Saturday 18 October 2014

Off to the Tower

DaddyHen and I had been meaning to go and see the poppies (Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red) at the tower for a few months – we finally made it today.  A dull and overcast day – with the threat of rain at any moment but somehow we managed to stay dry.

Beautiful sea of red in the moat, it goes on and on 
 
cascades down the walls and over the walk ways;
 
a really poignant display. 
 
The poppies are lovely – we bought one in memory of DaddyHens GreatGrand Father Alfred Dewberry 
I’d not been to visit the tower since 1977 and DaddyHen since early 1970s and at £22 each for an adult I don’t think we’ll be going again anytime soon. I have to say that there were plenty of people who had paid.
The ancient and modern
 
 How did you spend your Saturday?

MummyHen X

 

Saturday 6 September 2014


Bear Birthday Cakes

SonnyHens GF loves pandas so with her birthday fast approaching I researched making her a panda cake.  I am not very artistic or imaginative  - so if I can see what some else has done then that's a great help -  really don't know what I would have done before Pinterest or Google - I get many ideas from the web. 
 
My cake recipe is my reliable Vicky sponge with added milk but only a splash.  As the cake was going to be 4 layers I used 10 eggs, 500g butter, caster sugar, 170g plain flour and 500g SR flour, 2 teaspoons of vanilla paste and about 6-8 table spoons of milk

Seedless raspberry jam and vanilla butter cream in between each layer and a crumb coat of buttercream on the outside
 
 
Then the white fondant, black for the Panda face and a pink bow
 
 
 
Panda chocolate cupcakes were decorated with fondant. 
 
 
 
She had a lovely day and the cake when down well 
 
A week later a request for another bear cake - this time in chocolate - thank goodness for the wonders of the web.  20cms Vicky sponge with cupcake ears and nose, raspberry jam and vanilla buttercream filling.  Covered with chocolate and vanilla buttercream - note to self: don't use melted chocolate chips for chocolate buttercream, as mine didn't melt properly and little bits of chocolate kept blocking the piping nozzle. 
 
 
 
 
and then 'fur' thank goodness for a grass piping nozzle.  A little black chocolate buttercream for the eyes, nose and mouth. 
 
 
What have you made recently?

 

MummyHen X

Monday 23 June 2014

Sunday 15 June 2014

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all dads everywhere.  Sadly, my father is no longer with us but the memories are so special.