Ooops

It seems that 7 or so months has passed by with no updates from me. It isn't that there has been no baking taking place (can you imagine?!) or even a lack of shenanigans (sigh, truth be told I daren't write about the more recent ones). Simply, I have been busy with family, friends as well as cake and boy antics. So, a few memorable highlights from the latter half of 2013 before 2014 starts to run away from me.

I finally organised to have the garden landscaped at the start of the summer. It has been totally transformed and we have loved using it. Cocktails, BBQs, fire pits, family, friends and the Wimbledon final have all been a delight. I think we made more use of the garden in a couple of months than in the previous 9 years of living here!

More plants next year, but such a difference!

I was whisked away to Chatsworth House by 2 lovelies - the mince pie maker and the true gentleman (first mention here, and a total sweetheart!) for a wonderful evening of pink champagne, the most fabulous picnic and an outdoor production of Pride and Prejudice. It was magical and very special and I felt very spoilt!

Pink bubbles!

We had a wonderful family holiday in the South of France in early August too. We ate a lot, did very little and thoroughly enjoyed the local Blanquette de Limoux - a sparkling wine that predates Champagne and was simply delicious! We were joined for some of the time by the cocktail queen (welcome too - another first mention) a truly lovely friend whom we have had the pleasure of getting to know over the last couple of years.

Am I wearing my bikini top upside down or not in this picture?

The mince pie maker turned 30 in the summer and I was privileged to make the cake for his celebrations at Hambleton Hall. A dark chocolate and cointreau Hermes inspired cake that thankfully was a success. Unlike the macarons I attempted to make to accompany it - after 3 attempts I had to concede defeat.

Shocking photo, but you get the idea….

We celebrated the gorgeous husband's 40th birthday in November. Yes. Really. Forty. There were several nights out, a surprise party at home and a weekend in the Cotswolds with some very special people. And another huge cake. Plus we still have New York to look forward to in April 2014. Which is near when I turn 40 30. Ssshhh please.

Biggest ever - 4 layers of indulgence!

There has also been lots of training and running - I have a new running buddy which is a real treat. Not the mince pie maker. We ran together once and I thought I was going to throw up, pass out cry. There have been some tough times along the way both for us and those we love, but this has been a year of knowing the importance of family and friends and loving them as best we can. Now looking forward to all the opportunities that 2014 brings. And more cake.

Big Trip

Please excuse the lack of posts recently. I've had the most fantastic August away with the amazing sons and the gorgeous husband. The headlines of the big trip (now that the jet lag is dealt with) have been:

Aunty CC and Jack-Jon
First off, the amazing sons and I flew to Eugene to see my twin sister and her family. What a great week we had seeing Toria, Mr Dave and Lady P. We ate a lot of ice cream, frequenting most of the various establishments nearby. The boys bought some baseball caps that go oh so nicely with their new trainers. I don't think sarcasm comes across in the written word as well as the spoken one does it. We went to a theme park and a Scandinavian food festival. And I got lost several times out running.

We got a bit damp on the log flume!

The Girls

Missing Flights and Missing Luggage in Vancouver

After a week in Eugene, the amazing sons and I flew to Vancouver to meet the gorgeous husband at the airport. Except we didn't. We did fly to Vancouver (albeit after some delay). But we didn't manage to meet the gorgeous husband there. Or retrieve my bag which went missing. So we flew on to Prince George to see the gorgeous husband's brother and his family without said husband or bag. We laughed a lot the next day once we were all reunited and after some sleep.

Prince George and More Chuis
It was good to see the gorgeous husband's brother and family for 6 days. We visited Barkerville, a former gold rush town and the cousins enjoyed panning for gold together. There were also trips to lakes, fishing, kayaking, swimming, tennis and much discussion as to why I had to pay for a glass of wine on my long haul flights despite the fact that I was the one travelling with the children. Apparently the gorgeous husband was offered copious amounts of different alcohol on his flight, seemingly from take-off to landing.

