Whenever I go shopping, I stop at Starbuck's and get myself a little treat, and, if they have it, I try to get their lemon loaf. But what if you get a lemon loaf craving at home and don't want to go to Starbucks? This recipe is an almost dead-on copy of the coffee chain's signature lemon loaf, but homemade! It's light, fluffy, lemony, and the thick glaze on top gives it just the perfect amount of sweetness!
This recipe is a family favorite - it almost never lasts the night after dinner - so it's perfect to take to potlucks or other gatherings to make sure you come back with an empty plate and no leftovers... not that you'd mind with as tasty as this treat is!
And watch me make this lemon loaf at my YouTube channel (make sure to subscribe or support me on Patreon!)
Coffee House Copy Cat Lemon Loaf
2 cups flour 1 cup sugar 3 eggs 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder Zest of one lemon 1 tsp lemon extract yellow coloring as needed
Cream together sugar, eggs, sour cream, and oil. Mix in lemon juice, zest, extract, and coloring. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet mixture. Pour into prepared loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Allow to cool in pan. Remove from pan and top with lemon glaze.
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I, probably like a lot of people, didn't like potato salad when I was a kid. In fact, I don't think I willingly ate any potato salad even through most of my young adulthood. And then one day, I was a potential drummer's house for him to try out for my band and his wife served us all bowls of potato salad. Not wanting to be rude, I ate some. And I was shocked that I actually liked it. It wasn't weird in any way. It tasted like potatoes and bacon and there wasn't any weird crunchy things in it, but it had the taste of onions and pickles without the crunch of it.
But the audition didn't go well and I lost contact with that drummer and his wife and never got the recipe. So, I set out to make my own version, and this is the result! This potato salad is a crowd favorite to every place I have ever taken it to; I have never had to bring leftovers home when I bring this dish to picnics, potlucks, BBQs, etc. The secret is the inclusion of pickle juice and lemon zest and juice, which adds the traditional pickle flavor but kicks it up a freshness notch or two with the acidity of the lemon.
Alternate versions of this that I have made before when I have it on hand include adding bacon, but it really is delicious exactly like this. Watch me make it here:
Empty Bowl Potato Salad
6 eggs (hard boiled)
5 medium potatoes (boiled)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
Zest & juice of one lemon
2 tbs pickle juice
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs chicken bouillon
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp black pepper
In a large pot, cover potatoes and eggs with water and bring to boil. After 7 minutes of boiling, remove eggs from water and set aside to cool. Continue boiling potatoes for another 10 minutes or until fork tender in the middles. Remove potatoes from hot water and allow to cool.
In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon zest & juice, and pickle juice and whisk until combined. Add in spices and seasonings and whisk until incorporated.
Peel and dice potatoes and put in large mixing bowl. Peel & rinse eggs and set aside.
Add dressing to bowl of potatoes, gently folding to combine until all potato pieces are coated.
Slice eggs on egg slicer and add 4 of the eggs to the bowl of potatoes. Gently fold to incorporate.
Transfer potato salad to serving bowl. Top with remaining two eggs, arranged in a pretty pattern for serving.
Serves 6 to 10.
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and get instant rewards! You could get a custom song, free copies of my
books, free jewelry, a say in my projects, and so much more! Thank you
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Nothing is more important to the mid-century meal time than the quintessential cocktail. Over the years, I've tried a lot of liquors; not many have suited my tastes, and fewer mixed drinks really call my name. So, I devised my own (you wouldn't really expect anything less from me, would you?). I call this drink "Cheerio's Cherry" because it tastes like cherry punch and my Grandpa called me Cheerio (because I had as much energy as the Cheerio Kid).
Watch me make a Cheerio's Cherry in the Mid Century Kitchen:
One of my all-time favorite dishes growing up was this rigatoni pasta and Spam concoction my mother made every other Sunday afternoon. It's creamy, the Spam adds salt, and the BBQ chips on top add the perfect crunch.
Though a lot of people turn their noses up at Spam, it really is the key component to this tasty dish of comfort food. This casserole takes less than half an hour to put together, 20 minutes to bake, and is also GREAT to take to potlucks! (You'll come back with just an empty pan, I promise!)
No, it's not gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, lactose free, low carb, or low calorie, but it is darned delicious!
Here's the recipe in text; a printable recipe card is below, in both JPG and PDF format, and you can follow along with my video (below), too!
INGREDIENTS
1 can of Spam (any flavor - I like Hickory Smoke)
1 box of rigatoni noodles
2 cups of milk
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed BBQ potato chips
Salt & Pepper to taste
Paprika for color (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 375-degrees.
Prepare pasta according to box directions.
Dice Spam into small cubes and put in foil-lined baking pan (no sense in making more work for yourself)
Melt butter in saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add flour to butter to make a paste.
Add milk to roux (your flour/butter mixture)
Whisk constantly until sauce reaches a medium-thick consistency. Add salt & pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
Drain pasta (do not rinse) and add to baking pan. Stir in white sauce and mix until fully incorporated.
Top with a layer of cheddar cheese, a layer of crushed chips, and a second layer of cheese. Top with a sprinkle of paprika, if desired.
Place in pre-heated oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Serves 4-8 people for a main dinner meal; many more at a potluck.
