Plus, a new cake flavor!So this post went a way different direction that I had originally planned. When I first wrote it, I was just debuting a new cake flavor that will now be available to order. But, I donated this cake as a way for my local church organization to earn money to donate to refugees, and that story kept coming out while I was writing, so I finally stopped fighting it and went that direction. Sorry if this is a little heavy, but the plight of the refugees has weighed on my heart and been in the back of my mind for some time now; probably like a lot of you. I see the stories on the internet or while watching the news and my heart just breaks. I try to imagine that as my family, and I’m honest and realistic enough to know I would probably be dead in three days. Kind of like the “whose going to survive the hypothetical zombie apocalypse.” Not me. We all want to help, but I’m just like you; my resources are small, my abilities…limited. I was overwhelmed at the thought of even trying to find a charity to donate time, money, or goods to. And there is always that little voice in my head that would tell me my tiny contribution is nothing but a drop of rain in a desert. There are too many for one person to do much good. See? I wanted to help, but didn’t really know how to go about it. Then, last month, my church hosted their semi-annual conference and when one of the speakers spoke about the refugees, I could feel it deep down in my soul that I wanted to help (you can read it here) and I wanted to help my little girls see what other children were going through and think of ways they could help. I jotted that note down on my phone in a little task list of goals I wanted to accomplish in 2016, and as soon as the conference was over, we all sat down and talked about what we could do. And of course it’s the kids that come up with the simple, great ideas…let’s make cakes and sell them at a bake sale. And we’ll donate the time, supplies, and then all the money. Kids are amazing. I started researching refugee charities and was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer number. Luckily, just a few weeks later, we got an e-mail from our local church congregation asking for donations. They were teaming up with a charity to aid refugees in Armenia. Sweet. Decision made for me. Once we were pointed in the right direction, the girls and I decided to host online cake auctions for cakes like this one on The Pear Blossom’s Facebook page to try and raise some money. It was amazing to see the way you guys opened your hearts and wallets! Together, we auctioned off four cakes, and raised almost $400! I know that’s a drop in the bucket in comparison to what the entire situation needs, but you guys gave freely of yourselves and it will help. It will change one person’s life for the better. I was overwhelmed and humbled by your actions. My girls and I never expected to earn that much. You should have seen their faces when they saw the first $100 bill come in. They also went through all their coats, jackets, and hoodies and picked out 6 to give away. 6 people. Seriously?! How did 3 little girls end up with so much excess that they can give away 6 coats? I was a little ashamed that we had so much, but then I guess it just means we have so much to give, so that’s a blessing. We just want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Thank you for helping us give, for magnifying our small contribution into something bigger! We hope you enjoy your cakes. They are baked with love and yummy, naughty ingredients like sugar…and butter :) But most of all, they are baked with a sincere desire to love and serve our neighbors all over the world. So, enjoy every last bite and taste the sweet taste of giving and caring! And while you wash that cake down with a cold glass of milk, I hope you think of other ways that you can give. I know I will be! We all have something to share; either time, talents, goods, or money. One charity I looked at was rounding up new bars of soap. How easy would it be to walk around the neighborhood and ask every house for bars of soap? It could be someone’s exercise for the day. Get those 10,000 steps in! Once you start brainstorming, the possibilities are endless! The first cake we did for the auction is divine…mmmm Snicker’s Cake. It starts with layers of rich chocolate cake. I love this recipe here Each layer is leveled and filled with Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Buttercream (from scratch...always), Snickers chunks, and homemade caramel. Then you frost and decorate it until it looks gooey and delicious. Eat it with a glass of milk nearby. Trust me. And as a PSA - this cake flavor is now available to order. So if your bride or groom has a sweet tooth (or any life event really!) you need to check this one out!
Enjoy!
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