The cousins hunting for frogs.

The gorgeous husband took some amazing wildlife shots!

Lots of Chuis

Road Trip Through The Rockies
Then began our road trip though some of Canada. We drove to Jasper, then Banff before flying to Vancouver for a few days. Amazing. Breathtaking. Stunning. Awe-inspiring. Those are (I think) the 4 words we chose to describe all that we saw. Highlights would be the grizzly bears, the earl grey tea, the chocolate buffet, the oysters and all the scenery. And Tim Horton's, who we have probably kept in business for another year after all the coffee and doughnuts we ate there.

Me and my boys at Lake Louise.

More wildlife photos and my pedicured toes.

Doughnuts again!

Back to Eugene to Finish
The amazing sons and I then went back to Eugene for a few days while the gorgeous husband flew back to the UK. Undoubtedly with plenty of alcohol offered to him throughout the flight. We wanted to stay longer but were unable to change our flights. We made the most of the final part of our holiday by eating ice cream again. And I fell over on a run, which did mean I didn't get lost as I had to stop and go back. We also stocked up on Biscoff, which is the most amazing invention. I say we, but I fully intend to eat all of it single handedly.

It was simply a once in a lifetime family holiday, that has given us many wonderful memories. Shame it had to end.

Lake Louise

Coffee Eclairs Challenge.....Apologies to Ruth

I love a challenge. So when my friend the mince pie maker set me the task of chocolate eclairs with a coffee creme patisserie there was no way I was going to refuse. I've never made choux pastry before, although I vividly recall my Mum making amazing profiteroles and chocolate sauce throughout my childhood. We had a different name for them, but it's probably not appropriate to share that in this forum.

I have to admit that it was Dan Lepard to the rescue again. He covers sweet choux pastry, water icing AND creme patisserie in his amazing book. We all agree that they taste pretty good. The gorgeous husband (who is obviously now fulfilling a new role as my creative director of baking) said they were a "little on the large side". How can cakes be too big I ask? I will make them smaller next time, but only so that I can eat two without appearing greedy.

These are all that are now left. Despite the cat's obvious indifference I don't think they are going to last very long.......

Dimpling....

Someone recently said that when I smile I am 'dimpling', on account of the very large dimples in my cheeks. I have yet to meet anyone** who has larger dimples than me, though I would love to do so. As a child I disliked them as they were so unusual. As an adult I have come to love them as they are so unique.  These are some of the things that have made me dimple today.....

1. Lunch with a wonderful friend in an Indian luncheon club.
2. The cat purring as he lay in a sun beam.
3. The gorgeous husband coming home early from work.
4. My fringe finally being trimmed.
5. Baking 'ricky toad' rock cakes for BFF.
6. The amazing sons happily playing with Lego.
7. The ping on my phone as friends messaged me over the day.

Little things that please me much.

** With the exception of Bebe, my late Grandmother. But mine are actually getting bigger as I get older, so I am pretty certain they will end up being even larger than hers! They are developing their own wrinkles too, but that is a whole other story.

Ricky Toad

The gorgeous husband recently bought me Dan Lepard's amazing baking book Short & Sweet. I'm not sure why I have waited so long to start using it but today I made 2 recipes - one savoury and one sweet. The amazing sons had a taste of the Blue Cheese and Oatmeal Biscuits and gave them their seal of approval.

 They have yet to know about the Rocky Road Rock Cakes I then whipped up. I might not tell and keep them all for me. Thanks to the predictive text on my iPhone Rocky Road is known as Ricky Toad in our house. This is a new take on an old favourite for me, and I LIKE IT! Now, to share or not to share?

Catch Up

It's been unexpectedly quiet here recently. By that I obviously mean that there has been little in the way of SHENANIGANS from the amazing sons. And by that I clearly mean that there has been little in the way of DISCOVERING any SHENANIGANS as I'm sure there will have been some.

