~ blog ~

Somewhere inside me, deep down inside, there is a hidden pastry chef itching to get out as I find the processes of whipping up a batch of pastry so wonderfully soothing, and the thought of needing to whip up a batch, exciting.  Is this just me?

Problem is, in the kitchen, I'm not a perfectionist.  I love, love, love things looking real and home-made and can't stand perfection on the plate.  Maybe that's just me being a lazy Taurean?  

(Yeah, I'm thinking I've hit the nail on the head with that statement).

We celebrated my brother's birthday on the weekend.

There were delicious nibbles, chilled bubbles and yes, there was cake.

By George...there was cake!

"The trouble with much modern cooking is not that the food it produces isn’t good, but that the mood it induces in the cook is one of skin-of-the-teeth efficiency, all briskness and little pleasure. Sometimes that’s the best we can manage, but at other times we don’t want to feel like a postmodern, post-feminist, overstretched woman but, rather, a domestic goddess, trailing nutmeggy fumes of baking pie in our languorous wake." – Nigella Lawson

I've always loved this quote by Nigella from her cookbook How to be a Domestic Goddess.  Every time I read it, I feel it was written about me, and in fact, it probably describes most female home-cooks today.  Brisk and efficient one day, caring and unhurried the next.

Today, I was a domestic goddess.

I'm starting to think of myself as a walking contradiction within this little blog world of mine, and in fact, my life in general.  I'm a firm believer, absolute lover and vocal advocate of the benefit of consuming whole foods.  Pack my day full of organic vegetables, protein and good fats and I'm singing from the rooftops.  

However, I LOVE LOVE LOVE to bake!

Guess what......

Today's my birthday and the Taurean in me wants everyone to know!

And to celebrate, I thought I'd share this fluffy Vanilla Birthday Cake with Whipped Vanilla Bean Frosting with you.....

Happy Easter everyone!

I thought I'd share with you just one simple little idea of what you could do with all those chocolate Easter eggs you're inevitably going to accumulate over Easter.

Such a simple use of the chocolate which also means you won't have to consume as much yourself, as you'll be able to pass these little cakes back out to others for them to enjoy.  You'll be loved by everyone.

Win/win!

Were you one of those lucky kids that I was so envious of who grew up learning to make scones alongside their Nana?  Unfortunately I wasn't one of them!  Having come from English parents, I could often be found munching on scones, but I never donned an apron and sat at my Nana's knee listing to fool-proof tips in the art of scone making.

Well, I'm certainly making up for it now!  My kitchen seems to be constantly covered in flour and my freezer is bursting at the seems with baked goods.  Problem is, even though I absolutely love the recipes I've used and the scones I've made so far, I just haven't found that one fool-proof recipe that makes me dance a jig.  One that works every time, even when I'm blindfolded, and one that tastes like the scones I remember.

Can I ask you a quick question - are you, like me, always looking for a simple, fool-proof cake recipe?

If you are anything like me, then you've tried countless recipes where some have triumphed and many (too many to count) have failed miserably.  And if you're anything like me, you're also well and truly over wasting beautiful organic ingredients, and not to mention, money.  I know I am!

So now I'm on a mission - to discover great tasting, simple cakes that we can both whip up when the need arises.  AND to find recipes that can be adapted to our various health choices.

So to get the ball rolling, I'm starting with one of my favourites, a good ol' Buttermilk Cake.