Happy Mother's Day to You!

It just so happens that our double blossom plum is blooming this weekend and for the very first time in Calgary, we managed to grow my favourite SNOWDROPS! Can you even believe that? This year was full of them, first my sweetest hubby had them shipped for me from Vancouver in flowerpots, next I managed to smell them and love them in my home Czech Republic, and upon my return from Europe, voila, here in our backyard!  3 times this year, wow....

I am wishing you all the loveliest Mother's Day and may you be feeling as blessed and lucky as me, with the 3 most important men in my life by my side, my husband, my son and my dad. So happy! 

Enjoy your weekend, XO Z

Our very first Calgary Snowdrops!

All great things come in 3, right?

XO, Z

Mother's who give on Mother's day ...

Women in my family and my mom exactly would always bake something "loving" to offer to all of us on "Mother's Day" even if that was her day to be taken care of, relaxing and to enjoy her husband's and her kid's company, she would be making sure that we have something sweet and delicious to eat and she would make it "herself" for us.

So here to keep up with the tradition, I will too make (my mom's recipe) the TRIPLE CHEESE STRAWBERRY CAKE for my husband and our son and anyone who comes by on this special day, the "Mother's Day"!

And if you want to try it, here is a simple recipe. Not very sweet, not overly cheesy, real country style down to earth cake.

Let me know if you enjoyed it! Happy Mother's Day to everyone(:
Hugs Z

16 Strawberries, washed, cut off the ends and halved;

Prepare a baking dish with non-stick spray (size 11x9 or so);

Turn oven on 325F (convection);

Make the Crumble:
1/4 cup butter, melted in a steel pot
take of the heat when almost melted
add
1/3 cup icing sugar
1/3 cup flour
and with a spoon, mix and mash until well combined, done;

Prepare the Cheese Cake batter:
With an electric mixer, beat:
2 egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract liquid
for about 2 minutes, until lighter colour and fluffy;

Add:
1/2 cup Mascarpone Cream or Original Cream Cheese
and continue with electric mixer for 30 seconds;

Add and blend with a spatula:
1 lemon (zest & juice - 1tbsp of juice)
12 oz Quark Cheese
1 1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup & 1/4 cup flour, all-purpose;

Pour the batter into the baking dish and place the prepared strawberries evenly, pressing each a bit down;

Sprinkle all the Crumble on top and put into the oven!
Bake... and do the toothpick test...when not sticky...it is done, don't over bake it.

Get a good "helper" in the kitchen!

Bake it for about 45 minutes or till it is looking this lovely pale golden brown.

Take time to enjoy the cake, it tastes best freshly made but also the next day, but nothing triumphs the freshly baked warm cake or luke warm I mean...and the smell of baking ...

These kinds of hugs you will get on this very special day, the MMMMMM Day(: