NEW YEARS EVE SPARKLYNESS

This year I think we will stay in with our 7 year old - make some snacks rent a cool DVD and spend some time chatting about the new year. Then when it is very late for a 7 year old to be up :) we will send her to bed with a million kisses and tell her all about how it will be a new year when she wakes up. but before she does we'll fit in some ice cream before bed and some fizzy juice in "champagne" glasses... maybe some sparkly cupcakes and light some sparklers while listening to some Frank Sinatra :) then tuck her in.

Once the little one has drifted off to sleep the husband and I will sit outside under the stars as we do every year and talk, eat and wrap ourselves in blankets to keep warm... of course there will be yawning and joking and then just after 12 a kiss and off to bed for a snooze.

There WILL BE food -  Im already contemplating the snacks. Maybe some cheese on biscuits with cherry tomatoes and basil. Also some yummy berries and home made custard ... ooo .. I know custard cold with chocolate grated into it YUM!

I can also make use of the cherries I steeped in vodka to make a nice fizzy champagne cocktail for me and the husband. 

mmmm - Who knows? maybe we will invite some friends over

OOOOOOR go out...

I am never sure exactly how it will go, but I do know I want it to be relaxing and stress free.

hope your New Years is as fun and as nice as you anticipated and FULL of sparkly-ness



Love and thanks for reading my blog over this year

Hope you will come back and read some more in 2012

See you then

Happiness and love


 


PS WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR NEW YEARS- ANYTHING FUN?

One & Only Nut Cracker themed High Tea

I attended the Press Launch for THE ONE & ONLY CHRISTMAS HIGH TEA in August for Christmas. Yes they are that organised!

The Christmas theme at The One & Only is sure to be cute and special this year with a high tea spread that I found really pretty with a festive nut cracker theme. There were cute little nut crackers everywhere .

If my stomach was bigger and could have handled more food I would have tried one of every single thing on the table.... I wish! So choose wisely if you are not a big eater!

I personally loved the tiny canille and the creamy and smooth mini cheese cakes not to mention the florentines! I tried many more things too ... mmmm

Canille on the right - a giant bowl of yumminess!

Tea is R145 per person and includes teas and coffees. Early booking is advised.



Seeing as Christmas is a few days away - run off and go try it before its over and gone!


*photos are all my own*

MISS K's IN GREEN POINT

A little while back I was invited to lunch with a few bloggers and media at Miss K's. It was a small intimate lunch with the owner herself - and what a lovely lunch it was.

 Miss K herself - so friendly and warm. And an array of deliciousness that is in her eatery.

I was fortunate enough to have a generous and delicious salad all to myself as I have been avoiding meat lately and everyone else was having a seared tuna salad - which looked so good. But wanting to avoid the seafood and meat aspect I had a veggie salad. It was a show stopper of a salad!!! Filled with delicious veggies, fruit and salad ingredients. I think I will need to return for another one :) It was huge so next time I'll share some of my salad with the husband ;) as I couldn't finish the one they served me.

 The delicious salad I had / outdoor seating / painted wall mural / fresh flowers.

The vibe and layout is quite nice with an open kitchen counter where you can see the cooks and kitchen staff cooking. The outside area has tables, chairs and umbrellas for the sun and fresh air seekers. 

The event was lovely with a delicious lunch followed by very nice chocolate brownies (they were as fudgy as they were chocolatey). *note return again for brownies*

A kind thank you to Kirsten and her PR team for inviting me.

To see their menu and other details visit their website here

SIGNAL RESTUARANT AT THE CAPE GRACE AND PAUL CLUVER WINES

On Thursday night I was invited to attend the Food and Wine Dinner at the Cape Grace Hotel in their Signal Restaurant paired with Paul Cluver wines - All compliments of The Cape Grace Hotel (thank you!)

View from the library window

We started out in the library  at 7pm with canape's and white wine and some chatting. I had the lovely husband with me to talk to (phew) as I'm not so good at meet and greets.


