Precious life

Something struck me the other day after reading a blog post how precious life is. My friend Victoria over at hibiscus bloem blogged yesterday about a missing child in kuala lumpur. Nayati Moodlair went missing in Kuala Lumpar on Friday and there seems to be no trace. His parents are frantic and need everyone's help. As I was out jogging today I thought about the parents and how I might even pass by that child and not realise he had been taken from his parents. How can I help? It may be little but please pass this blog on or visit the facebook page. Every little helps.

When the children came home i hugged them. Rose said "mummy your silly". I replied "you will understand one day". My little witches as their grandpa calls them because they are enchanting and they cast you under their spell.




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Location:Precious life

Sugar diet

I have been surrounded by too much cake this week. I have been on a baking frenzy. The family were in real baking heaven. First up this week my princess had her third birthday party which gave me the chance to try out new recipes. A chocolate fudge cake for the birthday cake, a super moist carrot cake, jammy jam tarts, pink coloured cupcakes and the best ever brownies. Add a marble cake and another batch of cupcakes for good measure is enough to increase anyones waistband.

Thalia turned 3 last week and as we took her out to a theme park for her birthday hosted the party one week later. A chance for me to bake and catch up with some wonderful friends. The birthday princess was in heaven as were Bart's work colleagues when they were presented with the left overs.



A very good friend of mine Helen from Helen's Baking Heaven hosted a bake and cake club this Friday. The only rules of joining was to bake whatever theme presented. This month was cupcakes. My least favourite but rose to the challenge with raspberry and white chocolate chip with white chocolate buttercream taken from DC cupcakes book. After much practise and many failed attempts I seem to have mastered the technique of cupcakes. Each guest had baked 12 cupcakes with arrays of different flavours range from lemon poppyseed, carrot cake and even a savoury flavour. Mine are on the white tray! How many calories on one table? Delicious.

I also made my very first 3d lightening mcqueen this week. Am surrounded by pink and plastic in our house but somehow i found a toy version to use to model against. I must say I underestimated this cake as other bakers certainly make it look easy however the end result I was happy with.

I didnt have much time for shoes this week but am on the hunt for orange shoes since it's Queen's Day here in Holland on Monday. But since am on the theme of cake am waiting for the perfect occasion to make these cupcakes.


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sunshine

This post is dedicated to the sun that is not shining giving hope that the sun will shine tomorrow for my little ray of sunshine's birthday.

Yellow is everywhere yellow shoes, yellow tops, yellow yellow yellow. Recently all I have been thinking about are yellow converse and how hip it would be to own a pair. What am I, 18 again! For 10 days solid Holland experienced sunshine (in March I might add) and blue sky's. So I ordered them....and for three nights I lay awake thinking what had I done. A bit like ordering a wedding dress and wondering if I would regret it. I certainly did not. The perfect yellow shoes a girl could have.



But what am really dreaming of are the perfect yellow shoes by Christian Louboutin but not so practical (quote my mum!) when you have two kids.

Easter always brings sunshine. Watching the children's faces as they hunt in the garden for their own body weight in chocolate and the joy of eating it afterwards. We ate, we drank, we laughed and ate eggs. I again forgot to take photos of my easter egg pops or my easter white chocolate cake but I did bake this week but here's one of my easter bunnies with all her eggs she painted.

Bombshell Betty

Every now and again you meet someone that just brightens up your day. I met Jamie last year, a California girl who brought the west coast sunshine with her through her personality and her passion for life. This girl rocks not only is she a roller derby gal she loves a good pair of shoes. I love these shoes.



So whats more fitting for a girl that likes good shoes and roller derby than cake pops. We held a birthday breakfast in her honour and couldn't resist making these little sparkly delights.

My new love are for cake pops. Inspired by Bakerella, the queen of the cake pops. I just love this simple idea and the endless ideas you can do with them. For now am keeping it simple whilst I experiment.

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Out of town

On a recent trip to Amsterdam I found myself having the confidence to walk up to someone and ask if i could take a picture of their feet. Never have I seen anyone wear some wonders like these and especially not walking around a train station in Amsterdam. I watched this lady walk across the platform and I couldn't keep my eye of her confidence at wearing what could be described as a pair of cut out jelly shoes. I smiled when I heard they were designed by Vivienne Westwood.

On a visit to anywhere I always make it into a little adventure enticing everyone with cake at the end of the treasure hunt. Googling "amsterdam cake" is actually not appropriate bringing up the kind of coffee shops that simply dont sell cake and coffee! After searching "taart amsterdam" I stumbled on de Taart van m'n tante. A cafe filled with ecclectic table cloths and elaborate dummy cakes.

Causing my 5 year old trouble just to choose which table to sit at and which flavour to choose.

Rose choose Annemarie a vanilla cake sprinkled with strawberry puree and raspberry mouse and I choose carrot cake a different style to the American version but just as good. Definately a wonderful place to take a little girl with a lot of imagination.