The gorgeous husband is recovering from a nasty sickness bug. He had the audacity to initially blame his illness on a pearl barley mushroom risotto I made. The cheek! I'm very glad he is starting to feel better because I am needing a little bit of help with a few things.

I've broken a bone in my hand. It's a long and silly story how that happened, and the initial plaster cast was ever so slightly over-dramatic. Thankfully I'm now wearing this:

No driving or (gulp) exercising for 3 weeks. I'm off to get a bus pass this morning. You've got to laugh.

Stuff and Junk

I've not written anything for a while as I've been pondering a few things.

This year has been teaching me that life is better when it is simple. Fewer demands, fewer distractions, fewer things. I'm still working on this but I know for sure that life is good and that those people who are meant to be around me are still there, although some of them are geographically further away than before.

In it all  I have been learning to "settle" and to be "available" to those who matter most - the gorgeous husband, the amazing sons and family. I have also had my eyes opened to the reality of true friends and friendships. Those people who can really know you, who you can share the ups and down of life with, and who stick by you in it all.

So life is very different at the end of 2011 from at the beginning. That is more than good. Priorities have shifted in many directions. I feel healthier and more blessed in every way. I'm not saying it's not challenging at times but anyone that truly knows me will know that I always rise to a challenge.

So my challenges for next year are simple though daunting, and at the core of them lies the need to continue with putting my family first. By the end of March I am going to have stopped working as part of this ongoing process. I don't do 'staying at home' but it seems I soon will be. In it all I am trusting God that He knows best, and that ultimately He works out everything for the good of those who love Him.

Happy New Year.

Birthday Treats

It is the gorgeous husband's birthday tomorrow and he requested some espresso cupcakes to celebrate. To be honest, I think he would rather have had a pork pie, scotch egg or sausage roll as he has a very savoury tooth. But he IS the gorgeous husband and knows how much I like to bake cakes, so cupcakes it is. I used the Hummingbird Bakery recipe from their Cake Days book but also added an espresso syrup to soak into the sponge before I iced them with the coffee buttercream. No chocolate covered coffee beans for decoration, but a slice of flake on the top instead does the trick I think.

To appease his savoury taste buds I am currently slow roasting a tastily marinated leg of pork for 24 hours for lunch tomorrow. The plan is to eat it with some garlic and chive mash and some steamed cabbage. We have also been enjoying champagne cocktails using some fizz, The King's Ginger and my beautiful vintage glasses. I cannot begin to describe how good these drinkies are. I might have another shortly......

My Cat Likes Cupcakes

Well, the cream cheese frosting on cupcakes to be more precise. Thankfully I didn't find this out as a result of him licking the frosting off my recent batch of baking. No. The gorgeous husband has been found out feeding it to the cat. I have hidden the bowl of frosting that is in the fridge for fear of it 'disappearing'. I have plans for that frosting. For once the amazing sons are not to blame for the SHENANIGANS in our house. It also explains why the cat is so keen on the gorgeous husband. 

Cake Crawl

We are not long back from a couple of days in London staying with the gorgeous husband's parents. They very kindly looked after the amazing sons on Saturday so that the gorgeous husband and I could spend the day in London.

My Our plan for the day mainly  involved eating cake. So we started in The Hummingbird Bakery in South Kensington. I LOVE their cookbooks but this is this the first time that I have visited and oh my, I am so glad we did. We shared a single black bottom cupcake -so restrained and so delicious! Definitely a recipe I will be trying at home.

From there we (predictably) made our way to Harrods to enable me to drool at the macarons in Laduree. I couldn't help it, I bought 3 of the little lovelies, but I did share them. Black Forest, Madagascan Chocolate and Salted Caramel. Please note the use of capital letters in writing their flavours, they are worthy of such deference.