After half an hour we were led through to the restaurant for dinner. To my great surprise we were seated at our own table of 2 and each party of people had their own table depending on the amount of guests they had booked for. It was like any usual night in a restaurant seating wise. I really liked this as I didn't have to make small talk with other diners but just enjoy the evening with my husband. I sounds like I hate talking to people - I don't I promise! but it was nice having the husband all to myself :)

After a brief talk by the chef Malika van Reenen explaining the menu and then a talk by Andries Burger from Paul Cluver wines about the wines that would be paired with our food. Both were interesting. Andries made me want to visit Burgundy in France from his stories. It sounded so beautiful and amazing.

Starter
green gazpacho toasted cumin flat bread, homemade blueberry yoghurt cheese paired with Paul Cluver Close Encounter Riesling 2011 - I have to say I really loved this wine and drank it through out the night - it paired well with everything! I have added it to my list of must buy wines.

Main
twice-cooked crispy duck leg with wild mushroom and lentil ragout, beetroot gastrique paired with Paul Cluver Pinot Noir 2009 - The duck was lovely and the mash very creamy. The wine wasn't to my taste - then again I'm no wine buff.

Dessert
summer strawberries, rose and litchi paired with Paul Cluver Riesling Noble Late Harvest 2010 - The summer strawberries was served in the form of a sorbet which was very light and refreshing, it was lovely. The wine was very sweet - being a dessert wine and lovely.


PRIOR TO THE EVENING:
I had let the hotel know that my husband is allergic to nuts a few days prior to the function and The Cape Grace were really good at making sure that he didn't have any food containing ANY nuts!
They really were very thorough. I felt that they had taken the time to prepare their staff and several of the waiters and staff were aware of the allergy and made sure that everything was nut free.


*Thank you to Leah De Klerk who helped organize everything

WI-FI SUCKS AND COULD = CANCER

To my family and friends I'm a bit of a health freak. They are always wandering if I'll eat the food they have in their homes if I come round. Its really not that difficult - anything fresh eg fruit,  veg or salad. See its not so difficult. Even better if its pesticide-free or organic (that makes me super happy).

I avoid hormone filled meat and dairy and anything high in sugar. But I still eat plenty of really yummy things - like really dark chocolate and wheat-free baked goodies like chocolate cake and other things like gorgeous vanilla ice cream. So you see I'm not a deprived, boring, salad eating health nut but a regular girl with a desire to be healthy.

With health on my mind I tend to read some health related stuff - like how cinnamon is good for you ;) which means I have more reasons to eat lots of cinnamon pancakes .
So anyway on my healthy reading kick today I came across this article online http://www.naturalnews.com/034268_cordless_phones_electromagnetic_radiation.html and it got me thinking. Have you noticed over the past 10 - 15 years how many more people have had cancer than before.
I remember when I was young - if someone got cancer everyone was shocked and saddened and it was a friend of a friend. Now if someone has cancer everyone is so much less shocked and more people we know have had it in some form or shape. And yes some cancers are very preventable through the foods we eat and the things we do. BUT especially in the fact that in the above linked article that we are using more and more wireless devices... I have pasted part of the article below.

I know this sounds silly and petty but if it means my child will grow up cancer free - or lower her risk I will do it! Really is it so hard to plug in my internet instead of having the signal all over the house and turn off the wi-fi? So a cable costs me a few rand - I got my husband to bring me a really long one and I can use it almost any where in the house. Also do you really need your wi-fi on at night while you are sleeping? Same for your cellphone - at night put it at least 3 meters away from your head or in another room.  If someone needs to call you, you will hear it.


It bugs me that the houses around me all have their wi-fi on 24/7 - I know because if I turn on my laptops wi-fi function I can see the list of networks and their signal strengths.
And cellphone providers keep putting up more and more towers!
Do we not have a say?

Anyway I now really sound like a health freak - and if that is the case so be it!
I want myself and my family to live long healthy lives.

I love the digital age we live in - being able to blog and stream music etc... but is it so difficult to have a few extra cables?

Just saying




(NaturalNews) Many people are aware that prolonged cell phone use has been associated with brain cancer, but most don't realize how other sources of high-frequency electromagnetic radiation (EMR) also radically increase cancer risk.