What a wonderful day out with our eldest daughter. Am planning my next trip to check out more cake shops. Heres a momento of our day. This picture was taken by Rose. Not bad for a 5 year old. That's me and the hubbie on the far left.

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Location:A hi speed train on my way home from Amsterdam

Rule Britannia

Today a very nice neighbour gave me a gift. A plate from Queen Elizabeth II silver jubilee. It got me very excited as it's coming up to the diamond jubilee and even though I am a Brit abroad am hoping to be able to celebrate with a tea party and a good chin wag with my fellow patriots.

Which brings me to what cake makes a good tea party... And a royal one at that.

This one from The Cake Store might get a few heads turning so to speak! I think I will be sticking to something more simple such as lemon and raspberry cupcake with a lemon meringue topping.

So I wonder what Kate Middleton will be wearing on her feet for the occassion.

Recently a fashion student Becka Hunt won a competition to design shoes for the Duchess of Cambridge. Very fitting for Kate I think.


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Flat shoes

Too much cake eating this week and if only this picture was true mine would be enormous!!

Am not old but tonight we are going out for the fourth weekend in a row. Tonight I want flat shoes and a cuddle on the sofa but we have a babysitter so the other half is dragging me out. But for the first time I just want to wear my slippers!




As the t-shirt says "I will keep calm and walk on"!!

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Location:The Netherlands

Birthdays

I love a good birthday and the last three weekends have seen six celebrations of birthdays. I never used to celebrate as I was happy to celebrate other people's. What changed my mind, I am not sure but I do know that I feel I have been missing out!! Which also brings me to the amount of cake eaten in the last three weekends and how it doesn't matter if the celebration is big or small it must be celebrated with a cake. For my celebration I choose three different flavours all inspired by the girls from Georgetown cupcakes. Flavours were white chocolate and raspberry cupcakes with white chocolate buttercream, vanilla with a super delicious chocolate buttercream, and a red velvet (actually they were pink) cupcake with cream cheese frosting.

I think that cakes and flavours are very personal. Maybe like handbags and shoes. For me am still searching for the ultimate cake flavour. When I want to play safe I always make chocolate.

For me celebrations mean dressing up and feeling great. And an opportunity to wear another pair of shoes. That's me in the neon pink shoes.

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Location:Birthday birthdays birthdays

New job

This week I officially became my own boss. No longer anyone's payrole, no more sick days, vacation days or apraisals. Scarey but am embracing it through the power of blogging. Inspired by other blogger mummy friends, friends who have just started their own businesses and also watching Julie and Julia one too many times. So here it is my life through a blog mainly about me, myself, cake and my obsession with shoes, building my confidence one cake at a time through the power of writing.

Yes that's me. A very cheesy one. Shame you can't see my shoes.
Since I remember I always wore high heels. I have a problem shopping for flat shoes and if I could would wear them all the time I would even to bed. My latest obsession are my gold miss piggy shoes and my pink patent 5 inch shoes. Hubba hubba! Well at least the hubbie loves them.

Pop pop poptastic

I made my first official cake pops this week. My first attempt ended in a big puddle of chocolate and a lot of sticky fingers. The problem when you start big is sometimes you do fail.

She looks happy though!

So i decided to start at the beginning with basic cake pops. Simple is sometimes better.
I started out making big sized cake pops which I realised on later inspection were too big. I rolled up the balls and put them in the freezer then dunked them in candy melts. Does that sound easy well it was!! And were super yummy.

Even the cake that i used for the cake balls had its own story. Made to be decorated for a birthday cake but midway through we had a power cut and the cake was left in the oven baking slowly without heat for an hour. When the power restored I just left it baking. After 2 days i went to trial the cake and tasted one of the most yummy cakes I have ever baked. So does this mean i lower my oven even lower and bake like a casserole!

My heels have been popped in the cupboard this week and i do miss them but sometimes its a necessity. An old war wound of childbirth reared its head this week after an outing to the gym. So much for trying to be healthy. It didn't matter as my new cowboy boots recently acquired in Texas still need broken in.

I took a confidence class

So I took a cake class. I think it was more about learning about myself than learning how to decorate a cake. That I know I can do but what I didn't know was how insecure it made me. I went in headstrong but upon making my first mistake in my head I was setting myself up for failure. With the love and encouragement from a great teacher I made it through those 5 weeks to come out the other side beaming and confident that i can do great things.
Week 1 Learning how to cut a cake and ice it flawlessly.

Week 2 I learnt a lot this week especially when it ocmes to myself. I always have 100 things I need to do but I never actually focus on the main thing I need to do. I didn't prepare enough and in the end rushed. The result was just OK which wasn't enough for me.

Week 3 When you take your time and you don't rush the end results can be amazing.

Week 4 My confidence is growing in myself and I even made a small token profit on this one.

