The Life Changing Spark

People come into our lives everyday. Some of them are there for eternity (for better or worse:).  Some of them for such a fleeting moment, that we having evidence of their existence is hard to find.

I just finished a book about a theory of why Andrew Carnegie became the first billionaire philanthropist. If you have ever visited a public library, he was the first to create libraries that were free to the public. Thus, allowing all classes and origins access to an education, one of the pivots that Americans can change their stars.

This shroud businessman was known for not missing opportunities to expand his influence in the American economy, was somewhat ruthless. He amassed a grand fortune for his family by taking advantage of any upper hand he could attain.  Then one day in December 1868 at the age of 33 he wrote himself a letter explaining that he was going to focus on improving the impoverished classes.
      (The book is a fun novel by Marie Benedict, "Carnegie's Maid")

As I closed the cover on the book, I reflected on how many people have come in and out of my life. Some without incident, and others with a profound impact that changed my course for good.  Many of these people have no idea that they have had any impact on our future course of life, yet without their influence on our lives we would be less than we are.

One of the early sparks in my life was Liz. She was my oldest brother's girlfriend. I know odd connection. Liz was one of those people who was confident, and vibrant in every way. She became an almost sister to me, and even helped my mom out after the two had broken up. Liz was the first person who called me out on my crap. When I was a teenager, I was very good at sizing people up and criticizing/ putting down their very essence. Yes, I must have been a dream for my parents.
While out at a greasy spoon, Liz turned to me after I had exacted the perfect put down, and told me that what I had said was mean not funny. The admonition was short and to the point, but well needed. From that time on instead of focusing on things I didn't like about others, I made an effort to focus on any little trait that was Christlike, or good. In this pursuit I started giving compliments to people I encountered. I started seeing the good in the world, and the good in myself (middle school was really bad for me). This led to me taking better care of myself, and becoming a person, not just a moody teen. Liz and my brother parted ways, I went to college eventually, and we all lost touch. She is still one of my treasured people because of the impact she had in my life.

People are part of our earthly education. It is okay to accept them into our lives even if it is for a day, a month, or a year. May you meet everyone in your path who can help you adjust your path to become who you hope to be.

PS. I finally, reconnected with Liz after almost 20 years. She is more herself now than I remember, unabashedly Liz.  She has lived to not stop becoming and dreaming.

For today's recipe here is the first cookie recipe I created on a napkin in a restaurant.
PB Jumbos's- these can be made full size or jumbo size smaller preheat 350 larger 325

Whisk together
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Melt Together separately
5TBs Butter
7 TBS Peanut butter (commercial I use creamy)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp. ginger

stir melted mixture, then add
1 egg+1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
then add dry ingredients

1/4 cup for jumbos six to a pan 15-18 minutes. Press down with a fork or the back of a pancake turner
2 T for normal 7-9 minutes. press down with a fork.
I like to roll my portions and then press them down. you can top with sanding sugar or chopped peanuts.

Smile and Savour :)

It's all Greek to me...

When I was in elementary school we didn't learn, Spanish,  Chinese, Or French; We learned Greek.

You see at the time each parent ( set of parents) in the class was required to contribute to the class in one way or another throughout the year. Some parents did parties, some did mini career days, but many taught us what they were learning, or what they knew.

This made for some very cool/ albeit different exposures as a kid. We learned music history (thanks mom), logic (I still adore logic puzzles), and Greek. In the course of 1st-3rd grade my small class learned basic Greek.  One of my friends was the Greek Orthodox minister's son, and his mom was taking Greek lessons to enrich herself--what a great example of you are never past the state of seeking an education.

Each week she faithfully came into the class and taught us everything from alpha to omega. She even secured pen-pals for us in Greece, awesome mom, for us to write to in greek. Mostly these were form letters, but we learned.

On Easter she through a Greek style celebration with foods that at the time were so foreign, and some were even off putting. Nick's mom never made us try anything, but she worked so hard, and loved us in a way that I think we always tried to enjoy everything presented to us.

If you don't know me personally, let me explain that I lived in a very sheltered bubble. One where one culture seemed to pervade almost everything else, but because of this style of classroom we each were introduced to new cultures, traditions, and ways of doing things. That didn't mean that we had to adopt these ways of doing things, but it made cultures that weren't our own more familiar, less scary, and approachable.

