I Want Some Gooey Goodness

One of my favorite treats growing up was Gooey Butter Cake. When Mom would bake it, it was a happy day at home for all. We all loved it. It wasn't until I got older that I discovered that the rest of the world had not heard of this sweet, delicious treat. Gooey Butter Cake is a St. Louis treat. If you are not from St. Louis, then it is likely that you have never had it unless you know someone from the area or have a friend who is friends or family with someone from St. Louis.

It is a cake I love to eat and it is easy to bake. Today, I decided to bake one up. Right now I'm seriously thinking of tearing into it before Chris gets home. Before I do that, I thought I would share the recipe (which you can also get from google, but my recipe has visuals. So there.)

First, you need your ingredients to get you started: 16 oz of powdered sugar, yellow cake mix, 8 oz of cream cheese (you'll want it out for a while before you start so it can soften), one stick of butter or margarine (melted), and 4 eggs (large is best).

All the ingredients ready to go.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Then, in a large bowl, mix the cake mix, melted butter, and 2 eggs.  Once it is fully mixed and sticky, you will spread it in the bottom of a greased 13x9x2 pan.

Layer 1.  I use a spatula to evenly spread it in the pan. The spatula is great, too,
because it won't have residual mix left on it.

Next, in a separate bowl, mix the powdered sugar (all of it) with the 2 remaining eggs and the cream cheese.  You will know it is ready when it is nice and smooth.

Layer 2.  Smooth as silk.

Once that is ready, poor the powdered sugar mix on top of the first layer.  Spread it evenly on top. Place the cake in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until it is golden brown in spots on top.

Before going in the oven

The cake is ready!! :)

You will want to wait until the cake fully cools before diving in and eating it.  I've heard of some people eating it while it is warm, but I prefer it at room temp (or even cool).

A piece of cake ready to be eaten!

Don't forget to eat some of the topping before cleaning your bowl.
It is yummy! Salmonella be damned! :)

For those of you who decide to try this, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Gooey Butter Cake

1 stick of butter, melted

1 box of yellow cake mix

4 eggs (large are best)

16 oz powdered sugar

8 oz cream cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix 2 eggs with the cake mix and the melted butter.  Spread on the bottom of a 13x9x2 pan. Then mix the remaining 2 eggs with softened cream cheese and a pound of powdered sugar.  Pour the mix on top of the cake mix layer. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until lightly golden brown on top. Let cool before serving.

Eating Lunch with Daddy

My husband, Chris, is a meteorologist for the National Weather Service (NWS).  His job is not a 9 to 5 job.  The weather is 24 hours/7 days a week.  As such, the meteorologist work varying shifts around the clock every day of the year (Chris sometimes has day shifts and other times has overnight shifts).  Often, we do not see Chris on the weekends, because he works most of them.  His weekends may be a Monday and Tuesday instead of a Saturday and Sunday.  Additionally, he works 7 days in a row, most weeks, before he gets a day off.

Ginny before we left the house to see Daddy at work!

Since Chris works so hard to provide for our little family, I do what I can to make his life easier and reward him for his hard work.  Today, Ginny and I decided to bring Chris lunch.  His office is about 30 minutes away in Lincoln, Illinois.  I know that the people in his office love a local Chinese place (that does not deliver) so I offered to pick up lunch there for not only Chris and I, but also for the rest of the office.

Ginny & Daddy hanging out before we ate lunch.

Ginny and I stopped at the Chinese place on the way to office and picked up the order.  Only 3 other people put in orders today.  Once we arrived a few of Chris's co-workers spent time admiring Ginny.  Lunch was good.  I could tell that Chris enjoyed having his "reward" today.  He earned it.

Ginny learning the finer points of forecasting.

After lunch, Ginny got to learn about Daddy's job and helped doing some forecasting.  Maybe she will be a meteorologist someday. That would not be a bad thing.

Both of my meteorologists! :)

Virginia Sophia Wiles Davis: An Outstanding Woman, A Fabulous Role-Model, and My Grandmother

When Chris and I were busy narrowing down names, there was one name I was clear on wanting for our child if it would be a girl--Virginia Sophia.  Chris wasn't sure and would not say "Sure, honey, if it is a girl, we will name her Virginia."  In some ways, I can't say as I blame him because it would mean actually naming the baby after someone and a someone he had never met.  However, when we were in the delivery room, soon after "meeting" our daughter for the first time, I asked Chris if he knew the name he wanted to give her.  He told me that we could go ahead and name her Virginia, or Ginny for short.  My heart sang.  I was beyond thrilled that I would be able to name our daughter after a woman who I admired and loved very much, my maternal grandmother.

My Grandma Davis was not an ordinary woman, although she would likely disagree with me if she were alive today.  She was an amazing, faith-filled, family-centered woman.  She loved God and her family beyond all else. Grandma was also a very strong woman.

My Grandma, Virginia Sophia Wiles Davis, June 1940

Virginia Sophia Wiles was born in 1922, an only child to Verne Franklin and his wife, my great-grandmother, Mary Elizabeth (Hazel) Haberstroh.  Grandma grew up in a middle-class (to upper middle class) family in the city of St. Louis.  In 1940, she married my Grandfather, Glen Franklin Davis.  Grandpa Davis was about as opposite as you can imagine in his background from my Grandma.  He was raised near Steelville, Missouri, a small town about 2 hours southwest of St. Louis, with 10 siblings.  His father was a farmer and life was tough.

My grandparents loved each other for the 56, nearly 57, years they were together.  They had 7 children, 4 boys and 3 girls.  My grandmother loved her large family!  However, it was not an easy life for either of them.  Grandpa Davis had health difficulties while they were raising their family. Money was definitely tight, especially when there came a time that Grandpa's health made it impossible for him to work.  So, my grandmother went to work as a social worker.  I'm sure that could not have been easy, particularly in the 60s. Despite that, family always came first.  That is something that carries on with each of her children--a love and desire to be connected as a whole family.

There seems to be one characteristic that each female in the family has inherited, in some form, from my grandmother.  We are all pretty darn direct.  My grandma would tell you as she saw it.  She didn't mince words.  Her daughters are like that, each in their own way.  Her granddaughters tend to carry on that tradition as well (granted, there are only 4 of us).  It has yet to be seen if her great-granddaughters will be that way too.

One more thing....Grandma loved God.  She was a God-fearing, God-loving, Southern Baptist woman of strong faith.  I imagine that helped her and my grandpa get through the tough times.  I'm sure it helped bring great joy during the good times too.

Grandma Virginia Davis & Grandpa when they renewed
their vows after 50 years of marriage in October 1990!

My Ginny was named after an amazing woman who was loved and adored by her family and those who knew her.  My hope is that my Ginny is a woman quite like her great-grandmother someday.

It is hard to fully put into words what my grandmother meant to me.  I still remember when she died, and how I felt like my world was forever changed somehow. I was not ready to lose her.  However, I'm sure she is smiling down from heaven watching over all of us still.

I love you, Grandma, and I miss you!