As I’m preparing this make-ahead streusel cake, fresh in my mind are the Mayflower Pilgrims. These pilgrims endured much hardship on their voyage to America, way back in 1620. They suffered much to grasp at freedoms we so easily take for granted. These godly men and women left family, homes, land, community and country to find a free land to worship God according to God’s ways, not man’s.
Over 100 men, women and children sailed on the Mayflower for over 2 months. Besides the tumultuous weather conditions, their food was quite undesirable. What did they eat? It wasn’t coffee cake, strawberries and orange juice. Their sustenance was terrible, but it kept them going. They ate brine-soaked beef, pork, and fish, and stale, and hard biscuits which sometimes were insect riddled. Yikes!!
Thanks be to God for helping them so that we can now enjoy our freedoms.
And what was the first thing they did when they got off the boat? They shouted for joy and fell to their knees to pray together.
Then they celebrated by reading Psalm 100:
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing
Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not
we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving,
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him; bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting,
And His faithfulness to all generations.
Let us give thanks to the Lord this Thanksgiving as we count our many blessings, for we have much to be thankful for. Let us teach our children and grandchildren this holiday is more than “turkey day. Click here for a Thanksgiving prayer.
As we look toward this Thanksgiving and holiday season ahead, I know a lot of you will be hosting family for several days. Envisioning the smiling shining faces around the dinner table cause me to pause and give thanks for our close-knit family who enjoy the family, the farm and the special foods we are planning and preparing in advance. I tried this buttermilk coffee cake and thought you might enjoy it with family. Add some fruit, juice and a couple sausage links, and you’re all set for an easy breakfast.
- Cake:
- 1 C sugar
- ½ C butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 t vanilla
- 2 C flour
- 1 t soda
- 1 t baking powder
- 1 t salt
- 1 C buttermilk
- Streusel:
- 1 C brown sugar, packed
- 1 C chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
- ¼ C flour
- ¼ C butter, softened
- 4 t ground cinnamon (I used 3 scant)
- Preheat oven 350 degrees
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan; set aside. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter together with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each. Add vanilla
- In second bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add ⅓ of dry ingredients to the mixture and blend until incorporated. Add half of buttermilk and blend, then add half of the remaining flour mixture. Blend in remaining buttermilk, and mix in the last of the flour mixture by hand until no flour is visible. In a bowl, combine all the streusel ingredients.
- Spread half of the batter into an. Top with half of the streusel mixture. Carefully spread the remaining batter over the streusel, then sprinkle the remaining streusel on top. . At this point the cake may be covered and placed in refrig over night.( Let stand 30 minutes before baking) Or, bake immediately for 25 to 35 min or until cake is set and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 min before cutting and serving.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Give thanks to the Lord, Our God and King. His love endures forever.
