Sunday 22 December 2013

A Wiggles cake, a wedding cake and an awesome Xmas memory ....

Hello Lovelies, just a couple of cakes to bring us up to this crazy time of year.

First one is a Wiggles themed cake for 1yr old Hallie (2nd generation cake as I made the parents Matt and Tammy, their 6 tierd wedding cake couple of years ago ..... and a wedding cake for a really lovely couple that I hadn't actually met until today ... they loved the look of the cake and I did too. Loved the fresh flowers.



And now we have to make mention of what is happening in a few days.

Christmas. Do you say it with a tone of excitement or tone of pure dread.

I am most of the time the latter.

I do however love the idea though of christmas lights on houses, eating ham and Bernadette's baked creamy potato until I am holding my tummy and watching someones face when they open the present you really thought they would like ...

Every family has their own stories and my entire family is no different. We have had some absolute horror Xmas days over the early years and even though I am not a girl who dwells on the past, its just this time of year that my most awesome ability to recite and remember all memories ... well you get it ... it all comes back to me.

BUT!! The last few years since I have been back living in Australia and along with my nieces and nephew being born and my friends having babies, they are all getting better and better and eventually when I have my own babies, this time of year will be perfect!!!

Someone asked me the other day, what has been your best Xmas. Hands down, didn't even have to think ... was the year 2000 going into 2001. Els, Sareybear and I were living in Linden Gardens, Chiswick W4 London.

The whole lead up to Xmas with work parties and neighbours parties and Els and I deciding to host Xmas day for friends that had no family in London. Sareybear and Marcus were having some romantic rendezvous time at Marcus's home (they then moved in together and bought their first home at Archway a few months later, their Xmas wishes came true) ....

All following pics are old school from my Year 2000 photo album ... love all these memories!!! This was me, Els and Ems at the Disney Xmas party at the Natural History Museum in London. Biggest most incredible party ever.



No black cabs would stop for us ... but Tony the Truck Driver did .... up me, Els and Ems climbed into the truck in our posh dresses and Tony drove us all home. Right to our front doors ...what a bless!!!


 This was the Linden Gardens v Silver Crescent Xmas Tree competition. The orange is the boys tree and the one of the right is ours ... That's me and Sareybear below at the boys house just after we declared ourselves the winners that year .... And check out the fully stocked fridge. Best ever.



Xmas Day in the year 2000. Started off at 07:00 with all the kitchen prep and more or less finished 24 hours later ... Life long friendships were made that day ... there were Aussies, Kiwis, Brits and a Canadian ... There was so much laughing, singing, food and champagne and it snowed after midnight!!!! 

Me, Ems and Diddies even went to Church cause we thought we had too ... we were late so got shuffled in the front row and when it came time to drink the wine and eat that bread thing .... the whole congregation was staring at us to make the move and start the process ... we left soon after that ... 


It was a white Xmas ... London just changes ... incredible.



So I will finish this blog saying Merry Xmas to everyone around the world, to you and all your families. May you watch 'Love Actually' for the 8th time and the most absolute fact I love about Xmas Day ... no matter where you are around the world, "National Lampoons Xmas Vacation' is always on in the evening ... I promise you that.

So go get yourself a glass or few of champers and from me.... lots of love and pashes under the mistletoe  ... Fiona xxx





Sunday 3 November 2013

Choccie cornflake cookies and a few from the last couple weeks ....

Hello and welcome to Sunday ...... again ...

Just like we don't want to ask how planes stay in the sky ... lets not ask why Sunday's always come around so quick .....

This post today is going to bring us back to an old school cookie. It's a family favourite and its the easier cookie to bake.

Big round of applause to the cornflake cookie (with choc chips added).

The reason for such an easy cookie today .... we lost an incredibly close family friend on Friday to that pure evilness of cancer so I am just trying for a moment to make life not so complex and just bring at least something back to some kind of niceness from when we were little.

My friends laugh at me (quite regulary for various ongoings) but on my shelf when you walk in my front door are my special vintage awesome champagnes that I have been saving for specific reasons .... anyway the last few weeks have taught me to shove that and for the next few months I am going to crack open the bottles for various occasions we all have coming up .... that includes the good reds I have to in the kitchen ... why bother saving, got to enjoy them. Now!!!

But lets start with the last couple weeks:

Wedding cake I did for James and Amy: really lovely couple ... this was a gluten free top tier, white choc passionfruit mud for the middle tier and a dark choc peppermint mud for the bottom tier ....

I do have to give a big shout out the lovely people at Lincraft at the Hood (aka Dee Why). I had a bit of a sugar veil last minute disaster and needed something for the middle tier ....

Found myself on the Saturday morning, knocking on the door asking for an early open, they obliged and I would love to have seen the CCTV vision of me running around the shop looking at all the lace materials .... was all fine and I chose a lovely lace ..... that's given me some other cracker ideas too.