Since moving to Dallas (among the 10 married moves plus those before I married), we have been blessed to be surrounded by friends and neighbors from completely different backgrounds. New cultures, heritages, beliefs, and educations, yet I have found that individually I have more in common with these strangers than I do with people from back home. We don't have to agree on everything to enjoy each others' company and perspective.

What a delightful discovery, that people who have so little in common, can have enlightening conversations, and good times. These are the people that I know have my back, listen to my worries and concerns, and lift me when I am losing hope. They are blessings to me in so many ways. So a fun challenge today, recognize someone who is not in your circle.

If your well is empty, then give away a smile, or a kind word. If you are blessed with a full well, give away the talent or time, that is your endowment. We all have something amazing to contribute to the conversation, to the fabric, and to the community that is unlike any other. We are Americans. Each with a beautiful heritage which could separate us, make us fear, or even hate the other, but what makes this place a refuge from the storm is that every individual can be ________American.  Honor your heritage, in honoring each other.  Smile and savor.


In honor of a culture that I got a small taste of years ago here are my two favorite recipes to make your normal foods taste a little more Greek.  These recipes are simple, and require a minimal prep. The hummus recipe requires a good blender or food processor.

Tsatziki Sauce

Servings: 3 cups

• 1/2 English cucumber peeled
• 1 tub Cold plain Greek yogurt (either full fat or fat free will work)
• 4 cloves garlic pressed
• 1/3 cup chopped dill fresh or frozen- 1Tbs dried
• 1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice Juice of 1/2 lemon; please squeeze a real lemon
• 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

Grate and drain cucumber. Combine everything together. Stir, taste, add more salt or lemon or pepper according to taste.

Hummus

2 cups canned garbanzo beans or 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans, drained

• 2 tbs natural creamy peanut butter/ tahini
• 1⁄4cup lemon juice (about one lemon)- You can also zest the lemon for more flavor.
• 1teaspoon salt
• 2garlic cloves, halved
• 1tablespoon olive oil- you may need to add more to get the smoothest consistency
• 1pinch paprika
• 1teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Blend until silky smooth. THis may be more than you think. Blend one more time past what you think is adequate.

The purpose of salt.

So, my last grandparent is slowly passing away.  I have watched my dear mom try and walk through the trenches of hurt, pain, grief and loneliness from which it seems there is no escape.  These feelings are real, and valid, especially in a situation where a loved one is moving on without therest of us. President Dieter F Uchtdorf said:

In light of what we know about our eternal destiny, is it any wonder that whenever we face the bitter endings of life, they seem unacceptable to us? There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings.

Why is this? Because we are made of the stuff of eternity. We are eternal beings, children of the Almighty God, whose name is Endless13and who promises eternal blessings without number. Endings are not our destiny.  ‘Grateful in any Circumstance’, April 6, 2014, general conference.

This made me think that the endings to dreams, hopes, loss of connection, loneliness, abuse, loss of trust, and the missing of loved ones who have passed on; all can contribute to the sense of disheartening, deficiency in anyone not just those with obvious reasons to greive. Yet these hurts can be consuming to the point of destroying any remaining magic that life holds. How can each of us catch the glimmer of light from the depths of pain? These aren’t wounds that can be mended in an ER, nor can they be worked away through hours of hard labor or devoted service (though I fully endorse giving service to help get through rough points in life). Friends may reach out in the most sincere gestures possible, yet the reality of being broken is the only truth that is tangible in life at times.

In Luke 4:18 Christ reads to the masses a passage from Isaiah and states:

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Aren’t we all captives of something in our lives? No individual can escape this life without bruising. Thankfully, Jesus was not born to perform a limited Atonement. It was not one that would just forgive, or conquer death. This was indeed to be an “infinite atonement” (2 Ne 9:7). One that would enable Him to succor each of us when we feel lost, and broken before our ennobled, glorious brother.  Kuntsugi is a Japanese art of fixing broken china with gold. This repair brings to light the beauty of being broken. What a beautiful thought this is that we can all be more beautiful in our brokenness before the Lord. Those things we see as deep flaws, can be the essence of our true beauty, and our determined strength. This gives me courage to be broken before the Lord. To be raw in His presence and to trust that in this state, HE can recreate the pieces I drop at His feet.

