congratulations | BABY NEWS

It must be baby season!  My good friend called me just before Christmas to let me know she was pregnant again and on Christmas Eve, my sister Jodie also confirmed she was pregnant with her second baby.  I had just been visiting Jodie and her gorgeous family but suspected nothing as she was drinking wine with me...or so I thought.  It seems I'm easily fooled as she was tipping a little bit out each time I left the room or turned away.  Very sneaky! 

Congratulations Jodie, Bill and Sarah! Y


celebration | CHRISTMAS

Well this year's Christmas was certainly interesting for me.  It was always going to be quiet with my husband's parents joining us for lunch.  What I didn't expect is to spend the entire afternoon and night sick.  I won't provide you with any of the gory details but suffice to say, its not something I want to repeat in a hurry.  No one else was sick, so we can't blame the food.  I didn't drink that much so don't think it was the alcohol.  So, it shall remain a mystery. 

Here are some pics of all things Christmas 2010.







celebration | GRADE 7 GRADUATION

A little while ago, I mentioned the cupcake tower I was doing for a Grade 7 Graduation.  Finally I have some pics of the finished product.  It was a very hot afternoon and the tower was set up right near the window but from all accounts it held up to the heat. This was my first attempt at baking with "no egg" - an egg substitute as one of the girls has an egg allergy and I was pretty happy with the result but you could certainly tell something was different in terms of how the cupcakes looked.  I didn't think the taste was affected though, so that was good!






celebration | KIRSTY'S CHRISTMAS PARTY

Its that time of year already - I went to my first Christmas party last night!  Great night, great people, great food! 

My lovely friend and host Kirsty asked me to help with the dessert table.  It was such a pleasure doing this for her, we've been friends for so long and she worked hard to make the party just perfect, which it was!  Fairy lights everywhere, it really was a beautiful atmosphere.  Thanks Kirsty and I hope you and the rest of your guests liked your dessert table!  Thanks too to Jane for her fabulous Pavlovas, to Kirsty for her famous rumballs and to Mariella, the other host for the night (although I am insanely jealous of Mariella's kitchen)!


dessert | CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

I'm just in love with these espresso cups for desserts. They're just so cute and posh all at the same time.  I tried out a new recipe today for a friend's Christmas party and I think the Chocolate Mousse looks perfect in them!  Can't wait to see how they look with the complete dessert table.


dessert | APPLE AND PECAN PIE

I've never been a fan of Granny Smith apples.  I'm sure I've eaten them tons of times in apple pie but I've never really cooked with them because, well, I just don't like them. But, I stumbled across an old recipe for Apple and Pecan Pie while I was looking for something else and with that much sugar and butter, how can it not taste good right? I'm glad it was so good because it made 2 large pies!  (All gone of course)


And, I'm glad it was so good because it made up for this very disappointing email I received over the weekend.  Not that I'm a huge Oprah fan really but who knows what she might have been giving away ;)

ideas | CUPCAKE VOTIVES

Want a cute idea for a centrepiece for a birthday dinner?  I found this votive candle holder on sale at Spotlight today and happened to have some leftover cupcake mix that I simply couldn't waste.  And here is the result!  
I Y it!


celebration | MELBOURNE CUP 2010

The race that stops the nation? I think that's fairly accurate and I can assure you I haven't stopped since Sunday preparing for this. I'm still trying to catch up on sleep but here's some photos of the Dessert Table until I do!