Monday, June 21, 2010

M is for Missing......


Just to let you know I am still alive! Now I am back working full time it leaves little or no time for all the creative things I love to do. My camera hasn't seen the light of day in months :(

My daughter turned 16 a couple of weeks ago and cupcakes were all I could rustle up. I snapped this picture 2 mins before the first guest arrived. Her theme was purple & silver and half the cupcakes had cute little bows on them – didn’t even get a shot of them!

Hope everyone is well x

Friday, May 7, 2010

Linny's Baby Cake






Made for the Gorgeous Linny who sits at the desk next to me at work. She left today to go on maternity leave.

We arranged a fake meeting for her this morning and while she was away we covered her desk in cupcakes, balloons & this cake I made for her.

I was quite attached to this little sugar figurine and was quite sad to see her go..... just about as much as I’ll miss Linny!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Miss Kelcey


Kelcey... seriously stunning!


Jakob & Kelcey


Kelcey & Jakob (they were approx 2 years old here!)


Maclain (Kelcey's brother) Jakob & Kelcey



Today was a very special day, as we got to go and visit with Kelcey and her family. Jakob handed over the $2,160.00 he managed to raise from his post on this blog.

Kelcey is back in hospital next week for another round of treatment. She has spent the last 5 months either in hospital or in isolation at home, so being able to spend some time with her today was pretty awesome!

If you were one of the many people who donated.... Jakob & I thank you from the bottom of our hearts xxx

Monday, April 5, 2010

Lexi's 1st Birthday & Thank You!





A week ago my son Jakob began his quest to raise money for his friend Kelcey who has cancer. Your response has been fantastic and to watch the donations roll in was just amazing! Jakob and I would love to be able to contact you all personally but that just isn’t possible so please accept our sincere thanks for opening up your hearts.... and your wallets :O)

Jakob is a little disappointed that he didn’t reach his target of $5,000 but everyone keeps telling him how amazingly well he has done! He even sent an email to Ellen DeGeneres (her show is on here after school and he likes the part where she rings people who are in need of help) to ask her to send out a “tweet” to her fans to boost his fundraising efforts! I did explain to him she would get a gazillion emails and it was highly unlikely that she would actually ever get to read his email, but he wanted to try.

With all this going on last weekend I still had finish my niece’s 1st birthday cake. We had a Teddy Bear themed birthday party and enjoyed a lovely warm day out in my Brother & Sister-in-laws back yard.

I will take down the donate button next week so I can then hand over the $$$ to Kelcey & her family. There is still time to push that total a little higher!

Hope everyone had a great Easter :O)

Auckland Police Dog Section - Shave Off for Kelcey

Auckland Police Dog Section - Shave Off for Kelcey

While you are here checking out the photos why not reach across and push the donate button? :O)

Jakob needs 1000 people from around the world to donate $5 each to get to his target. That's about $4us or $4au or about 2 pounds to my UK friends.

Small donations CAN do BIG things!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Give Me 5! - For Kelcey

Kelcey



Jakob



For many of us Christmas is that moment in time when we focus on the people we love and we do everything in our power to make sure they feel it. We even extend part of that love and kindness to people who we don’t really know just in case they don’t have someone giving them that support.

Anyway, that ‘s how it should normally go but in the moments before Christmas 09 my friend Tracey was told that her daughter Kelcey aged 9 years had a disease known as T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. You don’t need Wikipedia to work out that this is a damned serious disease that has no right to be in anybody’s life especially someone so young and hungry for life like, Kelcey.

As you can expect this was devastating news for Tracey, her husband Kelvin and all their family and friends. The road ahead for Kelcey is a constant barrage of invasive treatments that will challenge every physical and mental part of her being. She is a child with a whole bunch of dreams and wishes that have now been cruelly wrenched from her. It’s not fair.

Tracey and Kelvin are determined to see their precious Kelcey overcome this disease and begin to enjoy the things that children are designed to enjoy.

I will be fully supporting Tracey and her family in this campaign because she has done so much for me, my family and many other people who know her. I am confident she probably has no appreciation whatsoever of how much she has inspired and strengthened those around her.