He is best invited to come to our aid when we live our covenants and act as His people- the salt of the earth.  But what does salt and covenant keeping have to do with REAL pain, and brokenness?

Have you ever smelled the stench of burnt hair or flesh? It churns the stomach, and makes the mind reel. Yet one of my favorite smells on a walk is that of people cooking meat on grills. What is the difference between tragedy and barbeque? It is one thing SALT. This very stable compound in your cabinet can change the worst most repugnant things in life, to something so desirable that our mouths water at the very thought.

The sacrifices in the temples of old were always salted because the savour- smell- was the result of the offering to the Lord. When we allow the Savior into our lives, even the most devastating circumstances, can become ones that we savour. The pain, and sacrifices are not changed, yet under the perspective of keeping our covenants, obeying the commandments and drawing closer to our Master, the experience becomes sweet in the proximity it brings us to Him and the Father. In Doctrine and Covenants 88 the Lord asks us as His friends to come closer;

62 And again, verily I say unto you, my friends, I leave these sayings with you to ponder in your hearts, with this commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall call upon me while I am near—

63 Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

64 Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you;

When we are striving to do our Father’s will, and consequently come closer to the Lord we are better able to communicate with the Lord. I am not just talking about praying at Heavenly Father, but dialogue that takes place when we are grasping for the Light of Christ from our darkness and pain. As we continue in faith,  the conversation becomes more intelligible, more fluent, and the process of healing commences. He has promised us to give us rest when we take His yoke upon us.(Matt. 11:28-30)

I have known the remorse, guilt and pain of many years, filled with longing for what would not be.

When I was 18 I was told by a young doctor that I should not expect to have children. The world closed in, my whole plan for my life, my dreams, and future, were burned to ashes in that one sentence. My childhood had been full of teachings of the plan of salvation, yet for me, it might just have to be a hypothesized state. Would any man even marry a barren woman?

A few years later love did come, to my even more broken soul as I divorce had dismantled  my family. Despite my love I felt that with our vows, I had sentenced him to never having children of his own, at least in this life. My heart ached, my arms reached, and spirit yearned to sing those sweet melodies to my own miracle. Yet, year after year my arms were empty, and my heart was cankered by envy, for every new mother. No matter my attempts to keep my covenants I felt that the Lord deemed me unworthy of the gift of motherhood because of my actions. Through all those years as my pride disintegrated I was slow to learn to trust my Heavenly Father’s timing.

In 2 Cor 12:7-10 we read of a vision of the great apostle Paul in heaven. It states:

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

I was truly feeling the buffeting of Satan. The thorns seemed to pierce my very core. The prayers offered that the spiritual, physical and emotional pain would stop at some point seemed in vain...until I submitted. He knew that once I learned to trust Him-- His judgment, His timing, and His strength-- that He might be able to show me what He could do with my life. Even in my weakness, my pain, my lack of forgiving, He found a way to make every little effort I made a more savoury.  Finally, I received the peace of forgiveness. Through finally accepting the reality of Atonement of my Savior, I was able to understand that the lack of timing was not the ultimate issue, but keeping my covenants with faith and hope certainly was. His promises are sure and true, I could trust Him. So 6 years into my marriage, I was finally free to love, to forgive myself, and to become a mother to the kids who He had already put in my life.

He didn’t want to take away the thorns because they allowed me to seek Him. They allowed me to pray for help more often, to come to know Him as a Father, and learn how to be a friend to Him. That didn’t mean the thorns weren’t still there. I was still in pain more than I like to admit. The childhood family I longed for still was a mess. I had not born children to my sweetheart.  But on a cold winter’s day in the temple, I made the decision that I actually did believe in the ideals of the Plan of Happiness.

Healing for me in that moment came by degrees, some monumental ( I now and the mother to two amazing kids of my own), and some so subtle that I only saw them upon getting together with some of the women who helped bare my burdens through my dark nights.

