The Denim Diaries by Kami Gray

I know. I’ve gone too far. Why would anyone need a healthy birthday cake? Live a little right? Well…it wasn’t my idea! I swear! 

I wasn’t exactly babysitting, but my best friend has a very soon-to-be twelve year-old son. His name is Avery and I’ve been Aunt Kami to him since he was a cute little chubby-cheeked two year-old. His mom needed some couple time with her boyfriend (a seriously great guy) of two years. Before the great guy came along, it was just mother and son and when the former is out in the world without Avery, he calls her cell phone a lot! I offered to hang with Avery so they could enjoy a nice evening together without the constant interruption. When he’s with me, I provide plenty of distractions and I’m pretty strict with cell phone use unless there’s a real crisis. “I miss my Mom and want her to come home right now,” doesn’t fly with me. Our distraction last Saturday evening was making Avery’s Mom a birthday cake. We celebrated her birthday a few days prior, but neglected to make a cake, which is no good at all…no cake…no birthday wish!

Avery and Aunt Kami to the rescue. Here’s how it all went down. Avery claimed to be interested in taking a look at my book. He said his Mom thought it was funny and he’d been thinking about reading it. Flattery will, in fact, get you places dear boy. He picked it up, read a few pages, then looked up at me and declared he had a better idea. That didn’t take long! He thought we should make one of the recipes from the back of the book. I like it! He chose the Energy Bars and we made a plan to turn them into a layered energy bar cake. After walking to the grocery store for a few missing items (flax seed meal, brown rice syrup, toasted wheat germ, low-fat plain yogurt, and whole oats), we made an adorable cake and Avery liked the bars so much, he ate a few for dessert while we watched one of our all-time favorite movies, October Sky. After the movie, Avery made something that all of us mothers treasure dearly and keep forever…a home-made card.

And guess what? Avery never called his Mom once! When Mom arrived to pick up Avery - we lit the candles, sang happy birthday, mom made a wish, and we devoured the cake! How great is this kid? I love you Avery! Well done!

It’s been over a week since I last made an entry on my blog. I took a little vacation to enjoy the holidays and now I’m wondering if I succeeded…did I enjoy myself? I was still doing final, final, final edits on my book as late as Christmas Eve so consequently; I didn’t put my tree up until an hour before guests arrived. And I never adorned my tree with a single ornament. It did have very pretty and colorful lights and I decided good was good enough, which many of you know is a saying I live by and use repeatedly in my book. It was that kind of holiday. I can summarize my holiday experience in three words…poor, good, and great!

POOR

My eating/drinking habits during Cranium (game night) on December twenty-third.  I downed a bowlful of extra salty, dry roasted peanuts, drank way too much wine, and forgot to drink water. I woke up repeatedly that night feeling bloated, thirsty, and pissed off at myself.

GOOD

My eating/drinking habits over the following two days. I did indulge in a little wine, but I remembered to drink buckets of water, eat small portions, and abstain from salty nuts, candies, and cookies.  By the twenty-sixth, I was feeling considerably better.

GREAT

The tin of my sister’s whole wheat dark chocolate chip cookies made with ground flaxseed and wheat germ that she left at my house during Christmas. Lucky me! One tasty cookie and a perfect cup of coffee and I was able to sit back and reflect on the love, joy, and bliss I feel for my children and the rest of my family. We’re not perfect and we’re having a bit of drama presently, but I wouldn’t trade any of them for anything in the world!

Hope you all had a wonderful or at least “good is good enough” holiday too! Have a safe and joyous New Years.

A delicious compliment to your morning cup of coffee or tea.  Spread the goodness – coffee cake is easy to share. Bring a batch to work, book club, your next family brunch, or a church social. Throw some shaved dark chocolate on top and serve with Sweet Yogurt Cheese Spread (recipe below) and you’ve got the perfect, special-occasion dessert.   

2 and a 1/2  cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup organic soy flour

1/4 cup flaxseed meal

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup whey protein powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup buttermilk, or 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup amber agave nectar or raw honey

1 egg, or 2 egg whites

3/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, or 1/4 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons natural raw, brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan with Canola oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, soy flour, flaxseed meal, wheat germ, protein powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.  Stir with a whisk to blend. In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, agave nectar (or honey), eggs, yogurt, butter (or applesauce), and vanilla extract. Beat with a whisk until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until blended; do not over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

For the topping: Stir the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter.

Bake in the center of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares to serve.