Tracey has unwittingly done this as she waged her own battle against breast cancer a few years ago. Yes, it’s hard to believe that while she still has her own fight to finish she has found the reserves of courage to fight for Kelcey. That’s too remarkable for words.

My 9 year old son Jakob has developed a strong relationship with Kelcey through this time. Perhaps this had its beginnings when Tracey and I were two friends with three months between our pregnancies. Jakob has seen and understood how very different Kelcey’s situation is from his own so when he talks about her you can feel the powerful strength in his belief that she will be cured.

He wants to help Kelcey so tomorrow he’s joining a “shave off” that will be staged by the Auckland Police Dog Section. Yes, my son is going to shave his head to raise funds for Kelcey. He made this decision himself and he already has set himself a target figure. Jakob’s theory is that if a 1000 people amongst the billions who live in this world sponsored him $5.00 each then he would have $5000 to give to Kelcey and her family. The mother in me wants to say to him “Son let’s keep it real. You don’t want to be disappointed” but he believes he can do it so I’m going to believe with him.

So this is where YOU come in.....

Please donate $5 to Kelcey’s fund and then PLEASE forward on to everyone and anyone you can think of! We have about a week to get this thing ‘global’ and I will be updating his progress as the figure climbs and adding photos of the ‘Shave Off’ Fundraiser..... with the new look Jakob!

If you made it this far then I thank you..... now PLEASE go press that Donate button :O)



Sunday, March 14, 2010

Lana's Birthday Cupcakes



My daughter came to me at lunchtime today and said she needed a plate to take to a birthday BBQ tonight for one of her friends..... I had some overripe bananas in the fruit bowl, so some (quickly put together) blossoms, a few sprinkles and some milk chocolate buttercream later we have a rather pretty addition to the dessert table :O)

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Princess Charlie 4.5 months




Last weekend I flew to the other end of the country to spend the day with my BFF and baby Charlie. You may remember this wee cherub from this visit. Hasn't she grown!

Everytime I leave, a teeny bit of my heart remains behind :(
I wish they lived A LOT closer.

PS: I am back working full time, which is why I have been MIA. No time for baking or sweet treats at the moment. Although I am working on my niece's 1st birthday, which is in a couple of weeks so stay tuned!

Hope everyone is well & happy x

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Lemon Bars Plus


They are actually not as good as they look! I tried a new recipe but it is nothing on my Favourite Lemon Bar Recipe

I have to say though the addition of the marshmallow topping is rather yummmmmmmy

Friday, January 29, 2010

Lonesome


One left if you hurry....

So while cooking for my Mum's birthday BBQ on Sunday my oven blew up.... and I seriously mean BLEW UP. I heard a noise that sounded like a car backfiring and looked outside... but saw nothing. When I went to get my potato dish out of the oven it was covered in what looked like sand (turned out to be small ground bits of metal!).... there was white powder everywhere and a little bit of some sort of weird looking smoke. I looked and found that one of the elements had just *exploded*.

Me without an oven to bake in is a bit like wine without cheese.... cookies without cream..... Captain without Tennille!

I prepared these this morning and drove them up to my Mum's to bake in her oven. I am sitting waiting for the oven repairman.... hopefully normal (baking) business shall resume shortly!

Jam Shortcake Recipe

PS: To 'anonymous' no I don't work for Chelsea Sugar... but I DO love their website :O)

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Ring-O-Roses




My Mum turns 70 on Tuesday. Today we had a family BBQ to celebrate.

Handmade edible ribbon roses and pearls.

Chocolate fudge cake layered with ganache... thought I'd add an 'inside' shot for you to see :O)

Happy birthday Mum

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Ginger Pear Baby Cakes



Happy New Year, I hope you all had a great time over the holidays.

This gingerbread and pear loaf arrived in my inbox a while ago but I just cooked them in a greased muffin/cupcake pan (for about 20mins).

Nice on their own... or a yummy dessert slightly warmed with some custard or ice-cream (or if you are a piggy like me maybe both?).

Pear and Ginger Loaf (Chelsea Sugar Recipe)

Ingredients

1 egg
1/3 cup Chelsea Soft Brown Sugar
95g butter
1/3 cup Chelsea Golden Syrup
1 1/4 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup boiling water
1 small tin pears, drained thoroughly

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C, grease and line a loaf tin (22cm x 11cm) with baking paper.