Even with all this, the longing for what is not, can still dim and diminish the magic; and joy of celebrating the birth of the Messiah. It is not that I am not grateful for the miracles which have abounded in my life, but because of the hope that all things can be made right through Christ’s ultimate sacrifice.

Pray that those thorns you brave now will remind you of the thorns He bore then.  That they will enable you to come to know Him as your Savior. The raw feelings that threaten to burst at any moment are contrite (conterere in Anglo-french means bruised or raw). Allow our Lord and Master into the wounds of your heart, for that is what He asks for, those broken pieces. From those fragments He has promised in Ether 12 :27 that His grace is enough to make US strong. It reads:

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

If you are having a hard time, I am sorry. You are not alone. It is my prayer that the light of Christ will allow you to see them as holy days in which the Savior of the world came to earth, through which briars we each are able to come to know our Lord and Master.

"No more a stranger, or a guest, but like a child at home"

   

This last week I got a call from a sister in our ward on a Monday morning.  First, this is a sister with whom we are well acquainted, but have little in common. So her call though welcome was unexpected. She asked me if I would take the opportunity to teach our ward's 3rd lesson on the 'Sabbath Day.' I said, "Yes" as I jump at most chances to teach. However, upon pressing for further guidance on what approach or angle the presidency wanted, was given little help. This is good and bad as it gives lots of range to find your path, but makes finding that path more of a journey in itself. 

      Later that day I was going about my day and turned on the MOTAB--just for insight this is not a typical thing in my driving line up. I have 2 small children, and the choir is something reserved for Sundays.  As I skipped past songs that just didn't fit where I was mentally, I finally stopped on 'My Shepherd shall Supply My Need.' I listened to the melody and enjoyed the setting of Pslam 23. Upon turning down the road I found myself crying listening to the  last verse of the song. Thus, the title of the post. Like a child at home caught me. I moved out of the house before I graduated from high school in Utah. From then on I have been expected to create my own home. It was my calling to set the tone and spirit for good or bad. Even upon returning from school, my whole family and world had been seemingly dissolved into some viscous fluid that was unrecognizable from the firm structure I had grown up with. Like a child at home is the smirk I have on my face when friends go home for the summer. The smirk comes because in my life there is no such place if I don't create it. The smirk is one of longing, because I wish that place existed for every child of God. The truth that there is no place to run if I fail is why I have to smirk. There is no safety net for me if I fall off the tight rope. It is either smirk or cry, because a place to just be safe without the work of making a place safe is what I think we all long for; what I want to create for my kids.

        As I continued to ask for guidance through the week the analogy was expanded further. Our Father wants to have us check in for Sunday dinner.  In our church, there is a table set before us set with the sacrament. A Father willing to give His only Begotten simply wants his other children to check in as often as possible. He wants to know how the week went. He wants to see your face, hear your voice, and enjoy your company. He longs to have you close. That is the purpose of the Sabbath, the chance to take our thoughts home, our worship to be a little closer to heaven. Sure at church there are callings (chores), siblings( ward families) that don't get along perfectly, and the task of keeping everyone in a semblance of order for 3 hours in church attire. BUT that is home. It is safe to be there--even for the one who always feels out of place.

     In my study I found that the word 'diligence' comes from Latin. the roots include: " diligere "single out, value highly, esteem, prize, love; aspire to, be content with, appreciate," originally "to pick out, select," from dis- "apart" (seedis- ) + legere "choose, gather"

     I love that when you put the root with the modern sense of the word you get something close to dutiful devotion due to the love and respect for the the subject.  That is what I hope my life can evolve to. Something that is devoted because of love. Devoted to my family, devoted to goodness, to making things a bit brighter each day because of loving those I serve. 

So until I get to that point, I will remember this Good Friday, and every other day, that it is because of His death that I can have new life each day. That I can start anew each day, and stop the world once a week to refocus on what matters most. Because of Him I have hope that not all is lost, and that there is still an aspiration in my heart to be like a child in His home forever.

My reason for trying to make a home.

Something old and Something new.

    Yes is has been years since I have opened up this page at all. It has been wonderful to focus on the miracles in my life, and to become a person I didn't think even existed. It was amusing to say the least to read my final drafted post that wisely I never posted, but even better I have become even more of the person who wrote about not wanting unsolicited advice anymore. 

