The Making of The Legendary Cake

This Thanksgiving I thought I'd tackle traditional desserts. Legendary desserts from the different branches of my family. On my Mom's side I picked apple pie. My grandmother made great apple pie and oatmeal cookies. I am sure she made much more than those two but they are what I remember the most. And I have made pie before and knew I could do it. For Adam's side I picked banana pudding. He loves it and I had never attempted Southern Banana Pudding before. But the real doozie was Granny's chocolate cake. I know what you are thinking.... Big deal Carrie, you made a cake for Thanksgiving. Most people do bake things for Thanksgiving. But y'all just don't understand this is the Granny cake. (Dana knows)The cake that caused almost riots at calm laid back family gatherings. The cake that even Granny claims she doesn't get right every time. Its status in our family history is simply legendary. It was a risk and I felt up to it...

It involved sifting several cups of flour and cocco over and over and over. I don't have a sifter. And because Target didn't carry one they must not make it anymore. So I improvised with a pasta strainer....

This is not a Cooking Light Cookbook recipie... Its from the Ellison Miller Family Cookbook so it involves two sticks of butter, five eggs and three cups of sugar.

Adam took pictures of me pouring the finished batter into the pan. I felt like a famous cooking show hostess....

Then it baked for one hour and forty five minutes...

When it came out it looked like Granny's cake... But I still had the icing to go. I had to make two batches before I felt I had got it kinda close. I wish I knew how to make arrows on photos like my friend Emily to point out the giant hole where the icing lovingly known as the "middle" collects. This is the source of all the fights. It all looked good. But I will have to wait for Saturday to taste it. People who have tasted reported as pretty darn close. So I will consider my first attempt a success.

I only wish the banana pudding was as successful. Sweet Adam said that it tastes good but its a little thick and overdone. I will have to work on this a little more.

How did your Thanksgiving cooking go? Any yummy recipies to try??

The Giving Thanks Post- Finale

Today I am thankful for God's grace and mercy. I am thankful that He knew me before I was even formed in my mother's womb and that He loved me enough even then, even knowing my mistakes, misdeeds and thoughts to send Jesus to die for me and grant me life everlasting. I am grateful that He gives freely to me even though I do not deserve it and even though I do not do anything to earn it. I am grateful that the one who truly knows my heart rejoices over me with gladness. That in me he sees thepotential for good, gentleness, kindness, patience,faithfulness, self control, joy, peace, and love mixed with greed, jealousy, envy, untruth, ugliness, selfishness and loves me still. And that He daily gives me lessons on how to increase those fruits and to practice them. He gives me opportunities to see my weaknesses and daily choose to follow His lead in overcoming them. I am grateful that He does not see me or any of my struggles as a lost cause nor does He leave me to fight them alone.

I am also thankful for Joy. Some very special women and I did a study together in a very tough year for us. Through that study a little mantra developed. Choose Joy. It can be a hard concept to wrap your head around and one that I need to remind myself of from time to time. Choose Joy instead of tiredness, instead of jealousy, instead of impatience, instead of sarcasm. As I turn toward Christmas in my preparations, decorations and thoughts I often think of Joy and the present Christ brought us when He was born man. He brought hope, peace, salvation and he brought Joy. So in anticipation of Christmas this year I want to reflect on the Joy of Christ and how He shows it to me daily through life even if sometimes I have to choose it.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgivings!! We certainly did, we still have more to come on Saturday. Pictures to come soon!

The Thankful Post- Wednesday

Today I am thankful for babies. For the hope they represent. For the lives stretching out in front of them. For the potential they have. For the joy they bring. I am so blessed to be in the process of becoming an aunt three times over right now. I became an aunt when my older sister married my brother in law and we adopted his adorable son Michael who I love. But right now all three of my sisters are growing me nephews or neices. The first to arrive is Alexander Cole. He will be here in te blink of an eye. Next will be ..... WE FIND OUT TODAY!! coming in April. Then in June will be a little Neal! I love the excitement little babies bring to families and friends. And I pray for all those longing to have a baby that God will bring them comfort and an answer to their prayer!

The Thankful Catch Up Post

I loved Micheal's Thankful Post a day idea. And I fully intended to join her. Really I did but I got busy and focused on other things. Isn't that ironic? That is how it usually works. You focus on grateful you are and then you get busy and you forget to take the time to stop and give thanks.

