Summer's end and back-to-school malaise have kept me from writing but not from cooking and remembering.

August 11 would have been Mom's 74th birthday. My tradition was to baked either a Caramel or Fresh Coconut Layer Cake for her birthday. The choice was Mom's. This year I planned on baking one for my project and writing about our birthday traditions which involved the expected cake and presents, and also quirky rituals like dancing under a limbo stick. Amelia had a different idea which completely set me on my ear. While Jim and I discussed the delicious options, Amelia requested something new. Something totally new. "Why don't you bake a Banana Cake with cream cheese frosting, Mom" she exclaimed. "And make it into cupcakes!"

Well, I've never, ever made a Banana Cake. Rarely do I make cupcakes. There was no Banana Cake recipe in her collection. It was not a traditional birthday recipe. With all those inflexible thoughts, my immediate response was, "No!"

The next day while I walked in the cool of the morning, I had the strongest memory of something Mom told me long ago. Almost a vision. "When I'm long gone," Mom advised, "If you decide to buy flowers for my grave, buy the most beautiful bouquet you can, keep it for yourself and think happy thoughts of me each time you look at it." I remember crying that day.

Mom was truly a "Live In The Present" woman. "Enjoy Now" was her constant theme. Be Happy NOW! Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting suddenly seemed like a perfect way to honor her birthday memory.

I found the recipe in a 1958 Friendship Baptist Church cookbook compiled by the Hettie Cobb Missionary Union. Hettie Glover Cobb was my Great-Grandmother. My Gramma, Lousie (affectionately called Cooter by her siblings) was Birthday Chairman for group.


You can imagine my delight when I found Mrs. Nannie Brown's Banana Cake recipe in the book. Nannie Brown lived down the street from Gramma. Many of my childhood days were spent with my cousins walking the red clay path past her house to downtown Davisboro Ga. Many nights were spent playing Ghost In The Graveyard through her yard. I think we may have raided her vegetable garden too. I wonder if the reason we never played with her granddaughter, Fran, was because we were so wild. Fran would have had a blast running with the barefoot cousins. Fran met my cousin, David, in college. They've been married over 20 years.


I emailed Fran about the recipe. While Fran didn't remember Nannie baking this particular cake she reminded me that Nannie was an excellent cook. "Any of her recipes will be Wonderful." Fran was right!

Banana Cake was delicious. I didn't use Nannie's frosting, but made a traditional cream cheese frosting. The beautiful, moist texture and rich banana flavor made it a new favorite! Perfect for birthdays, just as my wise daughter suspected.

Amelia packed up the remaining cupcakes and brought them to a friend's overnight birthday party. I'm told girls went for a walk then stayed up all night watching scary movies and devouring sweet banana cake slathered with cream cheese. I wonder if they played ghost in the graveyard and raided a vegetable garden too.

Remember the past, my darling Amelia. Dream of the future, but Live in the NOW!
ENJOY NOW!

Love to you all,
Patti