Bake-a-rama

Last week we had a birthday in our house. Miss B turned 9. On her birthday, her special birthday cake request was a sponge cake with passionfruit icing. Her very favourite.

Then she asked if I could make her some cupcakes to take to irish dancing for all her friends to share.

Unfortunately, her birthday fell on team dancing night. And there are double the amount of girls on team night. Can I just remind you that earlier in the week, I had made 60 clown cupcakes!


On Saturday, she had an afternoon tea with her closest friends. Everything had to be orange and blue - her two favourite colours.

So, the cupcakes got another work-out. The butter cream icing was supposed to be pale blue, but the blue colouring didn't like the yellow butter ....

And her other favourite (yes, there are a few). Meringues. Orange, of course.

I also discovered the joys of lemonade scones. Have you tried them? So easy, fool proof and delicious!

If there were frequent flyer points for baking, I'd be in New York by now!

100 days.

Today, Miss A and her fellow prep's celebrated 100 days at school. The theme for the day was "The Circus". The call went out for a Mum to make a cupcake for each child, so as they could sing "Happy 100 Days" aka "Happy Birthday". Sure, I said. Love to make a cupcake ....

Or two ....

Or SIXTY.

The idea came from a past Donna Hay Kids magazine. A couple of years back. For anyone with a new baby, I highly recommend buying this annual magazine. I have bought it each year since it came out ( I think I have five or six copies?) and over the years of children's birthday parties, it has become an invaluable party reference tool. This years edition is out at the moment.

And, finally, Miss A herself, looking a little like a cupcake. I really was seeing them in my sleep!

Boom boom clap. Boom dee clap dee clap.

Dear Mr Queensland Strawberry Grower,

This morning when I took the lid off my punnet of strawberries, I was stunned. So stunned that I had to take this photo. Never before in all the punnets of strawberries that I have bought, have I ever seen strawberries so carefully arranged, so symmetrical and so perfect.


So I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you to the person who, somewhere up in that sunshiney, warm state, took the time to carefully arrange my strawberries. Who lovingly placed each one in it's little place and who took such pride in his or her job.

It bought a smile to my cold and wintery Victorian morning. Thanks.

And if you are wondering about the title, you clearly haven't spent the school holidays with my little Miley's !

Easy.

Like Sunday Morning. Once again, glorious sunshine. Even better, school holidays. No pressure to have all those things done that I generally need to do for Monday. Uniforms washed and ironed. Baking for lunches. None of that.

We had some friends over for dinner last night. Apart from leftovers from dessert, I love that we will have flowers in the house for next few days to enjoy. Couldn't go past the striking leucadendrons.

And at this time of the year, the smell of earlicheer's is a must have in our home. Great name. Describes them perfectly.

Our camellia's have just started flowering. Which from memory, is a bit slow. But then again, our roses have just finished and I have three flowers on the hydrangeas! Go figure?

However, the highlight of the greenery in our home at the moment has to be this lovely lady who lives on the kitchen window sill. Her name (funnily enough) is grass head and she came home with the girls from after school care. Thank goodness for the winter sunshine or there may have been some very disappointed children.

If you have children at home this coming week, whatever side of the globe you are on, enjoy! I know we will. It will be slow and easy and we will definitely be stopping to smell the flowers.

Opportunity Cost

It is a seriously little known fact about me, that I have an Economics degree. Majored in economics, nonetheless. It is little known because technically, I have never used said degree. I have no idea why I did it. I didn't enjoy it. It did help me find a husband though. Therefore, although this last statement puts me in the dark ages pre feminist movement, it wasn't a complete loss.

I say technically, I didn't use it, but there is one thing I put into application every day. Opportunity Cost. You learn about opportunity cost in the first semester of EC101. Clearly, my brain reached its maximum capacity after that point because I remember nothing else beyond it.

Opportunity cost is (now, let's see if I can remember this) is the "cost" of one thing, at the expense of another. And now here is where the relevance kicks in.

It is such a beautiful, sunny Winters day here in Melbourne today. Gorgeous. I'm loving it. I committed to helping out at school this morning. Which is lovely. The opportunity cost of this, however, was that my washing didn't make it out onto the washing line. And that is a crying shame for a house management person such as myself on a day like today.

The other choice that I have made today is to wander aimlessly around the house, in the sunshine, taking photos of our bird things. As you do. I have such a thing for birds. Not real ones. Don't leave me on the beach with hot chips! We're talking hyperventilation, worst nightmare stuff. But cute pretty little ones that aren't real - nothing better. What possessed me to photograph the birds? I had to. The sun was out. And we love taking photos when the sun is out. Quick! Where is that camera? I must take photos! There is sun! And it is winter.

The opportunity costs of wandering aimlessly around a house (recovering from the after effects of re plastering a central hallway) with a camera, are, alas, too numerous to mention.

I am collecting a collection *

As a child, all I ever wanted to do was have a "collection". I did the stamp thing. I did the swap card thing. I even had a go at old coins. All of which I still have today.

I admire people who collect. One of my favourite TV shows is "Collectors". I ooh and aah at the things people collect, even if I do have absolutely no interest in collecting some of the obscure things they have. But they have a collection. And that is cool.

I have decided that the latest thing that I am going to collect is old boxes. How left of centre is that? Do you think I'll get a guernsey on "Collectors"? Will Andy come around and ask me all kinds of questions about my boxes? I'd like that.

So here is my first box. Yes, I only have one. It is the box that my bluebird brooch came in from my godmother for my christening. It has a little stamp in the lid that says "Saxon's Jewellers, 447 Miller St, Cammeray". Which is really strange because Cammeray is in Sydney and my godmother lived in Melbourne. Ahhh, see? A story behind my box and an element of mystery.

Anyway, I really like the pattern and the colours.

However, in retrospect, one doesn't really qualify as a collection, does it?

I'll keep you posted.

* Title from the "Charlie and Lola" episode I relate most too. And I relate to a lot of them. The clippy purse and the fluffy white jacket is another.

This weekend ...

we might do some baking. Our current favourite is Pip's choc chip cookie recipe in the Frankie Afternoon Tea Cookbook.

We make one change to this recipe. White choc chips instead of milk or dark chocolate. We are predominantly a white chocolate house..

The cups? I finally succumb at work yesterday. There is only so much looking and sorting those colours that you can take before you end up taking some home. I went for more of the pastel palette, but the brights are equally as scrum-diddly-umptious. You can get yours here.

We might have a drink of milk from them while eating our cookies.

See, Mr Violet & Rose? They do have a use! We do really, really need them. And yes, next week I will bring home ALL my pay.