Our final stop was for the gorgeous husband to find his favourite - Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Sadly the hotlight store seems to have disappeared from Harrods. This was not altogether a bad thing as it enabled us to burn a few calories walking to the nearest alternative. Apple cinnamon was the flavour of choice and certainly didn't disappoint. It was deemed "nearly as good as the original glazed". High praise indeed.

On The Jazz, Man

The gorgeous husband and I have recently introduced the amazing sons to The A-Team - oh yes, the original series from our childhoods. I seem to remember not being allowed to watch it as a child, but my sisters and I usually found some way round that little rule. We bought the first series on DVD off EBay for pennies and watched an episode every evening on holiday - classic family entertainment.

Incidentally, I watch most television programmes and films with the subtitles on. My hearing is fine, but I find it very difficult to follow any plot unless I can read the dialogue. If they did special 'subtitled' screenings of films in the cinema I would undoubtedly go more often. So, we watched The A-Team with subtitles, and the gorgeous husband and I found the description of the instrumental music as amusing as some of Murdock's antics. From one episode alone, and I quote:

• tropical instrumental music
• upbeat instrumental music
• adventurous instrumental music
• tense instrumental music
• fast-paced instrumental music
• triumphant instrumental music
• soft instrumental music
• cheerful instrumental music
• sentimental instrumental music

Fantastic stuff! Can't wait to see what other descriptions they use. I'm thinking the subtitler probably runs out of adjectives at some point in series 3!

Razor Rash

We are just back from 2 weeks' holiday in Spain. We stayed at a lovely villa with its own pool and did nothing more strenuous than opening wine, barbecuing chorizo and jumping in the pool when we got too hot. Bliss

It is the third time we have used this villa and I have now truly refined the art of packing light. We took 2 hand luggage suitcases between the 4 of us for the 2 weeks. For the amazing husband and the gorgeous sons this looked like (in addition to what they wore) a pair of swimming trunks, a spare pair of shorts, 2 spare t-shirts and 4 pairs of boxers/pants (depending on age and underwear fussiness!). I slipped in an extra dress for me (I was packing, there was room, you can call it packer's prerogative) but had much the same. Needless to say it didn't take very long to unpack when we got home today - always a good thing as I have a knack for leaving suitcases unpacked for days weeks months after a holiday! I wish that last sentence was an exaggeration, but sadly it is all too true. That and the fact that I usually like to pack in Sainsbury's bags.

The holiday started off with some typical SHENANIGANS with amazing son number 2. When we arrived at  the airport I noticed his upper lip was rather sore and red looking. It had been fine the previous day. Don't ask me how I knew (I always know, poor boys) what he'd done but when quizzed he admitted that yes he had been shaving his top lip. Makes a change from his eyebrows and hair then.

Jump Jump

A while ago I decided to toilet train my cats. Literally. You could buy a device which progressively taught them how to 'use' the toilet, although you had to ensure the seat lid was left up and they obviously wouldn't flush when they were finished.  I am rather proud of the fact that I have successfully managed to teach train nag the gorgeous husband and the amazing sons to both put the seats down AND flush but I was prepared for the cats to forgo this. Despite my best efforts it failed. I think my cats were too old, and one of them too big. If we ever get kittens in the future I will try again.

Following the toilet training failure I am rather impressed with the amazing husband's cat training skills. We only have one cat now - Harvey, who very much adores the amazing husband as highlighted in a previous post. The cat now 'showjumps' for his food. If you stand at a certain point in the kitchen and raise your leg he will jump over because he knows he will then get a food reward. I have video footage as evidence. Quality stuff!

What To Do?

