Azoresgal~Life on an Island

I do not know if it feels like spring in your neck of the woods or across the pond , but I can say that is does not feel like spring in the Azores! We are a few days shy of June, and I think we have had one or two days where it felt like spring was in the air! It has been cold, damp, grey, windy and rainy for what feels like the whole month of May! Despite the dreary weather, I can't help but smile every time, I go to our garden, to pick lemons. Our one lemon tree, has been gifting us with non-stop lemons the last two years, it´s really hard not to smile when you have an apron full of sunny yellow lemons! So with the hopes of cheering up your weekend, here is a lovely lemon loaf for you to try! Ingredients 1½ c. flour 1 (3.4 oz.) package, instant Lemon pudding mix ½ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt 3 eggs 1 c. sugar 2 Tbsp. butter, softened 1 tsp. vanilla 2 tsp. lemon extract (I didn´t have any) ⅓ c. fresh lemon juice ½ c. oil ¾ c. pl...

 Friends,today I bring you a fantastic dessert, that is sweet, hot, cold, crispy, and creamy. Imagine if you will, a flour tortilla wrapped around a banana and nutella then lightly fried, dusted with cinammon sugar, topped with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream, and lets add caramel sauce while we are at it.... are you  still there ?? Did you faint....or feel weak in the knees ?? I don´t blame you, these are amazing! Ingredients -  flour tortillas -  bananas -  Nutella - Vegetable oil for frying - ½ cup of sugar - 1 tbsp cinnamon - Vanilla ice cream - Caramel sauce Heat the oil, these will be shallow fried. Spoon a large spoonful of Nutella into the middle of the tortilla. Place half a banana in the center, ( I used two, as our baby bananas are small) Fold the right and left sides of the tortilla over the ends of the banana, then fold the bottom of the tortilla up and over the banana, and continue to roll the tortilla until you...

Making your own homemade hamburger buns is really easy!These took only about 40 minutes, start to finish.  They're soft and sweet, and I bet you have all the ingredients in your pantry. So here is the thing, I am not saying you will never buy store bought hamburger buns again, but perhaps once in a while you will bake these instead, because they are that good! 2 tablespoons active dry yeast 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (110° to 115°) 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon salt 3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the egg, salt and enough flour to form a soft dough. 2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 3-5 minutes. Divide into 12 pieces; shape each into a ball. Place 3 in. apart on greased/or baking paper lined baking sheets. 3. Cover and let rest for 25 minutes. Bake at 200//425° for 8-12 minutes or unti...

 Just because you are the only one at home, doesn't mean you can't enjoy a nice breakfast! This is a simple recipe, that can be made in a few minutes, and makes one  perfect waffle. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, all you have to do is pick your favorite topping, and enjoy ! 1/3 cup flour pinch of salt 3/4 tsp baking powder 2 tsp sugar 1 egg 1/4 cup milk 1 tbsp melted butter/or oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Combine all ingredients together in a  small bowl, mix until incorporated. Pour into prepared waffle maker and cook according to the settings provided with your model. Mine cooked in about 5 minutes. Ta-dah your waffle for one is ready ! **this makes one waffle, perfectly in my belgian waffle maker **if using a traditional waffle maker, you may get two waffles out of this recipe recipe source