Back on July 4, 2005, when I was just a newbie blogger, I wrote a post titled: The Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake, A Fourth of July Tradition.
The post drew several comments and lo, it came to pass that making, baking and talking about that cake became a catalyst for the formation of the RevGalBlogPals webring (now numbering more than 300 members from around the world representing many different Christian denominations and traditions), and the publication of two books of devotions written by members, and the organization of RevGalBlogPals, Inc.
Songbird, one of the founding members of the ring, and the president of RevGalBlogPals, Inc., is a UCC minister in Maine. Recently she posted a picture of the Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake that she made at her daughter's request for her birthday and reminisced about how that cake played a role in drawing the RevGalPals all together. The recipe is included in both my link above and Songbird's link here, so click on one of them to get it.
This morning Songbird was still talking about the cake. Songbird took that post and rewrote it for her weekly column in a local newspaper. You can read her column here. In the column, she called the cake the "Grace Cake". And so it has become. It's not about me or my blog at all--the name reminds us that God's grace can use a computer, the internet, weblogs and a cake recipe to bring us together and bless a community of believers.
Thanks be to God!
Songbird, one of the founding members of the ring, and the president of RevGalBlogPals, Inc., is a UCC minister in Maine. Recently she posted a picture of the Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake that she made at her daughter's request for her birthday and reminisced about how that cake played a role in drawing the RevGalPals all together. The recipe is included in both my link above and Songbird's link here, so click on one of them to get it.
This morning Songbird was still talking about the cake. Songbird took that post and rewrote it for her weekly column in a local newspaper. You can read her column here. In the column, she called the cake the "Grace Cake". And so it has become. It's not about me or my blog at all--the name reminds us that God's grace can use a computer, the internet, weblogs and a cake recipe to bring us together and bless a community of believers.
Thanks be to God!
Love that cake, especially the icing! It was fun to see your July 4 writing about it. It is truly a Grace Cake, as I first learned about it from members of my Emmaus Reunion Group as we were making multiple cakes for a Walk to Emmaus weekend.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to make a new set of memories, soon, in Hotlanta!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to make it this July 4th. It sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteAnd I was really interested in how this started the RevGalBlogPals.
Being new to blogging (my first blogiversary is this month) I have to share that my experience with the Rev Gals group and with blogging in general has provided me with a sorely needed outlet for my faith and my writing when other outlets slammed closed. I am deeply grateful.
And I can't wait to make this cake. Thanks.
so jealous of Hotlanta ... but I think it's GREAT too :)
ReplyDeleteand GRACE is a wonderful thing.
Here's for REVGALS
I love the Texas Sheet Cake! It's the best! Chocolate cake is my favorite, and this has to be my all-time favorite chocolate cake. It has been the traditional birthday cake for my family and my mom's side of the family for as long as I can remember.
ReplyDeleteO.K. I'm really slow catching up this week. What is Hotlanta? Is this the planning meeting for the RevGals blowout meet up next year? If it is......think about putting some short dramas on the agenda.......I'm goin' out to replenish my ink supply, just in case. I've got some ideas for videos, if there's a little budget somewhere.......
ReplyDeleteJust sayin.
Yes, the board is meeting to plan the Big Event Meetup. The first thing we have to decide is when and where and how long!
ReplyDeleteI'll pass on your ideas for the dramas and video. There's already been some discussion about drama. Heh-heh.
Don't think our budget will support video--but who knows what next year will bring?
Grace, the cake is fabulous! Thanks for sharing the recipe and yourself in your blog. Can't wait for the meet-up!
ReplyDeleteI have almost that exact recipe. My Sister-in-law in Rhode Island mailed it to me several years ago. Since she never had sent me a recipe before, I figured this one must be particularly good.
ReplyDeleteI made the cake for a party, and called to tell her thanks for sharing the recipe. She wanted to know how they tasted, since she'd never made them before.
What??? Oh - she says - I figured I'd send it to you since it was called Texas sheet cake. You're the only person I know from Texas!
That was a great bonding moment for us, laughing about how she never bakes and couldn't imagine why I'd carve time out to bake something from scratch... we laugh about it still.
Must be something about cakes between Texans and New Englanders