On days with no sleep....

Blow out your candle, Mr. Man!

Sometimes we need to be reminded of wherein our sufficiency lies.  Is it my husband?  Is it my to-do list?  Is it me?  It's amazing how God can hit our personal re-set button when we think we have life under control.  Last night, well, this morning.... er...  it all blends together.  We were up yesterday at 10 to 6 to get ready for church, and I still haven't really been to sleep.  My littlest, who turned one over the weekend, was up all night, quite vocally unhappy with a fever.  Am I up?  Yes.  Is he still up?  You'd better believe it.  Do I feel like I'm making a dent in my to-do list?  Absolutely not.  Am I taking care of what God wants to be my priority?  Yes, and if I don't, he cries at me some more.  That being said, grocery shopping is being put off yet another day, and I'm watching my oldest love on my youngest.  Taking him ice water, reading him books, and just asking, "Mom, can we just let him be up to play since he's not sleeping.  I know he's tired, but isn't tired and happy better than tired and sad?"  Gotta love it!

That in mind, I thought I'd share about his cake.  Nothing too homemade or fancy about it, but instead a dressed up cake mix, and dressed up frosting.   Yes, I bought frosting, too.  (You can punish me for it later.)  I had (and have) been fairly sick, and therefore accordingly slothful.  Sometimes mom just has to get a little help.  This time, it was from Betty Crocker!

M's Tall Ship Carrot Cake

2 boxes carrot cake mix

1/2 cup applesauce

1 6oz plain Greek yoghurt

eggs (as called for on mix)

about 1 1/2 cup craisins

about 1 cup fresh grated carrot

2 tbs olive oil  (I don't even buy the hydrogenated oils anymore!)

Makes some for party, some for later!

Put your cake mix in a large bowl, and add the amount of water called for per box.  In lieu of all the oil, add 2tbs olive oil, applesauce, yoghurt and eggs.  Once all mixed and incorporated, add the carrot and craisins.

Grease or spray your cale pan (pans) and pour in your mix.  Bake according to mix directions.

For your frosting....

2 tubs cream cheese frosting (not whipped)

1 block cream cheese

Colors!!

Here, I put my mixer to work again.  Once the cream cheese was about room temperature, I put it and the two tubs of frosting into the bowl and just beat the tar out of it.  Once it was mixed completely, I seperated it and colored it as needed.  There will be frosting left over.  I promise.  (Maybe you should make cinnamon rolls, too!)

I will warn you, however.  This frosting is really hard to work with in this capacity.  You have to keep it almost frozen (which is hard on your muscles) and you have to keep the room temperature on the really cool side, or it will melt, like this one tried to before I got it in the fridge.

~ Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 1John 4:11~