So this month I realized how many Gemini's I know!! Just birthday after birthday... and although I was only able to make a couple of parties it dawned on me that I love me a Gemini, who knew... I mean Geminis? JUST KIDDING. Nothing says summer like gathering with friends, chatting away about everything under the sun, with a glass of your favorite cool drink in your hand, which is something a Gemini has perfected. I want to give Gemini's some love here and also acknowledge that, considering we are experiencing history in the making, it feels absurd to be writing about birthday parties and tasty beverages.
This time has been painful, scary, empowering, uprooting and so, so much more. For many of us gathering with friends hasn't been an option and I think we have come to realize how much we need and appreciate our communities. I miss seeing people's faces in the grocery store and my heart breaks a little more every time I run into a friend I can't hug. Not to mention the massive movement we are all witnessing across the globe for racial justice. There is now a demand for long overdue change, there is also a lot of self-realization, which must be empowering for many, saddening for many and humbling for many others.
Watching the news is a mixture of hope, power and a huge pit in my stomach, as I see the horrifying count of people seriously harmed. This is a radical moment in history and I send my prayers to all those who have been in danger, hurt, or more seriously, have passed during this time. I also send my prayers to anyone who has experienced the pain of a loved one affected by these challenging times and lastly I send my prayers to everyone fighting for something they have been fighting for their whole life. THANK YOU for continuing to have this conversation and for pushing, it has to be exhausting. My heart swells as I watch thousands of people gathering and using their voices for change.
Through the confusion of what to do, I encourage each of us to find an outlet to be proactive. There is endless information out there of ways in which we can be a part of the change. VOTE, support black owned businesses, if you are white, have the hard conversations with one another, become very skilled at spotting racism and stop it. For those of you fighting for yourselves and your communities please shine bright and be big, you will unquestionably enrich the world as a whole and very importantly, you will enrich your communities and their futures. As a white American I want to say thank you and from the bottom of my heart, I am so sorry. There is not enough that I can possibly say in a single blog post to address the magnitude of what is going on and this is a blog about food, so I will gracefully steer the conversation back to Gemini's and birthdays and summers.
I've never been much of a baker... but I have been a big fan of baked goods. However! I realized that if I put my mind to it, I can whip up a mighty fine birthday cake. One of my favorite humans turned 33 this month and just to show her how much I love her I went ahead and made a Double Layered Strawberry Chocolate Cake. Oh yes I did. The cake took me two rounds to perfect but dayum it was perfect. A creamy, smooth frosting with a notable pop of strawberry. Moist, rich cake, that reminded me of brownies...only fluffy, filled with a layer of frosting and homemade strawberry jam. Let me know when it's your birthday.... or better yet here's the recipe incase you need one too!!
