The baby doll

artist (pronounced 'ar-teest') in Duff's bakery i am not, but able to take the old Wilton Raggedy Anne cake pan from 1971 and turn it into Addison's baby doll birthday cake i am.

I borrowed a recipe called "One bowl chocolate cake" from Jean and modified it just a bit to cut the sugar in half (this a cake for a 2-year old people, kids don't need sugar!), add a little bit of health (using olive oil and some rye flour instead of all white processed stuff) and give it some zing with a bit of fresh grated lemon zest. It was delicious. I don't know anyone at the party that didn't have two pieces!

I've never gone wrong with mom's recipe for vanilla butter frosting. And making the icing and decorating this bad boy...or baby doll...in under an hour amazes me. Imagine what I could have done if I had taken my time, and been able to do it without a "helping" 3 year old on the counter getting into all the tips, bags, colors, icing, candy, etc. or a crying 23 month old in one arm for most of the time!

Enough bragging about myself. I need to go to bed so I can wake up tomorrow and bask in memories of my last birth experience...that's another brag session in itself...and the child that has been a surprise and delight of gargantuan proportion. Addison Mabel, every birthday of yours will be happy for me because of the constant joy you bring to my life. I love you more than words can say, my little baby doll.