Until recently, EMR has been given scant attention. It's a toxin that can't be seen or often felt; flawed telecommunication industry-sponsored studies have revealed that current EMR exposure levels are safe, so it has been mostly ignored in medicine. Furthermore, the US government, which receives massive tax revenue from telecom industries, has established faulty guidelines for EMR exposure. It has deemed safe levels to be thousands of times higher than what disinterested scientists have proven as safe. Indeed, studies from such scientists reveal that current amounts of EMR from telecom towers and antennas radically alter the body's cellular communications' processes, leading to cancer and other diseases. These scientists believe that the dramatic increase in cancer in recent years has been due in part to the growing prevalence of EMR in our environment. And the amount of radiation that we are exposed to doubles yearly.

New telecom towers are constructed every day. Average city-dwellers have anywhere between 30-100 microwave towers/antennas within a four-mile radius of their home. All of these towers emit high-frequency electromagnetic fields that have been linked to cancer development. For example, one Germany study reported that living within 1300 feet of two microwave towers over ten years triples cancer risk. Other studies in Australia, UK and Italy revealed significant increases in leukemia among people who live near such towers. Many other similar findings have been reported.

EMR outside the home isn't the only type of high-frequency radiation we are exposed to. Wi-Fi routers, baby monitors, and cordless phones emit high-frequency radiation that has also been linked to cancer. When in use, cordless phones emit an amount of radiation similar to that of a cell phone. (One study revealed that thirty minutes of daily cell phone use, over ten years, increases the risk of brain cancer by 140%). Wi-Fi routers are similarly dangerous. G. Blackwell, PhD, Chartered Engineer and advisor to WiredChild, states, "Having a digital wireless device in your home, office, or school is like having a mini-base station (cell tower) indoors with you." And with Wi-Max (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) now being implemented across the globe, entire regions will be blanketed in cancer-causing high-frequency electromagnetic radiation.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034268_cordless_phones_electromagnetic_radiation.html#ixzz1f5Fmpxc9

Just think about it


 hugs

EASY NECTARINE & YOGHURT DESSERT

I always hope to give my family healthy food. Delicious... but healthy. This is one of those times it really works. Fresh fruit full of vitamins and Greek yoghurt filled with dairy. There is a little brown sugar in there but I did mention it was a little.
Lying below the layer of yoghurt could be any fruit your fancy - Adapt this recipe with fruits like fresh soft plums, peaches, cherries or even bananas.
The time that the bowls sit in the fridge allows for the sugar and fruit to make a small amount of syrupy juice that gives it an extra yumminess. (could make a nice breakfast too)

INGREDIENTS
Nectarines (organic if you can get) OR Fruit of your choice
Greek Yoghurt
Organic Brown Sugar

METHOD
Wash your nectarines and then slice up into thin-ish slices. Take ramekins or teacups and line the bottom of the dish with slices of the fruit until you have a nice layer in each.
Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar on the fruit.
Cover with the Yoghurt until you can't see any fruit peeking through. *all the fruit must be covered*
Sprinkle a thin layer of brown sugar on top of the yoghurt and place in the fridge for an hour or 2 for the sugar to turn to syrup.

Serve


*if the yoghurt doesn't cover ALL the fruit then the air may cause your fruit to brown

Things I am CRAVING right now...

  
So as a woman I am always thinking and finding things that are a must have, or want... some realistic and some not! Hope you enjoy.

1) I could really do with a tin or 2 of Nomu Hot Chocolate chunks (its real chocolate ground up into chunks) instead of making it into hot chocolate I put spoonfuls into a glass of cold milk and drink / eat it with a spoon... YUM

2) I love my blender which was bought from Boardmans a few years ago and it has by far given me its best years of use... sadly it is sounding rather sick, I think the motor is dying. I would LOVE another... I mean what will i do without being able to make my banana ice cream and smoothies?

