applesauce cake. and coffee with grammy...

Earlier: 10:11am
Coffee with Gram.

Mom shuts the back door behind her and Lyd, the last ones out of the house for the bike ride that everyone else is going on.
Gram smiles. What are they trying to do, knock the house down?
I laugh. She does too.
Guess what, Gram? It’s just you and me now. We’re gonna have fun.
We laugh again.
Her eyes sparkle.
She just got finished with vanilla yogurt and a sliced banana. I dare say that did the trick. She was tired earlier, but now she’s perky and teasing.
I love it. 

Here. Hold it with both hands so it’s steady, ‘kay?
I help position her hands, and her eyes light up as the left hand she hardly uses curls around the warmth of the cup. Ohhh, that’s warm on that side, she says gleefully. 
There’s no other word for it, folks. It was just…gleeful.

Random fact, I’m really liking this series by Tracey Bateman. This next one, #2, the girl Dancy works at a coffee shop. (the name of the series would normally put me off from reading them, as I'm not very into chick-lit, but they're better than their covers suggest;)
And you know how I like that;)
Well. I’m off to switch the loads of laundry. It’s time mine gets done.

Applesauce cake
1 c flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 egg
¼ c cooking oil
1/3 c sugar
¼ tsp baking soda
½ c applesauce
½ tsp vanilla
8x8x2 pan

We make this version for a 9x13 pan:
4 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1 c cooking oil, or butter
1 to 1 1/3 c sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 c applesauce
2 tsp vanilla

Topping (adjusted for larger batch):
1 cup packed brown sugar
4 TBSP butter
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Mix together the brown sugar, butter and cinnamon from the topping ingredients until crumbly.
Add nuts. Stir to mix. Set aside. Mix dry ingredients together, add well-beaten egg, applesauce, oil and vanilla. Mix well. Pour batter into well greased pan. Sprinkle topping over batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes @ 350.
Delicious for breakfast, snacks, or dessert.