In a large bowl beat egg and sugar together until blended. Melt butter and golden syrup over a low heat, combine with egg and sugar, beat well. Sift dry ingredients into mix and stir thoroughly.

Stir in boiling water (mixture will thicken at this point), pour into prepared tin. Slice pears lengthwise into eighths and place on top of the loaf (they will sink slightly).

Bake for approx. 45 minutes until cooked.

PS: Don't fill them more than *just* above halfway as they rise quite a bit.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Christmas Pudding Cupcakes


I think I might use these as next years Christmas cards.... seeing as my family won't co-operate with Xmas pics!

Chocolate fudge cupcakes topped with fondant

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Christmas Baby Cakes


Christmas is happening a little late this year in my house. I have been away on a photography course in Australia and haven't even begun my usual Christmas prep! No time for my regular Christmas cakes this year so I made little baby ones.... just as yummy!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Molly's Mermaid






My little niece turned 4 today and we had an "Under the Sea" party with mermaid/pirate fancy dress. Molly told me the mermaid HAD to have a pink tail and asked for a shark coming out of the water.

I modelled the mermaid to match the image I used when I designed her invites. I wish I got more pictures of the party but sadly the lighting wasn't the best in the hall where the party was held.

Originally I had planned to make these pirate cookies for the "loot bags" but the cake took longer than I thought and I ran out of time so instead I went with starfish. Each child also got a personalised sweetie bag full of sea/pirate candies.

Happy birthday you gorgeous girl xx

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Wine Bottle 40th








This is for one of my husband's best friends (obviously a Police Dog Handler too). I'm not even going to tell you how long this took.... more for the fact that I kept having 'issues' (with the cake that is) at various stages!!!

I had many ideas given to me by his work colleague but most were just down right mean, wrong or involved the word "hooters"

"Git" is part of his nickname..... they are such a nice bunch really LOL

The label reads "Full bodied and slightly fruity"

Happy birthday.... Steve.... Pikey... The French Git..... whatever name your presently going with.

**Everything is handmade, handpainted & edible**

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Marg's Rose Cake



My sister-in-law is having a surprise dinner party for her Mum who is turning 70. She wanted something floral (I don't normally 'do' flowers as I am not talented in that area!). As this was to feed only 12 people I was quite limited in the design as I didn't want too much left over cake. As it was going to be the centerpiece of the table I wanted it to be fresh and striking. My sister-in-law is setting the table in black and silver so I think this will go well in the middle.

I am really pleased how this turned out. As I only make cakes for my family & close friends I just want to add a wee note....

To any family members who are thinking of requesting this cake..... think again... this is a one off.... never again type of deal!

The stripes alone took me 5 and a half (non-stop) hours. I can't even imagine the hours in the roses.... but lets just say there are about 70 roses on the top.... each rose has 15 petals..... each petal is individually frilled and curled and then applied...... THAT IS 1050 PETALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I went through a very similar type of feeling when I last did a half marathon.... it was like there was just no end.


:O)

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Princess Charlie



THE SWEETEST THING ON MY BLOG!

My passion for photography is just as about as strong as my passion for all things sugar! And while this is indeed a cake blog I just HAD to share this with you all.

When one of my oldest and dearest friends had a baby recently I knew I wanted to try my hand at a newborn session.

Here is this little angel at 2 and a half weeks old. She so well behaved and just slept and feed all day long letting her Mummy and I do all sorts of things to her!

How I love her so :O)

Friday, October 16, 2009

The Baker









All edible except the wires coming out of the 'wedding cake'

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Lexi's Christening Cake




Well..........

For three years I have been wanting to do a cake I fell in love with on a website. Lexi (my niece) gets Christened today so for the past three months I have been so excited about doing the cake. I even spent an extra $50 on cutters from Canada.... and the day I went to put it all together I TOTALLY went off the idea!!!!!!!!!!!

This has never happened to me before. I am a PLANNER!!!!!!!!!!

So with less than a day to come up with a new design.... an extra 5 kilos of fondant as I changed colours of this cake halfway through.... here she is. LOL

Shoes, ribbon and bow handmade by me and they are edible :O)