3) Mornings in our house consist of me waking up and making/packing lunches after which I dream of my first cup of coffee I am going to make myself :) I always grind my coffee beans fresh and I LOVE a good cuppa... I'm thinking I would really enjoy learning how to be a Barista with a course at Origin coffee...one of my favourite coffees to drink. maybe I will.... Just need to work on my study brain ;)

4) With Christmas under 5 weeks away I am dreaming of making everyone the PERFECT Christmas present.... but I am a bit worried that time is running away and I won't get finished in time *fingers crossed*

5) Have I mentioned I LOVE Cherries? because I so do! I am so so so happy because they are now in season and I hope to fill my cherry addiction my the mouthful actually by the bucketful in every form and shape ... for as long as my wallet allows! NEED MORE CHERRIES!

6) a new camera lens... mine is BROKEN *sad face*

*ps all the pics are my own except the Nomu hot chocolate and the black and white barista pic. Each taken from the companies mentioned websites.

ICED COFFEE MILKSHAKE

 
What do you do when you REALLY want a cup of coffee but you have NO milk in the house? After a few minutes of sulking and wandering if I could put yoghurt in my coffee - Ewww! I eventually reached for the jar of my home made vanilla ice cream in the freezer and mixed some with my coffee. Results = Yumminess and even better than regular coffee!

Found 2 of these Milk stream glasses at a vintage store and I couldn't resist. They remind me of when I was young and my grand father used to have a soda stream machine, he would make us our own cool drinks in little glass soda stream bottles.
Not sure when they launched a milk stream? but they are pretty and vintage and I just like them. perfect for milkshakes.

INGREDIENTS
Vanilla Ice Cream (home made or store bought)
Filter coffee left to get cold
Sugar (optional) 
Cream (optional)

METHOD
Pour your cold coffee into your desired glasses about half way and fill up with ice cream.
Stir until well incorporated or leave your guests to stir their own and the black and white contrast of the vanilla ice cream and black coffee is quite pretty. Garnish with some whipped cream if desired.
Add sugar if you need more sweetness - I didn't need it but make to your own preference.

Enjoy - Happy Coffee filled weekend!

LEMON CREAM CHEESE ICING / FROSTING

Cake garnished with blueberries and dripping smooth lemon cottage cheese icing

It the time of year for festive happiness and Christmas cheer :) and what better to cheer you up than some zesty and sweet icing or frosting for your cakes.
Super easy and simple to make.

INGREDIENTS
Icing Sugar (+/-250 grams)
1 lemon
Cream Cheese or Smooth Cottage Cheese
Milk

METHOD
Depending on weather you use cream cheese or smooth cottage cheese will depend on how much icing sugar you need. Start by placing your cheese (which ever you pick) in a medium bowl. Beat the cheese until soften slightly then sift over icing sugar a bit at a time and mix in until smooth.
Cut your lemon in half and squeeze some of the juice into the bowl - taste and add as much as suits your taste. If your icing is too thick add a little milk until it is the desired thickness. The same applies if it is to runny, add more sifted icing sugar until thick enough.
Then ice / frost your cakes

Happy tea time

enjoy

POTATO, FENNEL & CAULIFLOWER SOUP

This is one of those recipes I made while cooking and hoped it worked out. I stumbled across a lovely combination of flavors quite by accident but I am really glad I did. Do try it, it is really nice.

INGREDIENTS
1 small to medium onion
1 fist size fennel bulb
2 medium to large potatoes
1 medium cauliflower
1 small handful of soup celery
a few sprigs of FRESH oregano and thyme
3-5 largish FRESH basil leaves
olive oil
salt
water

METHOD
Peel and chop up your onion into small cubes and fry in olive oil in a medium pot.
Season with salt and fry until light golden brown.
Thinly chop up your fennel bulb into small cubes and add to the onion and continue to brown.  
Peel and dice your potatoes into roughly 1cm size blocks and fry with the fennel and onion.
Once everything is lightly browned chop up your cauliflower in to smallish chunks and add to the pot and then fill the pot with water until everything is covered.
Dice your celery and add to the pot along with the fresh herbs (shredded).
Salt the pot a little more and bring everything to the boil.
Once boiling turn down to a simmer and leave to cook till everything is tender (roughly 40 min)
Pour your soup in batches into a blender and blend until smooth and place in a new clean pot.
Taste and season with salt if it needs it.
Dish into bowls - serve with a dash of cream.

Enjoy

BANANA LOAF

for a cute dessert bake in little bowls and pour custard on top just before serving.

