She decorated the backyard, made a cake, set out beer and food, and everyone I knew from childhood stopped by to congratulate us.

But that night, at least, her sleep was unbroken, and the cakes and cider made a perfectly good breakfast.

Three desserts were available when I visited: ice cream, strawberries and a pleasant cake made with canned peaches.

The lemony cake makes the cream taste a little off, almost like buttermilk.

Not only was the cake made from scratch, but she had ground the flour from whole grains herself, using a recently acquired grain mill.

Enclosed in glass and protected from humidity, a cake made only of icing can last for several years.

But because of the high sugar content of sweet potatoes, cakes made from them brown quickly.

The 7-Up cake makes for an unusual finish.

Thereafter she ordered rice wine and cakes made ready.

Serena suggested that they get another cake to make sure they did not run out.