Today is a very unusual day for me. The amazing sons are away on a camp for a few days and so I have the whole day to myself. The gorgeous husband in his gorgeous way has told me to have some fun once the glass shelf for his new tv stand has been delivered. It is 8.35am and that said same shelf is already sitting in the hallway. So the day is mine. I have made a quick list of some of the possibilities (things I both could and should do) on offer to me today:

1. go to the gym (there is a an abs class followed by a spinning class at 10am which I really enjoy) - very likely
2. clean the bathroom (have been meaning to do this all week, it is a quick job and would make me feel better) - quite likely
3. tidy and clean the kitchen (I have already emptied the dishwasher this morning, that feels like enough) - not at all likely
4. have a nice lunch (though after suffering for my 2 glasses of wine at lunchtime yesterday BEFORE a circuits class in the evening I will go to the gym first) - very likely
5. do some gardening (feel quite nauseous at the thought, although that could be the double espresso on on an empty stomach) - very unlikely
6. have a mooch around town (there is a maxi dress I would rather like, so think I will try it on.....again, and see if it is cheaper in the sales) - very likely

I think you might get the idea. Thankfully, the gorgeous husband seems to understand (or is at least reconciled to) my aversion to housework and is somewhat appeased by the fact that I love to cook for him and the amazing sons. Now, let's get on and enjoy the day.....breakfast thanks to the Vitamix.

That will be an apple, half a carrot, a slice of lemon, a chunk of ginger with some water and ice and whizzed for 30 seconds to produce:

So nice! And (with my housework aversion) so clever that the washing up of the Vitamix literally takes seconds. Total brilliance.

Chui Males

Yesterday was our Chui Family Birthday - a day of great significance as it is when we celebrate the day the amazing sons came to live with us. 'We' were 7 years old yesterday and it felt like a real milestone. We celebrated with pizza for lunch and spent the day having fun. Well, not all of it was my idea of fun (an hour in a computer gaming shop deciding on some new games?!) but then I am clearly outnumbered by the males in the family.

Even the cat is male. I managed to take some video this morning of how much he loves the gorgeous husband. I don't think this behaviour is normal. As we say "not natural".......My lovely friend calls the cat "Sir Fleabag" and is not entirely enamoured with him. I wonder if this footage will change her mind?

The amazing husband has surpassed himself again though and bought me a new toy. A Vita Mix! I suppose you could call this a blender, but seeing as it can make hot soup and ice cream that title really doesn't do it justice. I can't wait for it to be delivered and try it out. More about it another time.......

Chui Chilli Chop

The amazing sons helped me to cook lunch today. Nothing fancy. It is the end of the 2 weeks of half term and I really urgently desperately need to go to Sainsbury's. There is not much 'fresh' food left in the house so we made a bean and lentil chilli with a few carrots and stalks of celery that were languishing in the fridge. The amazing sons' knife skills are definitely getting better. That last sentence read out of context would be extremely worrying.

For extra spice I chopped up a few chillies. It wasn't the gorgeous husband who suffered for his chilli eating bravado this time. Amazing son number one looked more than a bit watery around the eyes it has to be said after crunching through a few of them. He was also heard to say 'I think I prefer mustard, it [the effects] doesn't last as long'. Regardless, I bet he'll be back for more when we have the leftovers for dinner tomorrow.

Chuis and Chillies

The gorgeous husband decided to treat us all to an impromptu  meal out last night. One of our locals (there used to be just one which was a definite 'old man's pub', but now we have 4 rather trendy (or trendy enough) bars/cafes within walking distance) has a curry night on a Thursday. The amazing sons loved it although there was some inevitable curry bravado amongst the Chui males as to who could handle the hottest curry. Amazing son number 1 was brave enough to try a chicken jalfrezi (4 chillies on the menu) while amazing son number 2 ordered a chicken korma (not even 1 chilli on the menu, no fun in that). The gorgeous husband had a chicken vindaloo (a whopping 6 chillies on the menu) and suffered a little for it. It is a very rare occurrence to hear him say that something is a little too spicy, but that is (I am sure) what I heard him mutter at some point during the meal. It may have been when he was mopping his brow such was the heat of this curry. It was a simply lovely evening, topped off with mini ice cream sundaes at home. Special times with my favourite people.