So now I am stopping to give thanks and hoping I can better remember to take daily time to do so.

Wednesday - I am thankful for the feeling of home. In a busy crazy world it is comforting to have places that when you cross the treshold you know peace and healing are coming. Home is where your heart is restored, where you are feed emotionally, physically and spiritually. I thankful to have many places that feel like , "home" to me. And for the people who create this feeling.

Thursday- I am thankful for dreams. I am thankful for the feeling of hoping for something. For thinking big thoughts and thinking you can make them happen. I am thankful for dreams that are reachable, that come true, and the unreachable ones. I am thankful even for the ones that don't come true. Because they keep you hoping. They keep you trying.

Friday- I am thankful for memories. My grandmother suffered many years with Alzheimer's that stole her memories. It was horrible. For everyone. I am thankful for memories. Especially good ones. Like dance parties in Toomer Hall, Adam proposing, singing in my car loaded with friends with our windows all rolled down, the moment I first time I held Noah, the words my dad spoke to me right before I walked down the aisle on his arm, laying under an apple tree at my Granny's house reading a book, beating a number two Florida and rolling Toomer's in the pouring rain, a lazy Spring Break in Seaside, the look on Adam's face when he saw me in my wedding dress, going to the symphony with my dad, excited Christmas mornings, cooking with my mom, pulling all nighters with my freshman roomate... These and and many many many more remind of what a full blessed life I have and remind me to be thankful for the good things. Memories of breakups, funerals, illnesses, failures, mistakes, sadness and struggles all give me contrast for the good things and remind me of good God is and how he pulled me through these things to bring me to things even better than I could imagine.

Saturday- I am thankful for celebration! I love to have reasons for celebration and taking part in celebration. I love holidays, birthdays and victories and the feeling they create.

Sunday- I am thankful for the simple pleasures in life. Like... the scent of fabric softener, green lights, sunsets, chocolate, a good book, a pretty paint color, the feeling you get when you put on a cute outfit, an unexpected compliment, a smile from a stranger, giving joy to others, flowers, candlelight, laughter, a new song, soft sweaters, a good meal, a good conversation, surprises. I feel like these are God's little way of saying He loves us by providing not only our needs but providing for us joy in the little things.

Monday- I am thankful for DVRs. I am thankful for pause, fast forward, and saving things for later. I am not ashamed to say I like TV. I wish I didn't but I do. My DVR helps me get my priorities straight because it lets me watch TV on my time. Not Noah's or Adam's but when I have time.

Tuesday- Forgiveness. I am grateful for forgiveness. I am grateful that God forgives me for the secret ugliness in my heart and He loves me regardless of how many times I have to ask Him to forgive me. I am thankful for Adam's forgiveness when I am short with him or when I am lazy. I am thankful I am able to forgive Noah for his disobedience and sometimes his violence (why do toddlers hit so much???). I am thankful for the forgiveness of so many others for the mistakes I have made and I am thankful for the lesson of forgiveness Christ continues to teach me as I strive to be more like him!

The 2nd Birthday Party

On Saturday we celebrated Noah's Birthday with a party. We had such a good time. We are so thankful for all of our sweet neighbors and friends and family who came to celebrated with us. Noah did well with all his friends. He could have shared a little better. But all in all he was an excited host. He ran around playing trucks, watching Thomas, laughing screaming, eating cheese puffs. He did not like when everyone sang Happy Birthday. His excitement and joy was adorable and gave me so much happiness. I had a great time catching up with friends and watching our children play. I wish we would do it more often. My favorite Noah moment was when he was asking for cake, he had been asking for it for hours and we kept telling him when the people got here, he looked at me and said "People here mommy. Cake now. I want cake now. I want Brooke and cake. " Another favorite moment was when I was cutting cake (one of those jobs that comes with motherhood that we don't get training on!) a little stressed and one of my dearest friend since I was eleven years old (who is just few weeks from having her third little one) jumped right and helped me cut and deliver cake. It was so sweet. Her sweet help meant so much to me. It meant so very much for everyone who came from next door or drove three hours. I am always humbled when surrounded by loving friends and family. Thank you everyone for creating beautiful memories!

