If this is a wedding tradition, I like it.

Sometime around the start of dinner, eldest son calls.

He and his future bride would like to "stop by" so we can taste test a couple potential wedding cake recipes.

"Stop by," as in, once the cakes are done baking and being frosted in about an hour, they want to drive 97 miles to get our opinions.

Geez! It'll be nine o'clock before you get here. But, sure.

The lemon cake was light, moist and strongly lemon. Not artificial lemon, but real lemon, like a real lemon meringue pie.

Delish, if you like lemon.

And that was to be the groom's cake.

The wedding cake will be...

Chocolate.

Her test recipe was a chocolate lover's delight. Almost a rich brownie, rather than a cake. With rich dark chocolate mixed in with layers of fresh raspberry curd.

I loved it. But we all agreed, maybe not the best wedding fare. Not everyone loves dark chocolate as much as we do.

But is it any wonder we are so happy to have her join our family?

The cake tasting turned into the usual visiting, which didn't end until almost midnight.

And they still had 97 miles to go to get home.