Dump Cake

There are a few recipes and meals that say "love" to me, comfort food that never fails to comfort. I am not surprised that most of them come from my childhood. My mom is a good cook, and there are many tasty things that were made over and over again.

Some of these good eats I have carried over into my own household, and they are loved by a new generation of family. But some have fallen out of use for one reason or another. One of these is dump cake.

I love dump cake. Just thinking about it takes me back to Sunday afternoons and dinner appointments with the missionaries and Church potlucks. I love dump cake. But I never make it. My husband is opposed to cherries and pineapple, and dump cake (the way my mom makes it) is not possible without cherries and pineapples.

Tonight, we stopped by my sister's house on our way home. She had stuff for me, I had stuff for her, it was a convenient place to potty the potty-trainer. We swapped stuff, and visited the "necessary room". And as I was getting ready to walk back out the door, she offered me some dump cake. I said, "Yes, please!"

I haven't had dump cake in years. She gave me the whole pan.

Rather, she gave me what was left in the pan (about half). She had been craving it, and so she made it, and they had eaten all they cared to eat. The pan was still warm from the oven. I carried it out the van, and when we arrived home, I put it in the (very clean!) fridge to be enjoyed tomorrow.

It's true, I was tempted to eat the whole thing right there, by myself. But that's gluttony, and I'm trying to cancel my subscription to gluttony. Besides, it occurs to me that if I blindfold my children, and give them a taste, they will be overcome by the yumminess, and then I can make dump cake for my own family, because they will actually like it. Cherries and pineapples and all.

I'm going to get the recipe (yes, sadly, I never bothered to get a copy, because I thought there was no point) and post it in the comments, if you're interested. Unless you have cherry/pineapple issues.

I am grateful for dump cake, and for a tradition of good food and happy memories. I am grateful for a mom who always fixed something tasty to eat, even when times were hard and resources were slim. I am grateful my sister had a hankering for dump cake, and that I showed up just as she realized her eyes were bigger than her stomach. And I really think dump cake could be construed as a breakfast food, don't you?

What are you blessed with today?