A New Life

December 1, 1962

Dear Diary,

I still can't believe Colten, and I have been married for four months. It all seems like a whirlwind, but I suppose that is what it was. We’ve been living here with his folks, Barbra and Donald, since October, and now with Christmas just a few weeks away, the house is a flurry of activity.

Currently, however, the pace has been slowed by the snow. Looking out the window, you would think the entire world was smothered in white goose down. It’s falling so heavily; you can barely see the end of the driveway. Colten’s youngest brother, T.J., who is twelve years old, is beside himself with excitement, planning sledding trips that may or may not materialize if this keeps up. And little Clinton, Colten’s nine-year-old son, is currently rearranging the ornaments we’ve hung on the six-foot-tall Christmas tree Colten and his father dragged into the house the day after Thanksgiving. He is meticulous, ensuring the red balls are perfectly balanced with the gold on the lower branches. Clinton is a sweet boy, and while he’s quiet at times, Barbra insists he’s just like his father when Colten.

The weather is certainly reminding me that I am no longer in France, where I had grown up. In Paris, Christmas meant lights strung across ancient stone buildings, crisp air, and perhaps a dusting of snow that melted before it truly settled. It was certainly never this dramatic! Here in North Dakota, the winter is a proper, serious affair. Everything is bundled up and shut tight. It’s cozy, mind you, with the furnace doing its part to keep the house warm, and the large fireplace crackling as wood burns. The smell of Barbra’s baking fills the air, but it is such a stark contrast to the elegance of the city where I grew up.

I’m due in a few weeks; It will be my first baby, Colten’s second. I can already feel this little one turning and kicking. Being this heavily pregnant in such a busy, bustling house is an experience! Barbra and Donald are so kind, though. They fuss and make sure I don't lift anything heavier than a teacup. Donald even promised to chop extra wood for the fire just for my "nesting warmth."

I managed to talk Barbra into allowing me to learn how to make Colten’s favorite cake for dessert tonight. She made me promise to rest afterwards, which, reluctantly, I agreed to. So here I am, sitting in Colten's and my bed; the same room he had growing up in this house, with nothing to do but write in my diary, read a book, and make lists of presents I wish to purchase for everyone.

I feel so loved by all of Colten’s family, yet sometimes, in the middle of all this Midwestern merriment, I miss the quiet elegance of a French Noël. But then Colten walks in, stamping the snow from his boots, and smiles at me, and I know this is where my heart belongs now: in the warmth of this family, waiting for our baby to arrive and see its first proper American snow.

I wonder what this baby will look like... will he have Colten's dark brown hair and his chocolate-colored eyes, or will the baby have my blue eyes and medium brown hair?

I will write the recipe for Colten’s favorite cake, as well as the frosting used to top it. I cannot wait to bring him a slice after dinner and see the pride on his face when I tell him I made it.

Colten's Favorite Cake Recipe

From Barbra Fisher

2 cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups lightly packed grated carrots

Cream Cheese frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

½ cup unsalted butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease well two 9-inch round cake pans well and line the bottom of each pan with a parchment paper circle. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt until well combined. Set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract until fully combined. Add the grated carrots to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk or rubber spatula until just combined, making sure not to overmix the batter.

Pour the cake batter evenly between both prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the tops of the cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of each one comes out clean.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and allow to cool in the pans for 20 to 25 minutes. Once the cakes have cooled, remove them from the pans and return the cakes to the wire rack to finish cooling.

To make the cream cheese frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and mix for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until well combined and smooth.

Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue mixing until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Place one of the cake layers on a cake stand, top with a little over 1/2 cup of the frosting, and smooth it out into one even layer. Place the other cake layer on top and use the remaining frosting to frost the top and sides of the cake.

To make a 9×13 cake: grease the pan with shortening and pour the batter into it. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 35 to 45 minutes.