My kitchen in full bake sale swing
The Sugar Cookies are cutout stars that have an opening on one leg so you can put it on your cup. I got the cookie cutter at World Market. I made them today and I would say the best tip I can provide is to make sure when you roll out the dough, that you leave it on the thicker side. Due to the delicate nature of this cutter, you don't want it too thin or your cookie will break. Sad.
So this idea of community bake sales brings me to a story my sister was telling me the other day about a woman in her neighborhood who passed away. My sister lives in an area that is extremely environmentally conscious- they even have a Freecycle page that you can become a member of. (If you haven't heard of Freecycle, its pretty much exactly what it sounds like. You can post things you no longer need and people will come get them.) The woman's name was Elizabeth Marsh. A neighbor of hers posted on Freecycle that her belongings were on the curb and that anyone was welcome to come and pick up whatever they would like. A storm was brewing, and people ran out there pretty quickly to save what they could, my sister included. When she got there, she found old notebooks and music, furniture and an organ, among other things. My sister took the notebooks and a table, since that was all she could fit in her car. She was sad to see that no one had come for the organ, and probably wouldn't before the rain hit. When she got home, she found that the notebooks contained old meeting minutes. She jumped online and saw that other people who had gone by Elizabeth's home had picked up old photo albums and were posting pictures of her online. From the notebooks, music and albums, the people started to piece together her life.
What struck me about this was the fact that even though these people didn't know Elizabeth, they felt the need to preserve her legacy. It is a striking example of a community coming together to prove that one person's life mattered, and by that token, each person's life matters. You matter.
So make something tasty to share with those you love. Here's the Pumpkin Coconut Cake recipe, if you want to give it a try.
Pumpkin Coconut Cake
Preheat oven to 350 F
Whisk together 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup canola oil and 1/2 cup canned coconut milk or soy milk. Mix in 1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir until blended, then add 1/3 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes. Scrape batter into a 9x9 square baker for a thinner cake, or a 4 1/2 x 8 1/2 loaf pan for a thicker bread. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
~ This recipe also doubles nicely so you can use a whole can of pumpkin puree.
~ Swap out the coconut for dark chocolate chips for a richer dessert.
If you would like to stop by the New Beginnings Animal Shelter this Sunday, the sale runs from 10am-6pm at Sam's Club in Reynoldsburg.
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