Red Christmas cake with Waldorf Astoria Cake Frosting!

 My family has had Red Velvet Christmas cake for years as one of our traditions.  My brother, Brad, was born Christmas Eve in 1960.  Since he was small we have had this yummy cake at Christmas to celebrate both the birthday of a special brother and to celebrate the birth of Christ!  Our whole family loves it - especially with the unique frosting!

I wanted to get a good picture of the cake we made this year but I wasn't as quick on the draw as I wanted to be.  This picture shows, at least, what it

looks like.  The brilliant red color is so fun! I am sharing the recipe!

Red Christmas Cake

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup Crisco or shortening - cream these two together.  Then add:

2 eggs

2 cup flour

1 cup buttermilk ( I use powdered buttermilk to make the cup of buttermilk.)

1 Tbls cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ounces (2 bottles) red food coloring

Put in three round layer cake pans.  Cook at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. When the cakes are done, I let them cool, remove them from the pans, and freeze them in the freezer on greased sheets of wax paper.  This makes the cakes easier to frost.  The crumbs stick to the cake and keep the frosting cleaner.  

Waldorf Astoria Cake Frosting

3 Tablespoons flour

1 cup milk - Cook flour and milk until thick, stirring constantly. Cool. I usually do this when I make the cake and let it cool in the refrigerator overnight.

Mix until well blended and fluffy:1 cup sugar

                        1 teaspoon vanilla

                        1 cup butter (NOT softened- but since it is cold you may need to cut it in chunks.)

Now add the milk/flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture.  Continue beating with the mixer until it looks like whipped cream.  This may take about 8 to 10 minutes depending upon your mixer. 

I usually make this recipe and then 1/2 it again so that there is plenty of frosting for the cake. 

It is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO yummy.  It gives this red cake a completely different taste than the cream cheese frosting that is often used.  

Through a child's eyes....

 

This year we had a very beautiful and meaningful nativity area up in our living room.  I so very much enjoyed and appreciated it every day of this Christmas season.  Our family had a big Christmas celebration at our home a week before Christmas.  We wouldn't have company the rest of the week.  Gail and I were planning to leave to go to Arizona where he could rope the day after Christmas.  So - before Christmas even came - I began to 'undecorate' the house.  I was a little depressed doing this.  Who takes the decorations down before Christmas????

I was babysitting for Austin and Missy that particular day.  I thought I could take down the decorations while the children played.  I didn't think they were watching or knew much about Christmas yet. Then..... the angels reappeared!

Little Lucy had gone over and gotten them and climbed up the stepstool to replace them where they were. This was a God moment for me.  Just as she was watching me - God is watching us.  He cares for us and loves us.

As it turns out we won't be leaving for Arizona for a little while now AND I have a new and beautiful spot that shows me Christ's love and the reminder to see through a child's eyes! 

When your family members irritate you by the little things they do....

  I am blessed to get to teach Sunday School to the kids at Cowboy Church.  Last Sunday I stepped out of the room for just a second and when I returned two of the brothers were in a disagreement.  I found out one of the brothers wiped his face on the other brother's napkin.  AND the napkin owner was mad!!  As I talked to the boy, I said it that really anything to get all upset about.......

This started me thinking this morning as I folded the laundry.  For years now Gail had taken his undershirt off over his head so it is turned the wrong side out when he throws it in the laundry.  Years ago this used to irritate me.  I'd think "Doesn't he know this takes my precious time to turn these right side out every week?"  I have two options here:

I can suggest to him (at just the right time) that he could help me out a little and not turn the shirt the wrong side out every time he removes it. This would help me in the end with my time management.

OR I can use this as an opportunity to pray for him.  Every time I fold the undershirt I can pray for Gail  - for our marriage, for him to grow spiritually, to him to be a Godly leader, for safety, for wisdom, and the list goes on and on.

We are growing older - I am not so busy.  I will choose the second option at this point in life.

What are others doing that annoy you?  Choose one option or the other. Show love.  Enjoy peace in your life.