Merry Christmas

There has to be a little smoked salmon on Christmas Day, even in the shape of a Christmas Tree. I knew that Christmas Tree cake pan I found at a charity shop would come in handy some day.

'I am not even looking at it, so what do you mean look out for the cat?'

Prep work done. Goose in the oven (there are no photos of the goose due to the champagne). 

At the end of a long day the party hats have been cast aside.

NB. The soya sauce and the tape measure were not used in the Christmas prep :)

Granddad has Arrived

Granddad has arrived at Bumble Bee Cottage for Christmas. He went to the trouble of wearing different coloured shoes to surprise the Bumble Bee'rs but they didn't even notice his feet they were too busy talking his ear off.

The other passengers seemed to notice though. I wonder if he got a seat all to himself as a result?

A Peppermint Scented Dork

I was asked to make a cake to be raffled off at B3's Christmas Fair. I was more than happy to oblige. I brought the cake in on the morning of the Fair, more than a little pleased with myself at how it turned out, only to be informed that the Fair was NEXT MONDAY - what a dork.

I left the cake with the teachers for their morning tea and made another one the following week.

I then decide that this would be an ideal cake for a Christmas article I was working on so I made a third cake for the photo shoot. After the shoot I took the cake to B1 and B2's school for the staff morning tea.

The cake is chocolate with peppermint buttercream and candy canes. After making three of these cakes in eight days I can't look another candy cane in the face!

Chocolate Peppermint cake

I haven't made a cake for Mr Bee to take to work for a while so as I was feeling in the festive spirit I made a chocolate cake with chocolate peppermint icing.

I encrusted it with smashed up peppermint candy canes. I haven't bought candy canes while we have been in Guernsey so I have never noticed before but the candy cane available in the shops here (at least the ones I could find) are pink.

Pink candy canes wasn't a problem; it is just that I would have preferred traditional red. It didn't really matter as the cake container came home empty that evening.

What to do when the icing won't flow....

What to do when you fit a tip to your piping bag that is far too small for the thickness of the icing........... squeeze like hell and hope for the best :)

Rainbow Cake

This year B2 asked for a family party instead of one with friends so we took the family out for a three course lunch at La Grande Mare Hotel. She had a lovely day and felt very grown up to be ordering her own birthday lunch.

We had a 'second' dessert at home in the form of B2's birthday cake. She asked for a Rainbow cake, so this is what I came up with. The only think I wasn't happy with is that none of the yellow icing showed up on the top of the cake. As you can see from the front edge, the yellow really POPS.

Happy Birthday my big 8 Year old.

xxxxxxxx

Early Snow

This is apparently some of the earliest snowfall Guernsey has ever seen. 

It was deep enough to freeze unprepared feet in a few minutes.

We took the Bumble Bee'rs to a collection of shops with a large garden at the back of the airport.

The snow was deep enough here for a snowball fight.

Wonderfully white......

...soon turns to slushy muck :)

Autumn Walks

Autumn in Guernsey is breathtaking. 

Well it is to an Australian girl who was not often about to see true Autumn colour.

There is something extra blue about an Autumn sky.

Russet, gold and green all on the one plant.

I think this is a Silver Birch.

Winter's skeletons are here already.

Soon they will fall and lie brown and rustling on the ground as hedgehog homes.

Fascinating to everyone.

Seeds wrapped up in woolly jumpers; just like us.

Birthday Blooms

The one advantage of being away from family at my birthday is all the beautiful flowers I am fortunate enough to receive. 

 Thankyou Sam, William, Tom and Addie, they are just lovely and with the extra special hairy collar that you know I love so much ;p

Thankyou Mum, the lilies smell divine.

Thankyou Bumble Bee'rs, I love my birthday flowers.

xxxxx

Jack-O-Lantern carving improvements

This is the third year I have attempted to carve a Jack-O-Lantern scary enough to meet with the Bumble Bee'rs approval. I bought the biggest, stable pumpkin I could find; not stable as in wouldn't stab you with a knife, but stable as in won't fall over and set the house on fire. Pumpkin stability is of vital import.

I felt it was time to get some professional help; I choose the scariest design I could.

Stencil placed, check. Black permanent marker, check. Carving tools, check.

Forty-five minutes later...

 It was such a lovely pumpkin that I save some of the seeds for us to plant and grow our own Jack-O-Lantern next year.

Here is Jack, in prime position by our front door.

'Wow Mum! That is the scariest one ever!' - mission accomplished.

Halloween Hallway

Since moving to Guernsey I have started to place a few Halloween/Autumn themed decorations around for the children (wink, wink, no of course they are not for me, how could you imply such a thing).

I went down to the common before the slashers came through and cut a few dried fennel stalks. Free, in theme and a little arty; what more could you ask for :)

Halloween Photo Shoot