New idea that I would like to branch out into is the dessert tables .... there's just so much you can do. Coops, Teresa and I set this one up and it looked awesome!!!! Just kept having to dodge the sun so it wouldn't melt the lollies ....

Few of the glass jars, vases didn't make it there or home due to breaking ... but hey that's life ... grat quality that mum has bought Ben and I up with ... no use crying over spilt milk ...which is actually quite good as I am regular dropper and breaker .....note for you all: never hand me vintage crystal unless you want to see it on the floor  ...


One of my favourite things EVER in the world is cinnamon donuts. Little hint to note .... if you ever need me to do something, can always be bribed with hot cinnamon donuts ... So I created the next best invention ... hot cinnamon donut cupcakes ... compromise for all.


Bugger buying all these new contraptions to get the most even measurement of cupcakes. Just stick to the old ice-cream scoop we all have in our 2nd drawers in the kitchen ... go on and have a look now and see if you have one ....


See look how even and round they come out of the oven ....still fascinates me the cooking process ....


While they are still warm you need to melt butter, sugar and cinnamon and then with a pastry brush, just slosh (professional cooking word I know) all over the cuppies and then eat as quick as possible ..... which helps when we had 3 hungry guys waiting .....


This one is for Tia's b'day. T has been one of my besties for years and years. One of the high school crew. There's been way too many laughs, moments, holidays, beverages etc etc to mention so will just sum up with the below cake and say the biggest THANK YOU for all the years and laughs!!!! And to many more .... especially for Alaska for the First Wives Clubs 50ths b'day .... God help the boat with all  of us on it ....


Rightio, two items in every girls handbag ... along with my 7 different shades of lipgloss, handcream, purses, books etc  ... there is also my favourite wooden spoon and wooden spatula .... you just never know ....


Okay to the cornflake cookies (with choc chips) .... Prep all the ingredients like so ...


Beat up the butter, vanilla, eggs and sugar ....


Throw in the chocolate chips ....


Fold in the flour and cornflakes




Roll into little balls ...



19 mins later we have the cookies ....






Now eat .... and just enjoy your Sundays wherever you are in the world and drink champagne  ...






Sunday 6 October 2013

Cakes that travel again ... for a special surpirse 40th in Nambucca ....

Hello and welcome to public holiday Monday ... not sure what we are actually acknowledging today - doesn't matter ... just nice to have a day off!!!

Bit of a history lesson to start today's blog and this will lead in to the story behind the cake ...

February 1995 - I started a year long travel and tourism / secretary course with 29 other people. I remember walking into the room, looking around at everyone and tried to find a spare seat that wasn't too close down the front so I didn't seem to nerdy. (Only time I like the front anywhere is on the plane for obvious reasons)!!!

There were 8 of us that became a very tight unit. 2 x city people and 6 x country people. We were inseparable that year in the classroom, the Jet Club in Dee Why or cant believe I saying this ..... down at the Manly Leagues Club ... (sorry Team Whelan).

Danielle was from Wingham (near Taree, don't worry I had to pretend I knew where it was too) so she didn't have any family down in Sydney so for that year she became a much valued addition to our family. We started talking from that very first day and actually still haven't stopped. Even the night before Danielle's wedding and we were having a slumber party, Pearl who is Danielle's mother had to come in 4 times to tells us to shoosh now and it as time to go to sleep ... that didn't help the giggle factor!!!

Far out we all had some good laughs at Williams ... many days out, nights out, helping eachother through the homework, exams, work experiences, practising our new found admin skills in the College office (Tim and I having to be on reception together arguing over who was NOT going to answer the phone as we were petrified at all the calls building up) .....

Anyway, Danielle eventually met the love of her life after a little time ... enter Shawn Green. From the moment we all saw them together ... we knew that was it. Shawn has been bought up in the country too so they had the same beautiful values in life and they were just meant to be .. still are!!!

So moving on a few years Danielle calls me to say that she and Shawn are getting married and they would like me to be a bridesmaid .... not a worry, easiest decision I have ever made. Best day ever!!! Amazing wedding to be apart of ... didn't know bridesmaid duties included being lifted head first into an Otto bin as someone had lost the car keys though ....

Fast forward a couple of years when I had moved back to London and Danielle calls me to say she and Shawn are having a baby. LOVE IT!!! Then once Lucy drew her first breath on the 24 September 2003, I get another call asking if I would be Lucy's god mother .... I burst into tears and said of course!!!! Proudest day ever!!!

Which brings us to October 2013. Shawns surprise 40th b'day!!! Danielle (and the kids) organised a big party which Shawn had NO IDEA about until he walked into Nambucca Golf Club the other night and saw many of his friends there. Result!!!!

