Debut of Shotgun Cake Works

E and I met and began dating a little over seven years ago. At the time we were both rather wild, as I suppose many of us were in those days. We had the sort of large social circle that you tend to develop during the time in your life where so many waking moments are dedicated to the next happy hour. And it was during these carefree days, while E and I were still new to each other, that our friends Gary and Mari met and began dating.

Against fairly tough odds, including some truly long distance dating (Houston to Berlin), Gary and Mari have stuck by each other. And we count them among the small group of good friends that we have kept from those wilder days. We have all mellowed, but they are still a reliable choice to take with you for a night out on the town.

A few weeks ago Mari called me and told me that I'd better sit down. My heart leapt in my throat but I needn't have worried. She just wanted to let us know that they had become engaged and were planning a weekend wedding. Mari was just worried that the shock of being beaten to the altar might be more than I could handle! So on a perfect Texas spring day, we all stood beneath the live oak trees in a local park and had the good fortune to witness our good friends forever bind their lives together.

I wanted to contribute something for the occasion that was uniquely my own and so I volunteered to bake them a cake. I'd never undertaken a baking project of such significance and endeavored to be as precise and careful as I could throughout the process. I hope that the deep affection that I hold in my heart for both of them was conveyed in the end result.