experiment succeeded.

cake was yummy!
i used cool whip instead of frosting on top, as some of the reviewers on bettycrocker.com suggested.
my 1/4 crema de coco and 1/4 cup 2% substituted for the 1/2 c coconut milk worked great.
the bananas gave the cake a little extra body.
the toasted coconut flakes were a nice touch, and i have some left over to sprinkle over ice cream... mmmmm

hubby liked it. dad liked it. mom liked it. i liked it. yes, i'd say that recipe is a keeper. it may not be completely from scratch, but that's ok by me. i can think of lots of variations... strawberries on top, pineapple on top... the list goes on.

the church picnic was fun. i got to see stephanie's precious girls... baby e is adorable with her mommy's dark, dark hair. baby bear seemed overwhelmed by all the people at grandma and grandaddy's house, but it did not take her long to get over her possessiveness and make friends with everybody. she even gave some of the other toddlers kisses. and of course, the kids loved splashing at the goldfish in the pond. the rain held off, except for a few sprinkles, though it seemed to rain all around us. we could have all piled into the house, but it would have been crowded. and my dad's living room looks like a gallery of his artwork right now, so we would have had to be careful... did i mention there were a lot of little kids around?

we were the last to leave. i love watching baby bear play or cuddle with her grandparents. since we live relatively close, i think we're going to have to start saying heck with gas prices and make it a point to get together at least once a week. we are blessed to have at least one set so close, and the others not very much farther away.