Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

I am 39 years old. Just one year shy of 40. So let’s just say I’ve had some years on this sweet, sweet Earth to figure out who I am and what makes me tick. And I’ve done a pretty ok job at doing this so far. I know what I like (reading, writing) and what I hate (math and Goldfish crackers). I know what makes my heart sing , where I’m weak and where my faults lie. 

But even at my ripe old age I can still surprise myself. I’m still learning and adapting and growing. You can absolutely slap a “work in progress” sticker on me and call it a day. 

For example, I just learned that I am, in fact, a complete and total sucker.

Let me explain…

A few weeks ago Mr. BurntToast and I were waiting in an airport security line that was, no lie, about a mile long. Sadly, we both lost our “status” this year after we cooled it on the work travel so we were stuck with the masses, all 8,000 of them, waiting in a line that moved just about an inch every three minutes.

Waiting honestly wasn’t a problem for me. I was completely content, happy to just be getting away from the chaos of my regular life with my husband even if for just a few days. I was feeling all of the good vibes of a woman on a jail break. 

Just as we were about to hit that breaking point in the line where the TSA agent was in our line of sight and the wait was coming to an end a very flustered and very annoyed woman showed up at my side. Looking hot and bothered and extremely frustrated, she begged to be let in front of us because her flight was boarding in just 10 minutes and she was, for sure, going to miss it.

And of course, without thinking and much to my husbands chagrin (whom I shushed when he asked for her boarding pass), I let her. 

And she fussed and grumbled through the rest of the wait, putting on a one-woman show of frustrated energy. Finally she made it through, ahead of my husband and me. Ahead of the other 7,999 people that had patiently waited their turn.

This story has a happy ending, too, which is the best part. She did make her flight. 

Do you want to know how I know?

Because 30 minutes later, when we boarded our own flight, there she was tucked snug as a bug right in her seat, headphones on, ready to take a nice little snooze.

I could have felt a lot of things in that moment. I could have felt angry. I could have felt sheepish, like a fool. I could have been spiteful. I could have dutifully learned my lesson and vowed never again. I could have hardened my heart.

But, oddly, I felt none of those things. Despite all evidence to the contrary, I want to believe that her fear of missing her flight was genuine. I want to believe that maybe her circumstances prevented her from getting to the airport in time to wait in that long line. I want to believe the best, always. 

Yes, I know she probably is one of those people that takes advantage of others often. That feels as if life owes her more, somehow. I know these people do exist. I’m aware that I was an easy mark. My husband swears it’s because I smile at everyone–I’m clearly an easy mark.

But that doesn’t make me want to harden my heart to being charitable. And gracious. I want to be the person who puts herself second. The world tells us to always look out for number one. It tells us that that’s how we get ahead. But I don’t want to live like that. 

If I’m going to be honest, I have before. Feeling disillusioned as if life had handed me a rotten bill of goods, I was very selfish for a period. Hardening my heart and making self-focused decisions with my mind, excluding my heart and soul from the conversation. And maybe it did get me further by the worlds standard. Maybe I was doing well. 

But I felt awful. My soul was in tatters and I felt like I was constantly trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Something always felt just left of center, yet I kept going, kept pushing, ignoring the tug of conscience telling me that if something is this hard, something is not sitting right in your soul, it’s probably not your path. I wanted to avoid the truth at all costs.  

The truth that I am not first. I am not meant to live in a place of selfishness. I am meant to put others before myself. That is where my heart feels right. 

Yes, I’ll probably give to charities that feed people who aren’t in fact homeless, that are working the system. I’ll probably hand money over to a panhandler that will go spend it on booze rather than food. And I’ll definitely let a few people in front of me in line that are being selfish.

But that doesn’t make the act any less valuable, does it? Because for every one person that is “working the system,” there are 50 others who aren’t. Who just need a little help, a hand to pick them up and send them on their way. A smile that tells them that they matter. And helping just one of those 50 is worth it. 

Honestly, friends, that’s what we’re called to do. 

So, airport lady, you may have won that battle. And this fool is ok if she lost the war. I hope you had a fantastic trip. I hope your flight was wonderful. But next time, maybe get to the airport just a few minutes earlier. 

And today, I’m sharing with you my mommas best and most requested cake. First of all because cake is always good. And it’s always something that makes people happy. So if you share it (which is hard, because it’s yummy and you’ll want it all to yourself), you’re putting others and their happiness first. But also because my mom was always making this for other people. She was always the one to put them in front of herself. It was requested at pretty much every birthday ever celebrated at her office so she would make it for each and every one, sometimes late at night after a long day of work. True story, it’s probably to blame for my intro to my husband because she made it for him on his birthday when they worked together. (Oh you know there’s a story there). 

It’s sort of a labor of love, one that isn’t my normal quickie recipe, but it’s worth it. Her original recipe calls for sour cream, but I only had Greek Yogurt on hand and I like the way it came out when I subbed it in. But sour cream is fine too. I’m experimenting with a sheet version of this cake, because honestly bundt cakes are hard and it took me a lot of tries to get it right. But I haven’t nailed it yet. I’ll share when I do.

Do yourself a favor, make this for someone else. Give it away. Put yourself second. Just see what it does to your heart. Then make it for yourself. Because it’s that good.

Peace love and cake,

Meg 

Chocolate Chip Greek Yogurt Bundt Cake

May 3, 2019

Print This

By: Meaghan Dawson

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour (sifted)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Greek Yogurt (or sour cream)
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 6 ounces chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions

• Step 1 Sift together flour and baking soda (Yes, you’ll sift the flour twice this way). Put in a bowl and set aside.
• Step 2 Cream butter and sugar until creamy.
• Step 3 Add eggs, one at a time, to butter mixture until light and fluffy.
• Step 4 In another bowl, stir together yogurt, milk and vanilla.
• Step 5 Add this alternately with the flour mixture to the butter/sugar batter.
• Step 6 Stir in chocolate chips.
• Step 7 In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon and stir.
• Step 8 Put half of the batter into a bundt pan that has been greased and floured. Then add 3/4 of the cinnamon/sugar mixture to the top.
• Step 9 Follow with the remaining batter and then top with the rest of the cinnamon/sugar.
• Step 10 Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Step 11 Let cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a plate.

Sharing is Caring

Facebook

Google

Twitter

Linkedin

Stumbleupon

Yummly