Loaf o' Gold

Yesterday morning after breakfast, my daughter and I were lounging around, watching a couple episodes of Caillou.  In the last episode we watched, Caillou baked a cake with his mommy.

My daughter had watched this episode before, but this time, the cake really caught her attention.  I don't think I had even heard her say the word 'cake' before ('cookie,' yes, ALL the time... but never 'cake'), but here she was, running to the kitchen and searching through our pantry shelves, saying 'cake' over and over.

Before I continue with this story, here are a few important facts for reference:

1. You will rarely find me in the kitchen
2. I've never baked a cake without a pre-made boxed mix
3. My daughter has me securely wrapped around her pinky finger

Due to fact #3, I obviously had to bake a cake immediately, but that posed a problem with fact #2: we didn't have a boxed cake mix.  Keeping my composure, I turned to the one cookbook that has never failed me: my Betty Crocker cookbook from the 50's that my Mom gave me (who in turn had it given to her from her mother, who I lovingly call Nan).  Since I'm the third generation of women to use this cookbook, it has priceless notes and recommendations written in it that really make this cookbook the treasure that it is.

I turned to the Cakes section and started browsing for a cake that didn't require any ingredients we didn't have readily on hand.  I didn't want to mess with the layered, frosted cakes... I wasn't sure that my daughter would like a chocolate cake... I really wasn't sure what to try.

Then eureka! I saw one of Nan's unmistakable handwritten stars (written in bright pink ink, no less) next to a recipe, which always indicates that Nan really, really liked the recipe.  This was the only cake in the entire Cakes section that had one of Nan's pink stars.  Loaf o' Gold.

It was perfect.  Made in a bread pan, it was an easy, very straightforward pound cake.  Eggs, sugar, flour -- the usual stuff, and everything we had on hand.  My daughter and I rolled up our sleeves, put it all together, and stuck it in the oven for an hour.  As she ate her lunch, the cake was done, and both her and my husband had a couple slices for dessert.  They loved it, and I felt like a real mom, baking a cake with my daughter.

So to Nan, thank you for showing me the cake to make for my daughter, I know you saw us.  And to Mom, thank you for passing down this priceless cookbook.  I don't know what I'd do without it.