"Let Them Eat Cake"...by Gina Waite

Friday is the 4th of July and at my house we will be busily readying all the food for our family get together!  Of course we will have already dressed ourselves (and even our dog) in hand-picked patriotic t-shirts sporting our beloved and revered, "Old Glory!"  Now, I'm not certain how big a deal the 4th of July is at your house, but at ours...the celebration and traditions that have been passed on, and created, make for one of our favorite, and most memorable holidays...but it's our BBQ...that "takes the cake"...let me explain!

About ten years ago most of my brothers and sisters traveled to my house to celebrate the 4th together!  As I wanted our time to be enjoyable and memorable, I busied myself with ideas of fun activities, food and fireworks!  As the day neared when my family would arrive, I finalized little details of what would be on our 4th of July menu!  Knowing my Mom would be in attendance, I quickly determined brownies needed to be an option as a treat...but still looked over magazines (remember...pre-pinterest days) and books to find the coup de gras of ALL 4th of July desserts!  Then, I found it...a colored picture of a perfectly recreated flag...all encompassed in the sugary goodness of yellow-butter, cream cheese frosted, fruit-lined cake!

The rest of the 4th of July BBQ, as good as it would be, would pale in comparison to this butter-infused behemoth and as the stars and stripes would be recreated by using fruit, and in keeping the fruit fresh, I realized I would need to make it on the 4th of July!  Hoping my time in the kitchen would not consume the fun-filled day...I baked the cake on the eve of the 3rd and planned to decorate the cake mid-morning while most everyone would be engaged in activities and set-up!  

 As I started to spread the cream cheese frosting as a base-layer for the stars and stripes, I realized that a small audience of family onlookers had begun to form!  My brother Richard recommended that I try to have thirteen stripes of red raspberries.  My sister Mary asked if she could count out the fifty pre-made star sprinkles...and before I knew it, I realized that creating the flag cake would become a memorable 4th of July activity, for ALL of us!  ...And much to my delight, it tasted great too!

Fast forward ten years...almost the same people, planning the same details:  the food...will be fantastic, the family...missing our amazing Mother but most of us will be together, the fireworks...incredible to behold, but it's our flag-cake-decorator that may surprise most of you!  For with tradition, the transmission of this most beloved activity is being passed on from my generation to the next!  ...And I must say, she's a pretty fantastic little cake decorator!  Happy 4th of July everyone...enjoy your family and "let them eat cake!"  

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