Wow what a journey. 

I am now a full blooded Texan. Yes, I love it here. Yes, I where cowboy boots. And yes, I am still looking for the perfect hat to go with them;).

But what I have found in the recent years is that over and over again I get asked where I go to figure out food proportions, menus, and ideas for feeding odd or large groups of people.

I do much less of this myself, yet I love researching, playing with ideas, trends, and entertaining more and more in our own home. The patio was meant to host friends, and framily-- we don't live close to relatives, so the people who come to visit tend to be people we would rely on in any circumstance. Being to admitted introverts this is a bit of a stretch at times, but it has been a welcome one. 

So I will still put up little glimpses of life but will try and give room moms, teacher coordinators, church collaborators, and everyday moms a place to grab an idea, theme or maybe a quick recipe to help set up their next event.

WHAT HAS BEEN BIG:

This school year I have had the chance to be my little girl's room mom, and befriended the hospitality coordinator at school. What Have I done that went over well and was simple? 

Yogurt bar, or classroom Yogurt snack

I really like this menu because it can fit into so many cultures and diets. My daughters class we found a great deal on the single cups of berry flavored greek yogurt, and found a cute gluten free cereal to act as granola then viola. Easy, healthy, valentines day snack. No sugar rush. The teacher doesn't hate me for putting her class on a roller coaster for the rest of the day. 

The teacher appreciation portion was done with a serve yourself yogurt bar. 
Things to provide:
Yogurt-singles or large pretty serving bowl
berries-even frozen can work here
fresh of dried fruit
chocolate chips if wanted
granola

Make sure to put the single yogurts on ice in a larger bowl or put the large bowl of yogurt in a large bowl filled with ice. This extra step allows this buffet to be mostly unattended by you, and lets the teachers come up as they have time in the morning. Set the toppings and mix-ins up with layers, buffet style on a table cloth and some holiday appropriate doodads and ta-dah. Teachers feel loved, and you have a few hours of time to get the rest of life attended to before clean up. 

When setting up anything like this please:
1. Bring something to dispose of left-overs that have been out in the open for the serving time. Single serves can be kept and taken home.
2 Extra towels and dish rags. There will be spills. They happen. Be ready. 
Towel are so you don't end up using a whole roll of paper towels to dry off serving platters.
3. Make sure to stop for ice, and have a cooler ready to keep anything that will crowd the buffet table. Keep cold things cold and hot things hot.
4.Serve ware. Tongs, large spoons/ forks, and what have you can be brought from home or even purchased at Walmart in the wedding aisle. As long as you have cups and spoons for eating you should be covered. 
5. If you want to take into account a special dietary restriction please bring LABELS. This encourages others to leave those items alone. Furthermore, send a note, or message ahead of time letting the diners to know that accommodations have been made, so they don't avoid the occasion.

As always smile and savour.

Mrs. Brownie

A Different kind of Queen

 I am not one to brag, boast or belittle the truth; but I am a queen.  I am divine in birth and royal by spirit.  I am not one to deny those imperative qualities that are imparted by being of a noble line.  But my one question is do you?  Do you remember that be a woman is more than bearing children, it is being what our Father hoped would always be the “better half” of society.  I am not saying that men have no place, or do not make a contribution, that I cannot by any stretch of the imagination make.  Men provide the structure, of society- as evidenced b the degradation of society since there are fewer fathers in fewer homes across the nation. If I am truly a queen then they must be by reason be kings as well. Notwithstanding, I hope that woman in the pursuit of their lofty dreams don’t put aside the fact that they were meant to nourish the structure of the family to allow it to grow.  It is not demeaning to have a door opened, a coming acknowledged, or to be kept out of the world’s most dangerous place (even if you in your life that happens to just be the curbside of the sidewalk).  I would be less of a person if I did not allow someone to show respect for me, and my role as a nurturer of the good in society, despite this oft times making me less socially mobile.   I am sorry for those who feel that the only way to gain attention and respect is by becoming a piece of meat, by dressing the part.  I am sorry for those who think that wearing a skirt or dress below them.  I feel sorry for those who try to fixate on what they aren’t instead of what they are.