Memories

My first memories of baking as a child were with my grandfather. He always had some baking in his tupperware and there were always opportunites to bake. His shortbread was legendary. I miss him still but feel that a part of him is with me when I bake. I wish he was here sometimes to sort out my baking issues!

Inspired

I can't sleep am too excited to get home and see my babies but also excited to get home and bake! Am so inspired by what i have seen this last week i can't wait to get started. I want to make trays and trays of cupcakes. Everyones doing it and why shouldnt i ohhh it looks so much fun. Am inspired by CRAVE cupcakes of Houston and the gals from Georgetown cupcakes of DC.

They make it all look so easy.

I think am going to work on a Miss Piggy cupcake in honour of my new shoes that look like miss piggy.

So what's fitting for this lovely lady ohh what about strawberries and champagne?


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Location:On a plane somewhere over the atlantic ocean

Cake for breakfast

I am an avid believer in breakfast even if it's just a slice of toast it makes the day go better. So this morning I find myself forfiting breakfast to get the girl's out of the door for school and daycare. As I stand in the kitchen this morning I wonder what I should have for my breakfast and decided in one split second that I will eat cupcakes for breakfast why not! Not great for dieting but to be honest am always on a diet and it was yummy.

Am reading this 8 hours later tell me am not the only one that has done this! At least am admitting it ha.

Lion, tiger's and bear's oh my...

I forgot how much I love baking....(well actually I don't love baking) ...but even more I love love decorating. I decided to take a two month break as I was feeling like my work was just not good enough. My problem is I am a perfectionist when it comes to cake. I want it to be perfect as every birthday is special. So this past weekend I was asked to do not one but two cakes for my niece and nephew.

I forget what pleasure it is to see the children's faces when they see these decorated cakes. Thijmen had turned 2 in July over the summer vacation period so we were celebrating with his baby sister Fenne who turned 1. Thijmen is mad about animals so I made him animal cupcakes.



I made the little one a ladybird to match her sunny personality. It was my first time making a bowl cake which I loved. It was so simple but what I have learnt about cake decorating. Simple is enough a bit like life!

Sweet Paris

For my birthday my wonderful husband surprised me with a trip to Paris. My birthday was back in February but he choose Mother's Day weekend to go when the weather was nothing but blue skies and sunny. This was our first trip sans kids since I fell pregnant with the second in 2009 and was so excited. The time was short and went on the hunt for all things sweet. And that I did. Unfortunately I didn't have possessoin of the camera as I was so excited by the presentation. I think I also found a new love macaroons. The smell of the macaroon shops were amazing sweet, sugary and uplifiting to your senses.

I had only seen them once on the t.v where a chef bought a box and sat on the river Seine. That is what I wanted to do....sadly I forfeited this for a trip to the Eiffel Tower where we met a couple who had seconds before just got engaged. This made the trip so special.

I must admit I could write what has already been written before about Paris as my views are the same. I could not find anything wrong with anything even the moody waitresses that refused to speak English enthralled me. I loved people watching and was fascinated by the inner beauty that French women have, walking all day to turn every corner to something different, watching the teenagers from afar drinking and playing cards whilst I sip champagne on the Seine, drinking wine over lunch at the Louvre, a heart thumping ride up the eiffel tower and watching people demonstrate passionately for what they believe in....ohh and the heart stopping bike ride around the Arc de Triumph.

Paris I miss you till next time.

Birthday cake

So my eldest daughter say's to me "mama you will have to make your own birthday cake". Why Rose I say. "because mama I can't make it and you are the cake boss!

This is what my 4 year old and her papa made me for my birthday. Loved the decorations.


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Hello Melba

I think I should be called hello Melba for my tolerance to the cat that I have become accustomed to making over the last few months. Having never made a big 3d figure before I watched numerous episodes of cake boss to get tips.

Hello one....



Then there was the second one...

Which then I had to make the third one for my daughter...

Then a friend's friend saw my picture and had to have one for her daughter...

Did I tell you how much am starting to loathe this pussy cat....especially when my soon to be 2 year old tells me she wants a kitty cat. Arrgggh

All of them had a whiskas issue till the last one I did. It made me happy.....watch this space for kitty number 5!

Little princess

I made my first crown this weekend which I must admit was a challenge. I am however converted to using gumpaste a type of material that I mixed with fondant which helped the stars and hearts stay on the crown. My good friend helped me with the design and helped me with all the finishing touches. I also used lustre dust for the first time and think that it will take some getting used to using.

I must admit am getting sick of making pink cakes and hope someone asks me for another colour soon. I was really pleased with the outcome as i become more confident with the material. Am hoping that someone buys me new letters for my birthday so they look a bit more professional!

Stupid clown

I thought a round cake with a clown face with bumba on top would be fun. Still inexperienced with no plan and only you tube for help I perverse to make a cake for my twin nephews. I studied the little Belgium clown much to the delight of my toddler who is in love with character the now.


Cake for twin nephews
Time 2 days and nights
Lessons learned plan plan plan