I said to Danielle that I would come up for the weekend and would love to do the cake for Shawn .... so have a look at following pics .... we had to try and hide the cake and work out where I would decorate so a few more stories were told to the unsuspecting Shawn.

As usual, taking far too much on the plane with me. I did manage to get a personal escort through and was first on the plane!!!


Meet the 1 x 14 inch square chocolate mud cake ... 


Carving out into a football (soccer) jersey


Chocolate ganache time ...


Blue fondant goes on ...


Cutting out the letters ... hoping they were all in there ...



Massive thank you to Nicky who lent her house (and her gorgeous kids) to help me ... was a real arts and craft afternoon .....


Nearly finished .. still needs a little bit though ...


Ahhh that's better .....


All set and ready to cut ... this is the part when I always look away ....



Many hours, many drinks and many good moves on the dance floor later ...


And the memory pics .... this was in December 1995 at the Williams Business College ball .... how fresh faced we look when the only decision we had to make in life was what time we were going out that night ....



Danielle and Shawns wedding day on the 31 March 2002. I was so caught up in the moment and concentrating on not falling apart and just getting down that aisle that I didn't hear Danielle asking me 3 times for a tissue 'Fi I need a tissue .. Fi!!! Fiona ... I need a tissue!!!  .... Cue Nan to come to the rescue!!!! 


05 October 2013 ... 18 years after we all met in the Williams Business College classroom ... the conversations and beverages are still flowing on .... (Personally I think we still look rather fresh faced!!!)










Sunday 15 September 2013

Lolly Gobble Bliss cupcakes come to life

One of my good friends sent me a link to a baking competition to win $2500 worth of my 'dream kitchen package'!! Woohoo!!!

All you ever have to say to me are the words hot cinnamon donuts, challenge or competition and I am there .....

My competitive streak must have started from when I was 3yrs old with the family Easter Egg hunts and we had to count at the end who had the most eggs, which actually looking back now, it didn't really matter because Cousin Matthew (the oldest) and Ben (the next oldest) just took what they wanted and claimed our supply as theirs too .... 

Anyway, growing up with my entire family we were born with either a tennis racket, ping pong paddle, canoe oar, fishing rod, netball, basketball etc etc in our hands ....

We are not one of those families who goes on a picnic and sit downs to enjoy a nice lunch. Upon arrival whomever is first, you to pick a good spot where you can set up stumps for a cricket match ... You are actually lucky to even get a sausage sandwich in your hand before Cousin Matthew calls you up to bat. 

There was one incredibly memorable time when all the family came just to be together in a house we hired at Palm Beach. Ben was even over from the UK ... so of course what did we have to do ????? Set up the ping pong table, organise teams and hold a inter family competition. No prize, just the glory. 

Even the day after Cousin Ky and Dave's wedding. At their BBQ, we got everyone up for a game of touch footy ... all was going smoothly until Neighbour Ken took an intercept, ran the length of the park and suddenly started yelling ... 'My hammie, my hammie, I've pulled my hammie' ... Game off!!!! 

Don't think it changes if we are inside either ... the boardgames come out to the table or the card games. Where do you think I mastered the art of being the Uno World Championship player???? Except I still cant work out why one certain family member thinks they can justify putting a reverse on draw 2. I admit that I change the rules everyone now and then but please!!!! 

So you can gather then that we all like to be on the go .... Mum every now and then brings something that Ben my brother once apparently said when I was 7 years old and we had just returned from being out all day and I turned around and said .... 'okay where we are we going next' and Ben said 'far out Fiona, I am going to get you a caravan so you are permanently outside'!!!! ... 

So I set aside this arvo to make these lolly gobble bliss cucpakes (to try and win the magazine competition ... All you have to do for the chance to win is make a replica of the taste.com.au magazine cover but of course I had to add my own little Fiona touch and gave them life .... 

  My favourite all time cupcake papers ... Size 650's incase you are interested.


Hint of the day ... use an ice-cream scoop to get the exact measurement for mixture. Honestly you can't go wrong!!!


Never get tired of how the mixture goes in and ....


Hey presto .. 25 mins later its cake!!!



For these ones I did a really gorgeous chocolate cake and just simple frosting recipe


Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs ... got to be honest, haven't thought about these for many years. Was not even sure where to buy them ... Woolworth had the goods though. Crisis averted.


Melting the caramel .... smelt absolutely divine!!!



I never go in for the sneaky cake batter ... BUT I cant help myself when caramel is involved ....


Not for next time ... when the receipe says to leave the HOT caramel and popcorn for at least 5 mins ... please do .... unless you want to burn your hands and then have to do the popcorn hot hand dance and try and flick popcorn everywhere!!!! 


Check them out ....


Drizzle the chocolate!!! A little bit for the cupcakes and a little bit for me ....


And my little ones are created!!!! 


They actually look quite cute .... Cross fingers I have a small chance of winning ...doubt it but at least I tried!!!!