I am a woman.  I found someone who is willing to treat me like a Queen.  I am not saying that a life on a coach watching TV and eating truffles has been or will ever be in my future.  I am thinking of one who was greatest among us being willing to bow and serve instead of being exalted by his peers.  Thus, I am a queen in that my efforts to care fore house and home, are not forgotten by the Lord.  That my husband respects the work I do inside and out of the home, because I do it in the best way I know how—prayerfully trying to help others become the best version of whomever the Lord would hope they could be.  I am a queen in my own home as my sweetheart remembers that there are still two of us who can accomplish great tasks.  I am a queen because at times I am forced to step back and allow someone else to help take care of me, even if it is just in the grocery line, or at the entrance of a building.   I am a queen because I realize that when I bow it is to pray that I will be able to stand and serve a little better today. I am a queen because I realize who I am bowing before.

This is not something that I aspired to, or even hoped for as a child.  I was given a gift of a man who knew that the only way I could reach my own potential was by allowing me to be true to that eternal difference of gender that we have all been given. He knew that fulfillment comes best through being what we are meant to be, not by trying to be what everyone else was meant to be.  It is our differences that make us strong through complementary connections.  The strength of the sphere is not complete with both the yin and yang.  No appliance operates without the outlet and the plug.  The plug can never be the force by which things turn on, but the outlet would be of no use without a way to apply that power, that goodness, and that love that makes the world a better place.  Yes I am a queen.  That is my mission, to make one life, one experience, one moment, better than it would have been through my hard work to add God’s love into the equation. Shame on me if I ever take away from that love, by my own selfish self serving desires and aspirations.

A flying Leap on Carrot Cake

Mrs. Brownie’s Carrot Cake- Better than a Master Baker. This is a take off from the fabulous cute book By Gesine Bullock-Prado. If you need a quick read to make you smile, this is a great book with recipes that are absolutely fabulous. Every recipe of hers that I have used as a base has just been too good. Her writing style is light and fun with lots of vignettes that will make you feel more human. Plus if you need some inspiration on finding passion in your life, she might make you take action.
Just a note, if you don’t want anything but carrots in this one use a full 3 c. (If you read the book you will understand why.)I baked this in 4 floured and greased silicone pans for 25 min-perfection. Use a longer time if you just use 3 pans as the batter depth is greater.
I don’t claim to be a Master baker but hey if you get inspiration from one things can only get better. Smile, Smile, Smile, and savour every delectable soft mouthful.
For the cake
1 ½ cups vegetable oil, plus additional for the pans
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
½ t ginger
1 t vanilla
½ t cloves
½ c coconut
1 c crushed pineapple not totally drained
½ c chopped dates or raisins (plumped in boiling water for 10 min then drained.)
2 1/2 cups finely grated peeled carrots (about3/4 pound)
For the caramelly cream cheese frosting
4 cups of confectioners’ sugar
1 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 stick browned butter cooled slightly with 1 T molasses
For the cake
Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Lightly grease three 8-inch round cake pans with 1 ½-inch sides. Line the bottoms of the pans with wax paper and lightly grease the paper.
Place the sugar and oil in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and clove into the sugar and oil mixture and beat on low until all ingredients are incorporated. Stir in the carrots, coconut, dates, and pineapple. Incorporate until all add ins are well dispersed.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake about 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, if you must. But you can also gently press the top; if it springs back and if the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, it’s done. Set the cakes on racks and let them cool in the pans 15 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks and cool completely. (Cakes can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.)
For the frosting
In an electric mixer, beat all the ingredients with the whisk attachment until smooth and creamy. I add the browned butter once everything else is creamed in a steady stream fro best incorporation of a light caramel flavor.
To assemble the cake
Place one completely cool cake layer on a lovely cake platter. Spread with ¾ cup frosting.
Top with another layer cake layer. Spread with ¾ cup frosting. Top with the remaining cake layer. Using and offset spatula spread the remaining frosting in decorative swirls over the sides and top of the cake.
This or Gesine’s Original recipe will know your socks off. From what I understand this is what was served at her sister’s wedding.