Halloween alternatives and baking in jars...

I told myself I would work out this morning, so at 4:00 AM I rose and threw on my workout clothes.  An hour later I sit here with half a slice of cake in my belly, and a very well organized closet.

And I am frustrated.  I want to work out, but the idea of giving an hour and a half of my day away to Tony Horton seems inexcusable.  There is simply too much to do.

Yesterday was Halloween, and it has received a cold shoulder from my family for a few decades.  We grew up as Christians, and my church always had a Halloween alternative.  In previous years we called it "Hallelujah Night," but in the the effort to make the peculiar seem less so, most churches simply call it a "Fall Festival."  My father is the children's pastor at my church, and he did an exquisite job with this year's event.  In times past we dressed up as Bible Characters, but now kids can dress up as just about anything tasteful.  Besides, there aren't very many notable female examples in the Bible (Ruth, Esther, Lydia, Rachel, etc.), and their costumes all look the same, generally speaking.

All games and candy aside, Halloween was something very different for our family, as it is also my little brother's birthday.  He lives in Washington DC, and this year he turned the very big 30.  I miss him desperately, and knowing he likes cake I decided to send him some.

My son and I are huge fans of Bonne Maman preserves, and the empty jars make great drinking glasses. To my husband's lament, I snagged four and baked some cake in them.

Yes, I baked cake right inside old jelly jars (le gasp! I called bonne maman "jelly").  You can bake cake in just about anything glass, and mason jars are quite popular as well.

But with no mason jars on hand, my Bonne Maman jars would have to do.   Here is a picture of them capped and ready to go.

I made some cupcakes with the remaining batter, stuck one in the mailbox, but can't figure out what to do with the rest.

I am sure I can find someone to eat them.  Pumpkin Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Shouldn't be a problem.

Happy Birthday Frankie.  Hey.  Hope you like pumpkin.  I needed to use it up.

Recipe tomorrow...

Rachel Bee

One week away...

My child stumbled out of the bedroom this morning, crawled onto the mat I was working out on, and said, "buh-na-nuh milk, peez?"

What?

Did you just say, "BUH-na-nuh milk?"  BUH-na-nuh?

"Na-nuh" was one of Langston's very first words.  As most children, Langston has an affinity for bananas unlike any other food (although grapes, or "baps," are a close second).  I still remember the first time I fed him mashed up bananas.  I stuck the tiny dessert-filled spoon in his unsuspecting mouth, and expecting the usual pureed peas or sweet potato, his astounded eyes sparkled as if he had just bitten through the crusted  sugar in a creme brulee.  He fell in love, and he has rarely missed a banana or two in a day since.

But this morning, it was "banana," and this extra syllable made me tear up.  The reality is that a week from yesterday, Langston turns 3, and of course, it is bittersweet.

I love this kid.

And although I have been told I don't seem like the mothering type, I am elated that heaven looked past my selfish nature and gave me this kid.  And I am even happier that I have a husband who partners with me to make the right decisions for him.  At times we have sucked, but most often we exceed, and I am so proud of what our little boy is becoming.

Breathtaking.

Yesterday was his last day of summer camp, and as he has a summer birthday, I went ahead and brought some cupcakes to school with him.

OK.  They are quite feminine.  I know.  But they are strawberry!  Strawberries are delicious, but they tend to make things pink.  Maybe next time I will remember.  I think I brought pink cupcakes to school at Christmas for Jesus' birthday party.  I know.  I have issues with pink.

Regardless, I am quite sure that the kids who ate them were not bothered.  And I am sure that Langston is still unaware that they were for his birthday.  I am sure Langston doesn't know what a birthday is.

Hallelujah.

I know I still owe you a recipe for Monday's cupcakes, and I will get them both to you tomorrow.  I hurt my back on Tuesday doing a rock star jump, and I am pretty heavily medicated.  I would hate to try to put together numbers and ingredients for you this morning.  Who knows what you would end up with!

And although there is so much more to say, for now I wish you a wonderful Thursday!

Rachel Bee