Elba, here are two more cakes that are easy to make. Both of these cakes get a lot of hits on my blog. Both these recipes come from Canadian Living Magazine. I've made them many times over the last 30 years. Blueberry Upside-Down Cake =========================== Can be made in a square or rectangle pan or round. Source: Canadian Living Magazine, August 1983 Often called gateau aux bleuets or pouding aux bleuets, this cake and its many variations are popular in Quebec. Taken warm from the oven and turned upside-down, it becomes a delicious pudding to serve with whipped cream; left in the pan to cool, it becomes a cake. Add cinnamon it you like a pleasant spiciness; omit for a plain white cake. 1/4 cup melted butter 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 cups blueberries (fresh or Frozen) 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional) 3/4 cup milk In 9 inch square cake pan, combine melted butter and brown sugar;spread evenly on bottom. Spread blueberries evenly over top. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift or mix together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon if using. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk to creamed mixture. Spread batter evenly over blueberry layer. Bake in 350ðF oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out on to large flat plate. Raspberry Cake ============== 1985 Canadian Living Magazine 1/2 cup butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup sour cream 1 cup raspberries Heat oven to 350ðF In a bowl sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In another bowl beat butter and sugar until creamy and add eggs. Beat well. Add vanilla. Mix in flour and add sour cream. Fold in raspberries. Pour into 9 inch spring form pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until done.

Yes, I've had that discussion with him many times. But all he does is complain non-stop about how he hates his condo and wants to move back into the house. He complains that he misses the house and then when I invite him over, he declines or comes over and realizes that it is making him sad. But then he is nonstop sad at the condo also. He complains that one thing makes him unhappy and if you take it away or get him the thing he said he wants instead, there is no relief, then that is the new source of his unhappiness. Yes, classic depression but he refuses treatment for it no matter how it is approached. He is just unhappy about all the time, but that is another OT story. I have tried many, many, many techniques and discussions and people and resources to try and help him. He's not bad enough functioning yet that I can take conservatorship of him and if I did that wouldn't solve any of the problems either, he would just be a combative ward with many more issues for me to try and deal with. At least this party was a successful distraction! He has good days and bad days. Also OT, living in the house makes me sad too, but I have to be here at least for a while to finish going through and taking care of all of my mom's belongings as well as any extra baggage of mine, before moving, if we do end up moving. The price of this house can't be beat.

Iris, I will include 2 great cakes for mailing. Both of them are moist and heavy-- Our Family Birthday Cake: Moisty Rich Chocolate Cake You MUST use the cocoa powder listed. Do not even bother to make this cake with Hershey's cocoa. Droste's cocoa is a Dutch processed cocoa. I used to be able to find it in most stores with the cocoa or the gourmet foreign foods. Now Gelson's or online is the best source. 2 c sifted flour 1 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 2 c sugar 1/2 c solid shortening like Crisco 1/2 c sour milk (add 1/2 to 1 tsp of vinegar to the 1/2 c of milk before you get started) 2 eggs 1/2 c Droste Cocoa 1 tsp vanilla 1 c boiling water. Add vinegar to milk and let it sit as you set up everything. I bake this cake in a tube pan (angel food cake pan). Grease the bottom only of the pan and the tube. Cut out a wax paper or parchment paper liner the size of the bottom of the pan, cut an opening for the tube, and place the waxed paper on top of the greased pan. Grease the paper. (I like to use the Better Than Pam shared here a few years ago to grease the pan. See below.) Preheat oven to 350. Sift flour, baking soda, salt and set aside. In large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the shortening, sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Slowly add boiling water. Add milk and eggs and mix. Sift half of flour mixture into bowl while beating slowly, then add the other half. Bake 30-40 minutes in cake pan and 55 minutes in tube pan. Use a cake tester or skewer or tooth pick to test for doneness. This cake sometimes needs another 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven and rest on a cooling rack 20 minutes. To remove from pan, run a butter knife all around the edge of the pan, turn it over on the cooling rack. Remove the wax paper or parchment paper liner immediately. Cool completely. Cover in a cake server. This cake tastes better the next day. Better Than Pam--with mixer, combine equal parts of solid Crisco, flour and cooking oil. Use this to grease bread pans and cake pans. If you have never had a homemade from scratch pound cake, you do not know what you are missing! Cold Oven Pound Cake Trisha Yerwood 2 sticks of butter, room temperature 3 c sugar 6 eggs, room temperature 3 c flour, sifted 1 c whipping cream 1 tsp vanilla DO NOT PREHEAT THE OVEN. Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar; add eggs, one at a time beating till incorporated. Add flour alternating with the whipping cream, beating just enough to combine well. Add vanilla. Grease and flour tube pan, and use a wax paper or parchment paper liner on the bottom of the pan, greasing it too. (I use Better Than Pam) Pour batter into pan and smooth it out. Place in cold oven and turn on the oven at 325 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Use a cake tester to check for doneness. Cool in pan 20 minutes, turn out on rack to cool and remove paper liner immediately.

It depends on how your cousin is accepting deliveries. If she’s ok with bringing food right in she might be ok with accepting a floral delivery. We do not hurry to bring the mail or package deliveries into the house. We are fine with leaving them in the mailbox or on the porch for a day or two. I don’t think I would bring in a floral arrangement or even a box of fresh flowers...someone in the line may have sneezed on the blossoms. The fact that she is 80 would cause me to be extra cautious. Fresh food that comes in here gets a thorough and immediate cleaning and then sanitation of surfaces that are touched. It’s almost easier to skip eating.