Tuesday, November 24, 2009

truancy and recipes



Andrew is home sick. Again. He has another in his first-year-of-school series of colds. Isaac started it all last week and now Andrew has joined in with a fever, cough and drippy nose. I emailed his school again to tell them I would be keeping him home again. And I feel pretty guilty about the whole thing. Missing school is a big deal in my family. I won the perfect attendance award every year from Kindergarten until the sixth grade. Every Year. Every Day. I was there. My mom often tells us that she just wouldn't allow us to get sick. And so we didn't. So keeping Andrew home never settles well with me. But neither does sending him to school to sneeze and cough on his classmates. And so, he's home to sneeze and cough on me.



And now: a recipe!

I know it's practically Thanksgiving and you are probably more in mood for pumpkin pie than Coconut Cake. But this Coconut Cake is soooo good that you might be won over into making this instead of more traditional favorites. I'm sure your families will love it. Unless, of course, you have family members allergic to coconut. Then maybe just stick with Pumpkin Pie.

Coconut Cake It Is So Good

1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup softened, unsalted butter
3 large eggs
2 t vanilla
1 t coconut extract (I didn't have any...so I just left it out)
1/4 t almond extract
2 1/2 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3/4 cup chilled coconut milk
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Mix it together. Put it in a bundt cake pan (that fancy pan with a hole in the middle). Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350. Also makes great cupcakes!!!

Coconut Frosting It Is Also So Good
1/4 cup softened unsalted butter
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 t vanilla
1 t coconut extract (or, you know, leave it out...)
1/4 t almond extract
milk
shredded coconut

Mix together everything but the milk and coconut. Drizzle in the milk a little at a time until you have a thick, but drippy consistency. Drizzle over cake. Sprinkle coconut on the frosting.



And one more thing and then I will leave you alone. Andrew decided to write a list of things we need. He wrote "bell" (backwards), "bananas" (also backwards), "grapes" and "robots". Then he punched holes in the paper, had me a tie a string to it so he could "wear it on his belly". Now everyone will know how desperately we need robots. He told me he added exclamation marks to the items on his list to make it all "more exciting!"


ok. that's it. I promise.

11 comments:

Maria Ontiveros said...

Awesome post! I love the sign . . . and, of course, all boys need robots (or trains or trucks . . . ).
And the coconout cake reminds me a bit of German Chocolate Cake - one of my favorites.
Hope everyone feels better soon!
Rinda

JIW said...

OH, MY GOSH --that cake looks super delicious...I'd love some right now with my coffee!

debs14 said...

You can never have too many robots!
I could just eat a slice of that cake - must be nearly time for 'high tea'!

Cat said...

How come we were never sick? I never missed school either. Oh well...hope Andrew feel better soon. Is he still using the sofa as a tissue?

Mama V said...

Andrew is such a hoot! Though, my friend, I'm pretty sure that a fever and cold do make for an excused absence, or at least certainly not truancy. I did play a lot of hookie growing up. And my mom let me! (And I still go straight A's...) Does that surprise you?!

The cake may not taste like Thanksgiving/Fall/Christmas/Winter but it looks very holiday-ish and festive. It's so beautiful to look at! I'd definitely willingly stuff my face into it.

sharyncarlson said...

I'm sorry your little guy is sick! And wow does that cook look amazing. I love coconut and could seriously go for a slice right now.

TARA said...

I have some errands to do tomorrow. I think I will wear my list like Andrew. Then, when someone sees what I need, maybe the holiday spirit will just strike them, and they'll go get it for me. I'll have to remember to use exclamation points. Nice going, Andrew.

Becky said...

That cake looks yummy! And I could do with a sign around my neck too, to remember everything I have to do lol!

Dave said...

Tara, I find it so funny thinking of wearing a list around your neck. And that your list would include the exclamation marks! For some reason I just think it's hilarious picturing that. I bet you really will include exclamation marks on your next list. But I DOUBT you would wear it.

firefly said...

Oh my gosh, I love that boy.

Andrew and his list have just become my desktop wallpaper.

Melissa Belmonte said...

I am sure the other parents and teachers are grateful for you for keeping andrew home, especially this year! My mom was pretty strict about school attendance, too, but we all need a sick day when we are sick!

Coconut looks so pretty.