4th of July Cake

In my last post, I spoke about perhaps sharing some photos of a 4th of July cake if I was so bold to make it. Well... I made it. I know the post is late - but, better late than never.

I followed a recipe I found online from a fellow blog, Satisfying Eats. Follow the link for the recipe I used. Making a cake was a challenge for me as I am partaking on a no grain/no sugar diet. I was very grateful to find this lovely blog - with lots of great grain free/sugar free recipes.

So, here it is, my yummy grain free/sugar free cake. Must admit - I did improvise a little bit from the recipe... and the cake probably would have been better if I had actual coconut flour instead in the dry coconut milk powder I used as a replacement (but, hey... sometimes you've gotta go with what is available.)

Cheers, everyone!

American in Oz on 4th of July

As the 4th of July approaches, my thoughts turn to my mom. The two will forever be tied in my mind. You see, America's Independence Day was my mother's birthday. As a small child, she believed the fireworks were for her birthday - which I always thought made for a cute story.

There will never be a 4th of July that I don't miss my mom. Since she has passed, I've spent every 4th of July here in Oz. Let me tell you this - Independence Day just doesn't feel the same in Oz. As the holiday means nothing to most of the people here besides my fellow American expats - life goes on business as usual. Sure, there are events planned by expats - but, honestly- I want the whole "shabang." I want a BBQ. I want fireworks. I want to be in the US. If I had that, would I be happy? I can't really say - perhaps I long for something that is gone.

I've resigned myself to sparklers and birthday cake to celebrate in years past. This year, I'm just not sure what I want to do. I am currently following a grain/sugar/alcohol free diet which serves as a challenge to making birthday cake. Now, I've been doing my research and I know it's not impossible. However, the question remains - if I can't buy it in a box - do I want to buy 10 different ingredients and make it myself? I'm just not sure. Though, I am very intrigued by some recipes I have found online.

Perhaps, if I am feeling up to make my grain free/sugar free cake to celebrate my mom's birthday/4th of July I'll blog about it. But, let's be honest, my blogging motivation has been abysmal lately. Keep your fingers crossed folks.

Peace out people. May you all have a lovely holiday filled with friends, family, and love.