The Looney Family

Olivia and Kerri

Ava

Brooke

Ben

John Henry

Rebecca

Laudan, Megan (with Kate and Macey!) and me

Loves cake but not the singing!

Opening presents

Loving cheese puffs

Nana and Mimi

The Party Planning

I wish Noah had a birthday every couple of months. I have the most fun planning his parties! I love all the little details and pulling things together. I got most of my ideas from the hours I spent looking at Etsy my favorite website where creative people create things to sell. I wish I had just a fraction of the craftiness these people do. It all started this summer when I found these buckets at Target... This was at the height of Noah's truck, bus, car obsession. So I knew he would love them. I based the colors and theme off of them. At the party I used them for food. I piled paper towels and napkins in the bottom of the bucket and then filled them with veggies, goldfish, yogurt bites, pretzels, etc... I made peanut butter, ham and cheese and chicken salad sandwiches and used transportation cookie cutters to make shapes. I decided to go with simplicity on the cake and asked for solid color stripes. The banner I asked a Kerri, a teacher friend of mine who has a circuit , to make it after seeing some on Etsy. It came out so adorable!! I used these train punch outs on the cups, they were the same I used to make the invitations with. I made the garland with circle punchouts. I used it and extra circle throughout thehouse. To entertain the kids I set up a car station and a train station with Noah's new birthday presents. I also put a Thomas video in to play continuously. I also put all of Noah's cars and ride ons on the patio out back. In his thank you bags I put wooden train whistles, frosted transportation suckers and car bubbles. I put extra circle cut outs in for decoration and sealed the bags with transportation stickers (I ordered off Etsy). I think it all came out looking great and the kids had fun I think! I wish I could go into the kids birthday planning business. It was a great distraction from the stress of school. It all went forth without a hitch although the stress was a little high the morning off as we finished cleaning while Noah tore it back apart behind us. Next year I will have to remember to send him somewhere during the preparation time :)

The Turning Two Post

Adam and I were laying in bed the other night reminiscing about the night Noah was born. It is funny how two years later how certain things stick out in your head and how other things you felt you would never forget have faded. We talked about how nervous we were. We had waited for this little life and prayed for him. I labored and fought with my body all day to bring him into the world despite the drugs and challenges that made it so hard. I remember the feeling of being empty. And being scared when they rushed him out of the room in an incubator. I remember leaving the hospital without him. I remember the relief of finally bringing him home to our house and the three of us being together.

The past two years have brought unbelievable joy like seeing him take his first steps and speak his first words, like him telling me Jesus loves him the most. It has also brought fear with asthma, almost stitches, daycare crisises and uncertainty. It has brought laughter in the times he makes up his own songs, or laughs so hard at us playing hide and seek. It has brought frustration over how to discipline, how to love him best, how to teach him right from wrong and how to give him the things that I can't.

These two years have stretched me and Adam. They have made us better people and certainly a better couple. So we took the day off to celebrate Noah and all the things he means to us. We took the day to build memories with each other and our families.

It all started with a giant Diego balloon, of course. Followed by cupcakes with his preschool class. Then lunch at Mimi's and a trip to the zoo.The weather was perfect. The animals were active and the zebra and giraffe came right up to us to wish Noah a Happy Birthday. He particularly liked the Hippo, Ostrich, and Baby Zebra and its Mommy (I'm pretty sure they were all the same age but..) He mentioned them in his prayers tonight. It was a beautiful day for a two year old at the zoo! My mom reminded me that they took me to the zoo for my 2nd birthday as well! A trip to the zoo isn't complete without a train ride.

Or a visit to the Children's Zoo Playground. Where kids of all ages can have fun.

After the zoo there were presents and quick nap. Then PIZZA with Nana, Puddin', Papa, Mimi, Emy and Xander.

Then more presents and cupcakes. Then back to T-town where we all fell into bed fully celebrated and happy. And as I was falling asleep saying my own prayers of thanksgiving, I thanked God for it all. The joy and laughter and the fear and frustration. For the happiness and pain that being a mother is. As someone I love dearly told me... "I wouldn't be me without you." It is true of so many people who touch my life but today it is especially true of Noah! Happy Birthday Baby! I wouldn't trade one moment of the two years of your sweet life!