking the bread of my childhood, delicious
No wonder I enjoy knittingon the front porch in the early morning. The temps are cooler now. I don’t keep a feeder so I don’t see all the birds but this morning there were quite a few new species that were heard by thefree Merlin App out of Cornell Lab of Ornithology
These are screen shots of the birds heard in recording their songs. Usually there are crows and mourning doves but not this morning. The blue jays are the loudest.
When you travel, change locations it’s fun to record the different birds and compare lists. this is what I do in my retirement.
