I’m not sure what it is about pumpkin that is so magical. Once a year I look forward to a pumpkin spiced latte, but maybe because I can fix spiced things for myself I’ve noticed just how deep that love actually goes.

True love takes you on exciting adventures you’d never imagine on your own.  It makes you do things you never thought possible.  It brings you places you wouldn’t think of going.  I’ve made eight different pumpkin recipes in 3 weeks and there appears to be no end in sight. One of our sweet members brought me a bunch of magazines as stated in my Cooking through Magazines post, and just a few days ago she brought another: Food Network Magazine October Edition which has a pumpkin crepe cake that I must try with full speed ahead.

All week I was planning to make it.  I couldn’t stop looking at it.  The caution sign was I’d never made a crepe before as they always intimidated me, but true love casts out fear.  You can’t stop living life just because you’re scared…and that also goes for making crepes.

“Shall I cast aside a pumpkin masterpiece recipe because it involves delicate crepes which may tear and burn in the pan?  God forbid.” (I read the King James version of the bible if anyone was wondering…)

When I brought these irrational fears out loud people insisted that if I can make “all the other things you make” you can make a crepe.

OK!  I realized I had all of the ingredients at home which is simultaneously awesome and terrible.  This delicious piece of art could happen at any time without any warning!  I was tempted to make it during the week because of having all of the ingredients, but baking is for the weekend and I don’t like rushing.  I wanted to enjoy making it.

Friday came around…

Wait. Let’s back up to Thursday.  On my way to picking up the mail at my job (which is across the hall from the gift shop) I couldn’t stop looking at napkins that were on clearance.  I had been wanting a few more ‘accessory’ napkins, but didn’t want to spend money on something I didn’t desperately need.  (THESE WERE ON CLEARANCE!!)

I rarely go into the gift shop except to get emergency individual fun size pieces of chocolate.  They have such cute good cottage-y home decor that I can’t afford (and have no place to put them unless I had a storage unit specifically called ‘gift shop’.  The next day when I went to check the mail again I noticed THE NAPKINS WERE STILL THERE.  There were gray linen and a yellow patterned and same pattern in gray.  Obviously, I had to stop and touch them.  A fellow employee who I had never seen before did the same.  We never saw each other, but were gushing and bonding over mugs and napkins (girls…what is happening to me…), and a floral pitcher (that neither of us needed!)  I needed to pull myself away from the table…

“These look like they microwave well, but I can’t buy anymore mugs.  I love these napkins.  I’m going to check the mail and see if you’re still here when I get back!”
“I probably will be.”

When I got back she was still there and she was getting her clearance goods.  I walked down the hall to avoid temptation when I thought “You’ve been wanting new napkins and these are the same colors you would want and they’re on CLEARANCE.”

I couldn’t help it.  I turned around and bought them.

Ok!  I was ready!  I was pumped to make this crepe cake and I could use my new napkin in the picture!

I worked out that evening and the next morning walked with a friend early the next morning.  Apparently the previous workout kicked my butt  as I was exhausted and lost all desire to make this cake.  I was also supposed to make pumpkin donuts for coworkers as they had put up money to support my pumpkin habit.  I texted the event coordinator of the pumpkin idea and told her maybe the next weekend because they needed to be made with love and I just wasn’t feeling it.  I mixed the batter and prepared the filling for the crepe cake and let them sit in the refrigerator.  While that was happening I left to run errands.  (Crepe cake and exhaustion, but it was also the day I decided I would finally fix my dress straps.  It’s a maxi dress and the weight of it from hanging on the hanger caused the straps to stretch which caused fashion emergencies.  It was the day to sew the straps which was hilarious because I needed a nap.  I did it and hysterically laughed to myself at the poor job, put a jacket over it, and left the house…)

When I got home I just wasn’t feeling the cake.  I was feeling a nap.

No matter how I tried to motivate myself to finish this cake I needed to be outside.  It had been so hot and this day felt so nice and was absolutely beautiful.  I wasn’t sure if my batter was meant to stand hours without being used, but at the same time I didn’t care.  I could remake it if I needed to.  I was just so tired.

“Be still for a while”
“But, I need to make this cake!!!!!”
“Just go rest.”
“CAKE!”
“Quiet”

I went outside.  I laid in the grass.  It was beautiful.

After a while of that I still didn’t feel up to doing anything so I checked out of life and watched a cheesy Netflix movie.  After that ended I caught a second wind at 9 PM and it was crepe making time.  The good thing about this cake was it wasn’t a decorating emergency.  It needed to set overnight so it wasn’t a rush to finish.  I could forget about it and spend a few simple minutes with it in the morning making the ganache to go on top.  Easy.

Having never made crepes before I didn’t quite do the math of starting the crepe making at 9 PM and ending at 10 or later.  I got the hang of it after the 2nd one and it’s not that difficult or scary like I had built up in my head.

The recipe says that the batter is supposed to make about 20 crepes, but the first one was so thin I freaked out and made them a little thicker than they probably should have been.  So, I stayed in my usual tradition of recipes yielding 60 cookies and I come out with 20…  I came out with 15 total.  It was a good thing because I started the cake out using too much filling per layer and had just enough for the 14th crepe.

The next morning (today) I woke up and made the ganache, poured it on top, and voila…

The only change I made with this recipe was browning my butter in the batter step.
Here is the Chocolate Pumpkin Crepe recipe.

Other things that happened this week:
I had forgotten my lunch Friday and waited too long to eat lunch.  Salad was not an option.  I was hangry and bought the cafeteria special.  I don’t remember the last time I had macaroni and cheese, but it was one of the best things I ever had in my life…

And…

One thing the devil is good at is knowing your weaknesses.  He knows how to get you.  It could be a simple sentence spoken by someone who means well, but that is why it is so important to know God’s word and trust what He says.  One night I was praying and a little while later while trying to get to sleep, but couldn’t, was scrolling on Facebook and someone had posted this:God is always on time.  The devil seeks to destroy.  God is out to restore.  The devil and his lies.  Don’t believe them.  Satan can’t stand Jesus.  He cannot stand in His presence because Jesus won.  He won.  It is finished.  Satan comes and whispers in your ear that your little problems don’t matter.  Why would God send His only Son and sacrifice Him because He wants you and not really care about the little things in your life?

I’m currently reading Exodus and you know what?  He had intricate details and instruction on how to build the ark of the covenant.  That is where He dwelled with the Israelites.  When Christ came He destroyed the temple and religious ordinances and our bodies became the temple.  We are where He wants to dwell and commune with Him.  We can have a relationship with Him.  If He wants a relationship with us wouldn’t that mean He cares about you?  A relationship is built on trust and caring and who better to have one with than Jesus?

He knows the number of hairs on your head.  He says to cast your cares on Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).  He cares.  You matter.  Don’t listen to those lies.  You were made with a purpose.  Don’t look away.  Keep focused on Him and continue this race.  Stay the course.

“AND WE KNOW THAT THE SON OF GOD IS COME, AND HATH GIVEN US AN UNDERSTANDING, THAT WE MAY KNOW HIM THAT IS TRUE, AND WE ARE IN HIM THAT IS TRUE, EVEN IN HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. THIS IS THE TRUE GOD, AND ETERNAL LIFE.

LITTLE CHILDREN, KEEP YOURSELVES FROM IDOLS. AMEN.”
– 1 JOHN 5:20-21