Making a House a Home

Mrs. Mordecai commented on my post about German Chocolate Cake...

"Once my family had a German exchange student and she said there was nothing
German about it. She thought there was sauerkraut on top!"

I watched a TV show one time about the history of the German Chocolate Cake and found it quite interesting because I had always thought it was a recipe from Germany. Lo and behold, it's NOT!!!

Here's what What's Cooking America says about the History of German Chocolate Cake...

German Chocolate Cake is an American creation that contains the key ingredients of sweet baking chocolate, coconut, and pecans. This cake was not brought to the American Midwest by German immigrants. The cake took its name from an American with the last name of "German."

1852 - Sam German created the mild dark baking chocolate bar for Baker's Chocolate Company in 1852. The company name the chocolate in his honor - "Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate." In most recipes and products today, the apostrophe and the "s" have been dropped, thus giving the false hint as for the chocolate's origin.

1957 -The first published recipe for German's chocolate cake showed up in a Dallas newspaper in 1957 and came from a Texas homemaker. The cake quickly gained popularity and its recipe together with the mouth-watering photos were spread all over the country. America fell in love with German Chocolate cake.

German Chocolate Cake. Aaahhhh. My very favorite cake in all the world IF it is made by my grandmother. All the other recipes cannot compare to the heavenly sweetness of this cake when Grandmother used to make it!! OOOH BOY!!!!

My Uncle Burt and I always had a little unspoken competition going on for Grandmother's German Chocolate Cake. She made one every Thanksgiving and he used to always beat me in the race to have the first luscious bite. My grandmother actually hid the freshly made cake one year so that I would be sure and be the first one to taste the cake. She and I carefully tiptoed to her hiding place, she pulled the cake out and A PIECE WAS MISSING!!!! Grandmother gasped out loud and then we heard Uncle Burt laughing hysterically. He had found her secret hiding place!!!! Rats.

These days, however, even though my grandmother doesn't feel like making her yummy cake, I do my best to copy hers. She told me the "secret recipe" is actually inside the box of the Baker's German's Chocolate box!!!! I follow the recipe to the letter. It smells like Grandmother's and even LOOKS like Grandmother's, but I am 100% positive that she does something special to hers to make it extra delicious.

Grandmother isn't doing well these days. She's now 88 years old and in a nursing home. She doesn't always remember you when you walk in to visit and she doesn't pay attention for long, but she's still here and still cute as a button. She has created some wonderful memories simply through the love she has shown in her homemade food for her family. I am blessed to come from a long line of really good cooks.

What kind of recipe do you have that brings back wonderful memories of family? I would LOVE to hear about them!!

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.



Luke 2:1-20

3 weeks and 1 day... that's how long it's been since I've blogged. OH DEAR!!!!

I'm still here, just BUSY!! I know, I know, I'm not the only one that gets super duper busy this time of the year. It just seems like Christmas really got here quickly this year!

What have I been doing since I last posted? Well, I actually was at my parents' house when I last blogged. I don't know if y'all remember or not, but I asked for prayer for my mom in the beginnging of November. I stayed with them for a week after Thanksgiving to hopefully help them out a little bit. Elizabeth and I were blessed to be with them a week. I don't think we were much help at all, but it was wonderful being able to do anything at all for my parents. Even in their very difficult times, they still praise the Lord. What a testimony their lives are!! If y'all think about it, please keep praying for them. With my mom having to deal with the pain after shingles, this is a VERY long road to recovery.

After we returned home, things have been a whirlwind of activity. We bought our Christmas tree and decorated it. This is Elizabeth's first Christmas and it makes me sad to think that last Christmas she was sitting in a bed, all alone in the orphanage in China, never having heard about Jesus Christ. But this year we get to celebrate Jesus' birthday TOGETHER!!!!

She wasn't too sure what was up with the tree, but now she LOVES it and enjoys playing with all the low-hanging ornaments (child safe ornaments!!!).


Mr. U and I celebrated our 9th anniversary on the 12th of December. 9 years!!! WOW!!! When I think of our married life, it has FLOWN by!! He is such an AWESOME man of God and I cannot believe that I am the lucky girl that got to marry him!!! WOOOHOO!!!!

Joshua will turn 20 (yikes!!!) this coming Sunday. Twenty. Where has the time gone? When Mr. U and I met, dear Joshua was a small 10 year old boy. I immediately fell in love with him when he wanted to snuggle up next to me and tell me all about his life. He has become such a wonderful, godly man. Some girl is going to be INCREDIBLY blessed one day to become his wife. (Good gracious!!! I'm crying now just thinking about that!!!!).

This is Joshua. He's going to kill me for sharing his picture, but good grief!! He is one cute guy!!! How could I NOT share his photograph? :)


It's still going to be a whirlwind of activity around here for a while, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I LOVE being with my family and I love all the busyness that comes from making our house a home. I LOVE being Mrs. U.