Grammie's Kitchen

 I was in the mood to bake something yesterday; something old-fashioned and simple.  Where better to look than the box of recipes Grammie gave me years ago.  I found a recipe for date loaf: no chocolate chips, coconut or cream cheese anywhere in the recipe!  I don't cook with dates often - much to A.'s disappointment as he loves date squares!  I found these date rounds with pistachios in the store: they were actually cheaper than just buying the dates themselves, and there is not a pit to be found by sorry teeth later on.

I altered the recipe just a bit, namely to cut down on the sugar.  The recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of sugar, but I cut it down to 3/4 cup.  I think you could even cut it back to 1/2 cup and it would be sweet enough.  I baked it at 350 degrees, figuring that would be considered a "slow oven"!  If you notice there is no oil or butter called for, so that would make this a low-fat loaf.

I also baked a banana bread for the kids lunches this week.  I was about to reach for my Jean Pare book when I remembered that Grammie had a recipe for that too.  I had to leave the nuts out because I'm sending it  to school, but it still turned out well.  It's quite dense, so next time I might add a bit of applesauce.

My David Austin rose is blooming wonderfully in her new garden.  I am just in love with the way she looks and the way she smells.

My coral climber is doing well too.  After I put the trellis up but before I secured it to  the fence, a fat racoon or cat walked along the top of the fence and knocked one trellis over; breaking off a stem that had three lovely buds on it.  Needless to say the trellis got secured the very next day!