Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Seventy-Two (Happy Birthday Spelt Lime Cake)

Yesterday Spencer turned 13.  I cried at strange times, talking on the phone with my sister, meeting with the sales rep from Sunrise Guide.  Perhaps, it was the complete lack of sleep last night, or perhaps, the fact that the little three year old who was once screaming out for help is now the thirteen year old who reaches out to help.  Or, maybe it was just the relentless humidity?  Not quite sure, but it was just a day for crying. 

Tim and Spencer made a great tofu stir fry while I was on the computer sending Emma and Sophie directions for their three days of demos in Connecticut.  I give these girls a lot of credit.  It's not easy out there convincing people to try a product that you have thrown your heart and soul into.  Yet, it is gratifying, especially when the customers' mouths are too full to talk, but they signal you with the universal sign of approval - a thumbs up.

I asked Spencer what kind of cake he would like.  "Just, something really, really special,"  he said.  I threw together a typical yellow cake recipe, but modified it to make it quite tasty (and special), but a bit solidly gooey.

Fresh Lime Spelt Cake with Fresh Lemon Drizzle
3/4 cup butter - softened in a bowl
1 3/4 cups organic cane sugar or organic evaporated cane juice (same stuff as far as I can tell)
2-3 eggs (depending upon size)
1 1/2 cups Vita Organic Spelt Flour
1 cup Vita Organic Whole Spelt Flour
2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla (which I did not put in)
Juice from one fresh lime
1 1/4 cups of milk

Preheat oven to 375.   In a bowl blend the butter and sugar until creamy.  Add the eggs, keep blending.  Mix together the flour and baking powder in another bowl.  Alternately pour milk and flour into butter mix.  Squeeze in a full lime, alternately add in with milk, flour, etc.   Butter to round cake pans, pour in batter.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until done.

WARNING!!!  DO NOT PUT THIS IN A BUNDT PAN like I did (to make it very very special), because it will leak through and SMOKE up the entire house.   We tell you this from experience.

We then made a lemon glaze, recipe is a little of this and that, but take about 2 TBL butter, melt, add some milk, add some confectioner's sugar, add some fresh lemon juice, mix until glazey.    Pour over top of cakes after cooled.   You can stack these cakes.  Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.  Spencer garnished with slices of fresh lemon and lime.  YUMM!!

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Sixty-Six (You've Got to Try Spelt Right Dough Grilled - The possibilities are endless!!) (VEGETARIAN!!! with the potential to be vegan)

Tonight's dinner was fun.  Tim and I were busy doing business stuff (what's new).  Spencer (almost 13) came upstairs and asked what he could do to help.  "Start slicing the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and other veggies for grilling, wouldja. And marinate them in garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper"  "OK, mom"   How cool is that having your 13 year old start dinner?  Then Emma (18) showed up with her two friends Emily and Shannon (Wow, unexpected playmates for Olivia (age 8)).  We somehow got all of the kids, guests included, involved in making dinner.   And, we gained a new hand model too (thanks, Emily, we dig the black nail polish).
Menu:  Gourmet Sandwiches made with grilled vegetables, goat cheese, baby spinach, hummus (thank you Emma)-recipe for another day, on grilled bread made with Spelt Right dough (thank you Charlie at Portland Whole Foods for explaining how this is made with our wonderful dough). Salad from the garden with homemade balsamic olive oil dressing.Check out Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Fifty-One for Salad Dressing Recipe

We are so psyched to have discovered a new way to use Spelt Right dough.....ohhh, the possibilities!

Ingredients:
1 Eggplant - sliced in rounds
1 zucchini and 1 yellow squash - sliced in lengths
1 -2 onion cut in quarters
1 large red pepper - sliced in rounds
3-4 TBL extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1/2 lemon (optional)
2-3 gloves of fresh garlic mashed with about 1 teaspoon salt in mortar and pestle
pepper to taste
1-2 Spelt Right Pizza Doughs (each dough cut in fours, made into rounds about 1/4-1/2 inch thick (not rolled out like pizza dough).  Let rise again.  Place on grill, both sides until done.  May need to finish bake in the toaster over.
Marinate all vegetables in olive oil mixture.  Place on grill until done.  Make sandwich with herb goat cheese, vegetables, hummus (I put this on the side).   Enjoy!!!

The kids loved the food.  Emily was psyched because she became vegetarian after seeing Food, Inc.  Shannon was not even hungry after just having dinner at home, but we convinced her to indulge in a half of sandwich.  Our kids, perfectly happy and satisfied.  Parents....relaxed.   The evening and dinner?  Two Thumbs up.