For me, the point of this blog is to share inspiration among us through everyday life. If by reading something I write, someone feels inspired to try something new, or think about something in a different way, then there is a point to all this writing and documenting. My 35th birthday was this week and I feel so satisfied because I inspired. My mother read the post about my grandmother and her secrets … and felt inspired.
Not only has she challenged me to a “taste off” between my pickle recipes and her version of my grandmother’s pickle recipe. (More on that sometime soon…) I can’t wait!!
But, she also made a birthday cake for me in the tradition of my grandmother! What a wonderful surprise. My grandmother had two cakes that she would bake and she kept the process a secret: “the checkerboard” and “the rainbow”. So this year I received a checkerboard cake for my birthday from my mom, a woman who does not love to cook. I love that she felt inspired to figure out the mystery of “the checkerboard” and that I was the recipient of this fun! Thanks, Mom! You’re a wonderful mother and an inspiration to me too.
How cool is that? There is a surprise checkerboard pattern inside. I believe you can do either two or three colors. I can just imagine purple and pink from a childhood birthday party decades ago. In addition to this surprise cake, there was also a package for me to unwrap. It was the secret… a special pan from Wilton that makes all this magic possible: Checkerboard Cake Pan. Who knew? There are different brands, of course, that make this special pan, Wilton just happens to be the one I was gifted.
I see many a checkerboard cake in my future (and my past)… Happy Baking!
Poole Party of 5 
Great job Jill! Hope you had a wonderful birthday Lesley (emergency room visit for D and all) missing you guys!
Not a problem that my actually birthday was a little crazy. I tend to like to stretch these things out anyway. We’re missing you too!
I want one of those! BTW, it is possible that this weekend will be a tomato weekend – I’m just waiting for confirmation from the farmer that he has enough.
Neat, right? Intriguing about the tomatoes… You know I would love to witness your genius.
Love this! Lesley, your mom is great! I have very strong (and fond) memories of the pink and purple checkerboard… 🙂 Please pass a hug along to your mom for me.
You were the one to jog my memory on the pink and purple! What a coincidence that you remembered the checkerboard cake within a day of one actually being baked! I love it!