The Sweetness of Showers

Hello Friends–
We’ve been to a rash of baby showers the last couple weeks.  Ani is expecting that baby girl in about 20 days and we’ve been celebrating and anticipating with friends and family up and down the state.

The thing about showers– of the wedding or baby variety –is that they are filled with so much Hope!  So much looking to all the joys ahead…  With the baby arriving, there’s blessings and hugs and baby advice and tummy patting and all those adorable little baby clothes wrapped up in bright packages.  Add in flowers and friends and cake, lots of cake!  There’s a lot of sweetness in these showers…

     
photos:  Opening gifts, Sue offered blessings and words of advice for he new mom.

      
photos: Welcome at the door, brunch table, friends looking through the baby book of when Ani was a baby.

     
photos:  Ani with her two grandmothers, Brian’s mom and the sweater she knitted for the new little baby Heung.

photos:  All those luscious cakes and cookies.

     
photos:  bountiful brunch with friends,  Ani & Brian with his parents and his aunt & uncle visiting from Malaysia.

photo:  The new soon to be parents, Ani & Brian.  God Bless you on all the joys that are coming with this new little girl!

Thanks to Jenni, Sue, Joy, Cheryl & Patty, to Joanne & Lulu, to Aaron & Jessica– for providing these beautiful, generous, happy days of celebration!

 

Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake

Hello there–  Saturday we all landed at Jenni’s for the happiest of occasions– a wedding shower for our Sally!  There was the adorable bride, piles of  gifts, a wise words of advice, lots of laughter and cake, or course, cake!  Coffee cake along with baked eggs and ham and fruit with cream.  It was a marvelous, memorable morning…   So here’s the coffee cake for your next wedding shower.  Or just just for breakfast on the weekend ahead…

RASPBERRY ALMOND COFFEE CAKE
5 tab. canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. amaretto (or 1 tsp. almond extract)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup buttermilk*
8 oz. raspberries
1/3 cup slivered almonds
sugar for dusting

Stir together the oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and amaretto.  Then mix in the baking powder, salt, flour and buttermilk.  Stir just until it’s all blended.  Save out a small handful of the raspberries and then carefully fold the rest of them into the batter.  Spoon the batter into a round cake pan or 9″ springform pan, sprayed with cooking spray.  Top with the remaining raspberries and the almonds.  Lastly sprinkle on the sugar and pop it into a 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes, until it is golden and firm to the touch.

*For the buttermilk you can substitute regular milk mixed with a couple tablespoons of cider vinegar.  Let it sit a few minutes to thicken.

  
Here’s the cute bride with her mom, Betty.  Debbie giving Sally a little wife-ly advice.  Sally opening gifts– what fun to see all those shiny new kitchen things she’ll use ahead!