Whole Lot A Baking Going On

Sometimes I pleasantly surprise myself. Recently I baked this lovely loaf of bread. My mom makes Spinach dip then serves it in a round loaf of bread that has been hollowed out. Since that bread doesn't exist here I had to create it for a recent pot luck. See, Mom, you didn't completely fail me. I can do more than just boil water now.

The same week my Saudi friend and neighbor Haifa was asking me if I had a chocolate chip recipe she could have as the one she tried did not work. Not only did I have one but I invited her over to teach her how to make them. When she arrived I didn't even scream when answering the door this time. After unveiling we got right to work while Ethan and her son, a classmate played. The night before I had changed all the amounts from cups and tablespoons to grams, which she appreciated. We had such a fun morning talking about desserts, family life, and summer plans. She just kept smiling and scooping up dough saying how excited and happy this was making her. We cooked half so she could see the process all the way through and froze the other half for her to take home. It was a very pleasant morning and one I hope to repeat soon.

After lunch I was surprised to hear the door bell ring. And even more surprised to see Haifa's nanny with this beautiful plate of pasta with bechamel sauce. One thing about the Saudi people in general is that they are EXTREMELY hospitable and gracious.

A few days after this Chris mentioned, "By the way, Haifa's husband is my new boss. So, you might want to keep those cookies coming."

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Now the two cakes below for the double birthday party I did not make. I am not that creative nor that talented, but my friend Marla is. She is one of those ladies that always brings the most amazing dishes to the potluck. If it's an international celebration you don't want to miss her table of Bahamian goods. She's a mom of four, styles/colors/cuts the hair for most of the westerners on camp, and can put the hurt on during cycling events; as long as her helmet is on correctly.

Not only is she gifted and talented; she is also beautiful both inside and out.

Boy was there a ruckus over who got to eat which character when it was time to serve the cake. The inside was amazing too with swirls of blue and green. In fact the next day Ethan was a little freaked out to see his bowels had turned blue and green. I reminded him of what happened when he drank the entire bottle of green food coloring and assured him it was the same phenomenon. He corrected me saying, "No, it's green because last night in my dream I ate a marker." I stand corrected.