Mocktails, a Movie and Midnight Munching

After a tiring morning filled with swimming and gymming we spent the afternoon making 'mocktails'. We even dipped our glasses in egg white and sugar! They are rather pink and did not really convey the 'James Bond shaken-not-stirred' image the amazing sons wanted, but we had fun. You really don't want to know what went into making these - I wouldn't recommend them for adult consumption as they were very, very sweet but the amazing sons thought they were very, very delicious. But then they are 12 and 8 and would happily eat sugar cubes with maple syrup poured over for breakfast if I let them. Amazing son number 2 was in fact caught sneaking the 'treat' box upstairs for a little midnight munching that same evening. I do feel the amazing sons are making progress in their sneaking of the 'treat' box upstairs. This time amazing son number 2 was only caught by chance as the gorgeous husband went to the kitchen to get a beer. I wish I had been there to see his face! Last time they tried, amazing son number 1 dropped the treat box on his way upstairs. Rookie error.

Ginger King

The gorgeous husband and I like love adore our cocktails. Not the overly fruity or umbrella topped variety please, we are very selective and discerning in our choice of drink. Normally we have them when we go 'out out' which doesn't happen that often due to the need for a babysitter for the amazing sons. In all honesty I think amazing son number two would happily join us if given the opportunity - he was even excited about the fact I had put wine in the risotto for lunch today. We fully intend to never let him try an alcopop. Over the weekend I picked up a bottle of King's Ginger after sampling it in Harvey Nichols in Birmingham. This stuff is good, believe me. We have just had a glass of it with ice, tonic water and a dash of angostura bitters. Delicious. Can't wait to have some topped up with cava. You can't buy King's Ginger in many places but it is definitely worth tracking down a bottle. Or two. Three?

Chick On Sticks - The Recipe

Cute hey? I decided against adding eyes or beaks in a different colour - minimalist chicks you could say. The amazing sons, the gorgeous husband and the fab friend all enjoyed them on Easter Sunday. They are very sweet though - so be warned if you don't have a sweet tooth or if you do and need to avoid indulging your sugar addiction. So, here's how....

Ingredients

• 2 x Sainsbury's basics Madeira cake (yes, the basics variety - cheap but actually very nice)
• 1 x tub Betty Crocker vanilla frosting (cheating all the way my lovelies)
• 1 x packet of Scotbloc (you really can still buy this from Sainsbo, fabulous stuff)
• yellow oil based food colouring
• lollipop sticks - the paper variety preferably
• chick shaped cutter (unless you are feeling very creative and have lots of time)
• polystyrene block (available free from Homebase I understand, or be prepared to hold the cake pops until dry)

What To Do

1. crumble your Madeira cakes into, well, crumbs
2. stir in the frosting, all the frosting - this is why they are so sweet
3. refrigerate the dough for a good hour or so
4. roll out the dough to the depth of the cutter and cut the chick shapes out, repeat as necessary
5. refrigerate the chicks for another hour or so
6. melt the Scotbloc gently in the microwave and stir in enough food colouring to get a good yellow colour
7. dip the lollipop stick in the Scotbloc and gently push into the bottom of the chick - about an inch or so
8. (yawn) refrigerate again for about an hour or until the scotbloc has fully hardened
9. re-melt the scotbloc gently in the microwave
10. dip the chicks headfirst in the melted scotbloc so they are totally covered
11. gently tap and twizzle the chicks over the bowl until the scotbloc stops dripping
12. insert the stick into the polystyrene block to dry

It sounds more complicated and long winded than it really is. You can do it in stages over a number of days which is what I did. A good website for supplies is The Cake Decorating Company, and they delivered incredibly quickly when I used them. I also referred to Bakerella's YouTube video for the tap and twizzle method so you get a nice smooth coating. Maybe I have too much time on my hands, or perhaps my housework aversion is to blame, but I love making cake pops. More to come I would imagine.