Friendship Cake

I picked this book up at the library the other day... and started looking through it. I usually read books with more substance than these simple, inspirational,  fiction, books.... geared toward women. I got hooked by the title...because it brought back memories of a time when we were all making Friendship cakes in our  little town. They were the first food and  recipe form of a chain letter. I'll talk about that later on...I'd like to tell more about the book.I sat, with my glass of iced tea, on a hot day and started to read. A story about 5 women in a N. Carolina Church, who decide to make a cookbook. They want to learn more about each other and the rest of the congregation and figure that making a cookbook would be a way to accomplish that.. At first the recipes don't amount to much,...they only have a handful, but as the book goes on (including a recipe for each chapter) they get more ideas of how to get more recipes. We get a look into their lives...one who lovingly takes care of a friend with Alzheimer's, another dealing with a bi racial marriage in the future, a little girl who wants to know about Heaven and how a N. Carolina Church deals with it's only black member.My Mom had Alzheimer's disease and this part of the book was really special to me. This woman had a recipe to share and her story is told near the end ot the book. It's  such a sweet little book...one to read on a hot summer day.It taught me a lesson too...maybe there are books like this... that I have been missing out on, Don't be so quick to judge, Balisha.

Now to Friendship Cake....I have an old yellowed recipe from the Elgin Courier News, Sept. 28,1988. I lived in Hampshire, Il. at the time and someone came to my door with a jar of starter in a sack.She called the starter Herman.  She told me about the recipe and asked if I would like to try it. I told her to leave it with me and I would give it a try. Well, that was the start of a big exchange between the women of Hampshire. Everyone was passing jars of this mixture...at ball games, grocery stores, Church, garden club meetings, choir practices etc. Everyone had a jar on their counter.The idea was to use part of it to make a cake and then to feed the leftover starter so it can be used to make another cake. You passed on some of the starter to a friend and on and on. It got so we avoided people who wanted to get rid of their starter. Everyone had made the cakes and didn't want anymore. I was left with my starter and started filling my freezer with Friendship Cakes, because I couldn't bear the thought of just tossing it out. I had an arts and crafts sale at my house on the first Sat. in Oct. every year. Well, this year I had something new to offer. A bakery table with cookies, breads, and you guessed it...Friendship Cakes. I had learned how to fill them with pineapple and cherries for a very moist delicious cake. I sold every one of those cakes. I'll put the recipe that I used here tomorrow, if anyone is interested.

Today is beautiful. Our town is having it's yearly celebration...Byron Fest. A carnival is set up downtown, food stands, music. craft sales, car show, a Gospel Sing Along and a parade. It's a fun time. Last night as Joe and I were out for a drive...I said to him, "Can you imagine all the kid's excitement about this carnival? Do you remember that feeling?" We have participated in the past, but we are staying home this year. We can hear the music from our house. I love to have the windows open and hear the music coming from downtown as I fall asleep. We continued on our drive along the Rock River to Oregon for ice cream. We drove the back way home... looking at all the beautiful crops that look like they are in perfect condition for a good harvest this year. I love the river drive and Joe likes looking at the farms. The view is outstanding from the road....miles and miles of corn and beans...as far as the eye can see. An Alpaca farm was an attraction last night. We stopped the car and watched about 35 Alpacas eating grass and the little ones romping around the penned in area. They are so cute and fun to watch. As we turned to go home...all eyes were on us. They had stopped eating and were looking toward the road. These simple pleasures are taking the sadness away from me. My family and I are doing well with our loss.We will never forget, but are learning to live happily again.We have so much to be thankful for.

Coming home, I thought how lucky we are to have such peaceful lives...I wish everyone did.
Balisha