Even More

I hadn’t realised just how cakey we were going to be this week.

As well as an impressive bump on his forehead, the boy bought home some cakes he’d made at school today.

A few weeks ago his teacher, very bravely (I think), set up a cookery table.  She put on the table the ingredients to make fairy cakes and some instructions (whether written or pictorial I’m not sure) and sent a small group of children to go and make cakes without adult supervision, until the hot oven bit and then an adult took over.  The first couple of cakes the boy bought home that he’d made were interesting but just about edible.  He is now regularly bringing home lovely cakes that he’s made just with a couple of his friends, not a teacher or other adult in sight.

I am so impressed.  Not just with the boy and his cooking skills, but also with the teacher for having the vision to set it up.  She has given those children so much more than just the ability to make cakes.  She is most definitely on my list of positive role models in my new career.

I must find out what inspired her to give them mint flavouring and green food colouring today.

New

It’s all about the cake this week!

It causes immense excitement in this house when there are new Bakin Boys products to be had.

When Life Gives You

Manky bananas, there is only one thing to do.

Yup, banana bread with raisins.

Seven Years Old

We had our annual the girl’s ante-natal group meet-up today.  Of the original 8 couples, two have moved and we’ve lost contact with them, and one couldn’t make it because of prior commitments.

Every year I bake a cake, partly because of the difficulty of buying a nut free cake (thank you S for finding nut free cake to bring with you, I really appreciate the thought that went into that) and partly because actually I just like baking cakes.  This year I was short on time so it was a bit thrown together but apparently very tasty.

I also try and take a picture of all our babies.  I’ve been trying to find the previous years’ pictures but haven’t been very successful. I’ve been able to find 2008, 2010 and 2012. I have no idea what happened to 2009 and 2011 but I’ll keep looking and update this if I find them.

Here is this years traditional sofa shot.  Only one of the girls is actually looking at me, the perils of having two people taking photographs at the same time, but it’s still a lovely photo.

I have to post the sofa shot as it is traditional, but I also got a nice shot of them before they blew out the candles on the cake so I thought I’d share that one too.

The icing on the proverbial cake though, is that my small sister is also visiting this weekend with her two utterly gorgeous boys.

Here are my two and her elder boy under the table (no, I’m not sure why).

And how beautiful is the younger?

Merry Christmas

I promised you more cake today and it is the season of goodwill and cake – isn’t it?

We’ve had a wonderful day and I hope you have too.  This is a short one as I have a family to hang out with!

Here’s One I Made Earlier

I forgot to show you this. The girl’s cake from yesterday.

Not my finest effort, but I have scaled down on the creative cooking this term. I decided an edible cake topper wouldn’t kill her (or the boy, I checked) and she actually seemed very pleased with it.

Baking, Again.

Yes, it’s that time of year again. 24 sparkly rudolph and santa fairy cakes are ready for our school fayre tomorrow. Now I just have to get them there.

Birthday Extension

I am happy to be posting a happy post today.  Not only a happy post, but more pictures and fewer words – that’s got to be good, yes?

We always have a Sunday lunch on either the Sunday before or after a birthday with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle P, Aunty D and lately the gorgeous Cousin W.

Today it was the turn of the boy to be feted.  I still can’t believe he’s 5.  Time goes by slowly day by day but oh so fast when you look at the years.

I’ve started letting the smalls watch Masterchef with me when it’s on.  I really enjoy it and the language is always ‘small’ appropriate.  One of the challenges in the last series was for the competitors to make a black forest gateaux and then decorate it with fine chocolate decorations that they fashioned themselves.  I might not be letting the smalls watch the next series of Masterchef as the boy demanded that I produce the same thing for his birthday.

Obviously I cheated!  I made the chocolate mud cake that I always make, sliced it in half and added cherries and whipped cream and then splodged some melted chocolate and cream on top.

He seemed quite happy with the end result.

Full points go to Grandma and Grandpa for providing his absolutely favourite birthday present.  A Ben 10 (I know, I said I never would, just like fast food and television) scooter.  He actually screamed when he opened it he was so excited.

I even managed to get a shot with everybody in it (apart from Baby W, sorry).

And to top it all off, Grandma also brought the flower press with the flowers that the girl had put in last time we went to their house (guess what the girl’s getting for her next birthday?!).

Cake

Guess whose birthday it is tomorrow?

Christmas Cake

Slightly later than usual, I made our Christmas cake today.

My house smells of Christmas.