Birthday Roses

After several days admiring this year's bouquet of birthday roses, it dawned on me why I love it so much. The rich and heady color and full shape of the blooms are much like my favorite rose from our garden. So while Fragrant Cloud lies dormant under its blanket of Fall leaves and Winter snow, I have a bouquet to remind me of the garden's summer glory. Thank you, Dad!

A Walk After Snow

...from His holy dwelling

"Be still before the Lord, all mankind,

because He has roused Himself from His holy dwelling."

Zechariah 2:13



Christmas is a Reminder...

"Grace and truth came through Jesus. How much the world lacks those two expressions. Christmas is a reminder that God sent his Son into a hostile world and with a handful of people, changed the world."

Ravi Zacharias, November 2015

 

 

"Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end,

on the throne of David and over His kingdom,

to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness

from this time forth and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this."

Isaiah 9:6-7

Cake Breakthrough

I must say that I had some qualms while mixing this cake. Not only were the ingredients out of the ordinary, but the consistency was more than a mite funky. With trepidation I served Hannah a cupcake made with left-over batter and tucked into one of my own to see if it would make the birthday cut. Surprise! We both loved it and wanted more. But that had to wait until the birthday, when the real cake was frosted and candles had been blown out. Hooray for a cake breakthrough!

- Cake At Last -

Combine (coconut oil will still be in little clumps):

1 c. unsweetened applesauce (Cook some up and can or freeze next apple season!)

1/2 c. coconut oil

1/3 c. honey (Hannah and I like our food not too sweet. If you prefer, stick with the original recipe which calls for 1/2 c. honey.)

Add and mix:

2/3 c. coconut flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Whisk in small bowl:

2 T. gelatin

2 T. lemon juice

Whisk into gelatin mixture:

2 T. boiling water

Add gelatin mixture to cake batter and mix.

Divide batter between two round, parchment lined, 6-inch cake pans. (I used 4 inch cake pans and had left-over batter for five small cupcakes.)

Bake at 350F until lightly browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean - 30 minutes. (I'm unsure of the time. The original recipe says one hour, but I know I baked mine for considerably less time.)

Cool completely in pans.

Freeze thoroughly until ready to frost.

- Frosting -

1 c. palm shortening

1/4 c. coconut butter (same as "coconut cream concentrate" and "coconut manna"), softened

1/2 c. coconut cream (either the specially canned stuff or the stiff top layer in a can of full fat coconut milk)

3 T. honey

2 T. cocoa

1/2 tsp. vanilla

pinch salt

Mix thoroughly with a hand or stand mixer. Spread on frozen cake. There will be left over frosting. Save in the freezer for next time you bake a cake.

Sprinkle cake with allergy free chocolate chips.

*******

Now I dream of making a new version of this recipe - Chocolaty Red Velvet Cake. Red from pureed beets. Chocolate from, well, cocoa.

*Original recipe from here



Celebrating a New Decade...

...with family and cake.

 

Allergies added a couple extra cakes to the table.

 

My classic childhood (and beyond) birthday cake was chocolate angelfood... always with sprinkles. The gluten tolerant ate that one. The gluten sensitive ate Luxurious Almond Cake, in Chocolate. And the most-everything-sensitive ate this cake with some changes, of course. My next post will be on this new cake recipe which Hannah and I find quite good.

 

While pictures of cake are more plentiful than people, the people are what made the birthday special. I thank God for seeing me through another year with His kind eye upon me.

Squares Blanket, Again

Blocking complete! Now that I am done with that year-plus project, I'm sewing the knit squares together. This is proving to be a challenge, but I'm enjoying it thoroughly.