History in Our Hands

PitterPatterPitterPatterDripDropDripDrop.
Rustling leaves.
Swaying branches.
PitterPatterPitterPatterDripDrop.

These sounds made the music in our home as E-man, Casey face, and mama made CAKE one Tuesday afternoon.

We didn't make just any cake. We made our favorite, of course.
Mamaw Cobble's Zucchini Cake

I was first introduced to this cake by Nana, Kenny's step-mom. She made it when I was up for a visit when Eli was just a baby. I gobbled up every morsel of this cake. Pigged out, I did. Kenny is not such the fan of it, so I would make whole cakes just for myself at our home.

Until the boys came along. They both ADORE this cake too. SCORE! The more the merrier, I say. Just 2 more good reasons to make it.

I love recipes. So many times they are the history books of our families. I knew Mamaw Cobble for just a short period of time before she passed away. But her recipe. One of the many she made for the family she loved lives on through me and now my boys. With each ingredient...each twist of the spoon...and yes, each lick of the finger, Mamaw lives on. Every time I make this cake, I think of her. I think about the kind of woman she was. I think of the stories I hear her family tell about her. I wonder what she would think of Eli and Casey. Recipes are so much more than a bite to eat. They are the simple things that can be passed on from the past to the future. Although our boys will never see her face or hug her neck, they will find happiness and delight in their Mamaw Cobble with every bite of her zucchini cake. That's the good stuff.

As Christmas time is quickly approaching, I wanted to share with you a wonderful Christmas gift that encourages the signifigance and importance of family recipes.

I would LOVE to say that this idea was mine, but it wasn't. It was someone even better's. My sweet mother-in-law, Carlene's. Mom-mom, if you will.

Under the Christmas tree one year sat 3 boxes at Mom-mom's and Larro's house. One for each of her children and their spouses. We opened each box to find this:


A three-ring binder recipe book including dividers. But it didn't stop there. Carlene had filled it full of family recipes. These recipes were recipes from her childhood, Kenny's childhood, and even our adulthood. Sifting through the dividers you might run across a copied version of Mamaw Cobble's best homeade vanilla ice cream written in her very own handwriting, then the page may fall on the recipe for Mom-mom's peanut butter fudge, then turn and find Kristi and Tony's South Carolina Chicken Bog recipe. It was a collection.

Isn't that what familes are?

And the best part was the three-ring binders. Since that 2002 Christmas, Kenny and I have added at least 30 new reicpes to this gift. Recipes from Nana, our cousins, my family, and even some that Kenny and I have stumbled upon that have become our favorites.

The best gifts really are handmade and from the heart. We love this gift and look forward to one day passing it along to the boys.

With that being said, let's make some of Mamaw's zucchini cake, shall we?


You will need some zucchini.

Take the skin off and blend that chopped zucchini up!

Eli decided to add some carrots too.

Blend it really well.

Now add your eggs.

Then your sugar.

Stir it up!

Don't forget the vanilla!

"Alright, snack time!" Casey says. It's all you, bro!"

Break out the mixer.

Blend together your dry ingredients.

Now dump it all together

Add your nuts.




Butter and flour your bundt pan

Stick in the over for 55 minutes at 350.

Look at what we made!

Tractors like to eat it for breakfast.

Apparently, Geo trains do too.

PitterPatterPitterPatterDripDropDripDrop.
Rustling leaves.
Swaying branches.
PitterPatterPitterPatterDripDrop.
We love you, Mamaw!


:-) .mac and the boys

p.s. In case Eli and Casey's rendition wasn't enough, here's Mamaw's recipe:

Mamaw Cobble's Zucchini Cake

Ingredients:
Wet ingredients:
3 eggs beaten
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Dry ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp. of cinnamon
2 tsp. of baking soda
1 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. of baking powder


Additonal ingredients:
2 cups peeled and chopped zucchini (about 2-3 zucchini)
1 cup chopped pecans or other choice of nut

Instructions:
Combine dry ingredients ans set aside. Beat eggs, add oil, sugar and vanilla to the eggs; mix well. Add dry ingredients to the egg mixture; mix well. Stir in zucchini and nuts. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10 inch bundt pan. Bake at 350 fro about 55 minutes. Remove from oven. Allow cake time to cool. Transfer to a cake plate. ENJOY!!