Friday 19 November 2010

My special Guest

Usually Friday is my day of the week where I am childless - both boys go to our lovely childminder on a Friday and I have time to lounge around and eat cake (or cut the hedges, apply for jobs, update our holiday rental website, clean the house, etc).

This Friday though was an exception as a friend's little boy has been ill and her work are becoming increasingly tired of hearing that one or other of the kids are sick, hence my special guest... He arrived promptly at 8am this morning, much to the delight of my two boys. Like all the best visitors, he did not come emptied handed, oh no - he offered a glue stick with a flourish and claimed he had come to do some 'making'.

After despatching my two to the childminder (the injustice of having to go was reduced slightly by allowing my eldest to ride his scooter there) my guest and I sat down to some serious 'making'. After much discussion, it transpired that many options were simply off limits today - he was not willing to entertain the idea of castles, farms, pirate ships, etc nor were paint, crayons or pencils a medium he was willing to consider. My instructions were simple - I was to cut, he would stick.

On this basis, we decided cars could be a good idea - perhaps a race track or a road, I could decide this (thanks). Whilst I frantically cut buses, cars, dumper trucks, wheels, windows, etc my little friend got to work with his glue stick and to be honest, we were both quite pleased with the results.

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Chocolate Guinness Cake - does life get any sweeter!

I'm not usually big into cakes and baking outside of birthdays or entertaining the boys on a rainy day, but having discovered Chocolate Guinness Cake, I really could make an exception.
Corks!! What a cake! I personally cannot abide Guinness (much to the disapproval of my partner and his Irish family), but this cake is absolutely sublime. It is really moist and heavy and chocolatey and absolutely gorgeous with a cream cheese frosting.
Having tasted it last weekend for the first time, I am now biding my time to get the baking things out and give it a go. Mmmmm.