belated and beloved

It doesn't look like much, but don't be fooled. If you love lemon, this cake rocks. While Andrew was out of the country, I happily dreamt-ate my way through The Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg. This amazing French-Style Yogurt Cake with Lemon was the cake that started the romance that led to her marriage. She posted the recipe on her blog and some cute, food-loving, compatible, francophile emailed her and the rest is history. I l-o-v-e stories like that. Probably because mine is similar. The most unlikely union and the most fated. Like this lemon cake, irresistible.

Anyway, I made it in celebration of Andrew's birthday (lemon is his favorite), which we missed because he was gone in Lithuania. We are all so glad he's back, cake notwithstanding. Elliott even seemed to change overnight. Today he walked everywhere, talked up a storm - including new words we could understand, like "downstairs" - and smiled ceaselessly. I think he really missed his dad.


He and Liam happily donned their Lithuanian viking hats. Not sure about the historical connection, but there must be one because Andrew felt awfully at home there. He describes Lithuania as all the best things about Italy and none of the bad (of which, after living there for a dozen years, he can cite many). Their group (six in all) stayed in a compound supposedly run by Russian mobsters - nice clean room with full breakfast for $10/night. Lights out and locked in by midnight or they were out of luck. Apparently this was the best show in town.

But something about the place - the people, the values, the countryside, and especially the kids - got under his skin. My husband is hooked and his vision is growing. I will not be surprised if we are all packing our bags for some far-off land someday, to spread love, good news, and, of course, music. Not such an unlikely union afterall. Lemon cake, orphans and adventure: By golly, I think we were made for each other.