As a rule I am not terribly fond of cake, which made it odd that I suddenly had a desire to bake one. Until I realized the fact that my birthday was this week might have something to do with it. You may think baking yourself a cake for your birthday is weird (and perhaps a touch pathetic) but it’s a gift to myself. I enjoy the process of baking and I get the kind of cake I like: three layers (more room for gooey filling), bourbon and coconut. Lane Cake, kind of a Southern version of German Chocolate Cake but without the chocolate. It’s gooey and decadent and I’m ...
Cakes
FRUSTRATION CAKE
Lately, I have been running into a lot of frustration in my life. Things aren’t happening the way I want them to, when I want them to or how I want them to. Do you ever look up the meaning of words you know the meaning to? I do. My definition of frustrating is having no power to change or fix the problem. The dictionary definition is to “cause (someone) to feel upset or annoyed, typically as a result of being unable to change or achieve something.” And the list of synonyms includes exasperate, infuriate, annoy, vex, irritate, irk, try one’s patience, disappoint, discontent, ...
CELEBRATE SUMMER (AND THE FOURTH OF JULY) WITH A WATERMELON CAKE!
I read in the paper this week that the tourists were gathering in the Great Smokey Mountains to watch the fireflies. And I thought how grateful I was that I don’t have to fight for a space or sit with a crowd to see the fireflies. I look out my window at the grass and trees surrounding me and I can see them rising from the ground to hover in the air. The occasional firefly makes it in through my screen which interests my cat until he tires of chasing the light. My daughters say my house in Asheville reminds them of their grandparents’ house in Connecticut where they spent many lovely ...
COCONUT CAKE FOR GRETCHEN
They called me on Thursday to tell me that my friend, Gretchen Huffsmith, was leaving the hospital and going into hospice care. Gretchen had been fighting pancreatic cancer for almost two years so we all knew what that meant. I thought of Gretchen on and off all weekend long. I remember the first time I saw her coming out of the kitchen at Honey Hill, the bed & breakfast she operated with her wife, Cheryl. Gretchen was tall with a wide smile and a gentle manner. Her short hair lay in wispy blonde curls on top of her head. I don’t know of anyone who didn’t love Gretchen from the ...
