September

My birthday was this past week. Maybe that's why crisp fall days and I get along so well. The air smells different. Leaves turn color and crunch. Cooler weather is around the corner. I know I'll talk to the people I care about most in the world. The day reminds me to savor the past year and look forward to the next one. 

Marc doesn't do a lot of our baking, although he's definitely capable and good at it when he does.  Possibly this is because baking is one way I enjoy spending my time...... and you know what they say about having too much of a good thing. 

The one day I know for sure he will be standing in front of the mixer creaming butter and sugar together, adding eggs one at a time and mixing in dry ingredients alternately with some kind of liquid, is my birthday. Each year one of his gifts to me is a cake. He asks well ahead of time "What kind will it be this year"......and is a good sport about whatever I choose. Its always from scratch. Always eaten after dinner. Always served with candles and a song. I'm not ashamed to tell you that every year the remains of those frosted layers end up as my breakfast until they're gone.

I have my favorite flavors and so therefore am pretty predictable, although this year I through him off a bit and asked for Chocolate with Chocolate Frosting. Since this is the cake I make most often for other members of the family, I rarely request it for myself. Usually its  Pumpkin Spice Layer Cake with Pumpkin Cream Cheese Frosting. I love this one. How the scent while its in the oven kind of ushers in a new season. Pumpkin puree, buttermilk, vanilla, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg baked into three layers, then slathered with a cream-cheesy mixture laced with more pumpkin and orange zest. Now why didn't I ask for it this year?

Hope you had a good one!

Warmly, Margaret