High Expectations...disappointing outcome
For Easter we planned to join Brad's family for Easter dinner. I had been wanting to make this coconut cake that I saw a recipe for in the Lion House Cook Book for a while now, so when asked what I would like to bring for Easter dinner, I volunteered to bring dessert. I had it all planned out in my head, when I would make it, how it would look (beautiful, appetizing, near professional level of course), and how it would taste. Well...it's pretty evident by the pictures that my dream coconut cake didn't quite turn out like I had planned...but that was sort of the theme of my day.
My cake and the other items I planned to make for the dinner were not prepared on Saturday night like planned. Instead, I spent Saturday evening comforting a sick child and cleaning up throw up (yes...she was sick again...this time with the flu). By the time she finally drifted off to dream land it was well past 11 pm. So I decided that I would just have to make the cake some time between church and dinner. We had early morning church so I got up plenty early, prepared Easter baskets full of goodies for both Chelsea and Brad and hoped to get a few shots of the two with their baskets before church. It was a nice thought. Chelsea woke up VERY VERY cranky and still sick so my morning before church was spent dealing with her and getting myself ready for church. And the Easter basket was torn apart before you could say Jelly Bean. Brad had to leave early to attend some early morning meetings. By the time I had gotten Chelsea calm enough to put her down for a moment, and gotten everything ready for church I had already missed Relief Society. I made it in time for Sunday School and was just starting to enjoy the spirit of that meeting when one of the counselors in the bishopric plopped down next to Brad and said "the bishop would like to speak to you and your wife right now." So, we dragged Chelsea down the hall and had a "chit chat" with the bishop. Did I get a calling? No. He just wanted to "check in" with me and see where I was at in my life. Hmmm... Anyway, so no Sunday school class for me. Then Sacrament meeting was spent up and down the hallways with our still very cranky daughter. No spirit was felt at all. Brad again had meetings after church so I went home alone with Chelsea hoping that she would take a much needed nap, while I whipped up my culinary masterpiece. Again...didn't happen that way. When the recipe read "stir constantly" I was stirring in between changing diapers, exchanging toys that might be more entertaining, and listening to my little one scream for 2 hours straight. Another one of my foiled plans was to get a nice family picture, since we were all in our nice Easter get ups. But since Chelsea had spit up and drooled bright orange Pedialite all over her WHITE Easter dress and had bright red eyes from all of her crying, I decided that it wasn't exactly going to be a Kodak moment for us. In the end, I got no picture of the baskets, no family pictures, no spiritual upliftment, and a sad sad looking coconut cake that had a frosting landslide and really didn't even taste all that good (and that was after I burnt the first batch of frosting and had my mother in law help me with the second batch) Like I said...High expectations...disappointing outcome!
On the up side, we did have a good Easter meal with Brad's family and they all were very gracious about the scary looking dessert. Most of them even were brave enough to try a piece. Chelsea is feeling much much better and maybe some day I will attempt the Lion House coconut cake again. And best of all, Easter is not about baskets full of goodies, or pretty spring dresses or family pictures, or fancy cakes, but about the atonement and resurrection of our Savior, and that can be celebrated and pondered on any day of the year.
5 comments:
You poor thing--what a day! I gotta give you mad props for being able to keep the right perspective in mind, though. Don't you hate when you your best laid plans fail to turn out. That happens to me with most of my culinary adventures as well.
I wish I was there to help. I miss not having the family picture of you guys but I totaly understand as I was once in your shoes. I don't remember how I got through it but I did and you will too. You are always doing fun neat things for your family. I hope they appriciate all you do for them. What's up with the Bishop?? Are they ever going to give you a calling and Eater Sunday was not a good day to ask how THINGS are going after your morning. :) Love ya can't wait to see you guys.
Oh man! You should have gone with us - OUT to eat. I felt so bad for how horrible our Easter turned out too. Since I was sick all week I only had half of the dinner I had planned and hadn't gone grocery shopping. We had nothing but all kinds of cans of food and jelly beans. No bread, eggs, milk, cheese.... It was bad. We were late for church, ALL the kids in primary were wired from the candy and it was absolutely insane trying to control 200 kids. Talk about no spiritual moments! I know just how you feel!! We got home and I cried and we ate lunch and went on a drive and ended up starving in SLC so we ate at some random place and I got sick. THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR BREAKING THE SABBATH. Especially on Easter. We came home and repented.
Well, speaking from someone that was the recipient (sp??) of that Coconut Cake, it WAS very good even though the frosting didn't co-operate. you ar a great cook. Thanks for not giving up!! :)
sure luv ya barb
Wow. Showing us what we have to look forward to in a few months! Good thing you are such a good lil Mommy! Atleast you got a family picture at the temple in St. George. It was great to see you guys!
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