This was my Granny's recipe that I got out of her hand written recipe book. A book with her scrawling hand writing, some pages with stains and marks on the recipe as they were well loved and used often. This is one of them. And it really is a very good recipe. I have adapted it to be gluten free.

INGREDIENTS
125g butter
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 ripe bananas
2 cups gluten free flour
a pinch of salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon bicarb
1/2 cup of milk

METHOD
Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
Beat in the eggs 1 by 1 until thoroughly incorporated.
Add the vanilla pod or essence.
Mash up the bananas well with a fork on a separate plate and then mix into the mixture.
Sift into the mixture the flour, salt and baking powder.
Mix the bicarb with a little of the milk and add to the mixture.
Now add the rest of the milk gradually and then beat the mixture thoroughly
Put into a greased and floured loaf tin (you can use a round cake tin if you don't have a loaf tin)
Bake at 180 degrees celcius for roughly 1 hour (check near the end)

Take out the oven and turn out of the tin after 10 min.
Leave to cool and then slice

Enjoy spread with butter and a cup of tea

Old World Christmas Thoughts

My mind is reeling with ideas as Christmas approaches and the things I could be making and should be baking... Like when will I start baking my Christmas cake. And will I get to it this year?
Last year I baked mine after Christmas. I had all the ingredients but just didn't get to it until Christmas was over. Its not that I didn't want to bake it.. just the opposite -  I really wanted to bake it. It is one of my own little Christmas traditions for myself. Every year for me it is reminiscent of my grandmother who would bake a whole batch of Christmas cakes every year. It is such a lovely memory and since I have her recipe (which I have adapted to be gluten free) it makes me feel a connection or closeness or just a feeling of old world charm.
I think this year our Christmas will be more home-made and less commercial. I am opting to make quite a few of my Christmas presents for people. For no other reason than because I want to. I feel like I am giving more than just a quick, mall induced, crazy shopping spree present wrapped in crunchy, cheap, red and green paper but a piece of me in the gift.

How are your days coming along? with festive cheer? or a muttered mall induced snarl?

SA BLOG AWARDS

So the SA Blog awards is upon us again. I would so appreciate (like A LOT) if you would vote for me. *pretty please with a cherry on top*

please go here to VOTE and then when they email you please confirm the link in the email for your vote to COUNT!

I need your help – the winning blogs are chosen through a combination of judges and public votes. I need your votes to win!

note: You can only vote once per category and the voting is only open for 10 days.
*ALSO: if you vote for someone else in the same category -your last vote will override your previous vote!

I wander to what lengths bloggers will go to get votes... bribing, begging, pleading, paying... ;)

 Thanks darlings
*sprinkles and rainbows* from me for your kindness :)

PEPPERMINT AND DARK CHOC CHIP ICE CREAM

The first time I attempted to make this ice cream flavor it was a big flop! I started out with my original vanilla ice cream flavor and decided I wanted it to have real peppermint in it - not fake peppermint essence but the real thing with real peppermint health properties and taste. I figured if I took my peppermint leaves (I have a plant in my garden) and blended the leaves in a blender until juiced/fine and sieved it into the cream mixture it would have the flavor I wanted. Boy was I wrong! It tasted earthy and green and not nice at ALL!
Then after stumbling across a few peppermint ice cream recipes on the internet I realized that in order to get the real peppermint taste I wanted I needed to infuse the leaves in the cream. (check out this cool peppermint ice cream recipe). I tried it out recently and it worked. *happy dance*

Sometimes we just need to persevere.... and good things happen

INGREDIENTS
7 Egg yolks
500ml cream - 2 tubs of cream (250ml each)
1 cup (250ml) milk
2 vanilla pods (seeds scraped out)
125ml organic brown sugar
3 tablespoons honey (optional)
1 - 2 large handfuls of peppermint leaves (well washed)
50grams - 100grams DARK chocolate (i use either 70% or 85% cocoa)



METHOD:
Place the milk and cream in a heavy based saucepan along with the peppermint leaves. Slowly bring to just below boiling point. While you are waiting for it to heat up separate the eggs and mix very well with the brown sugar and honey.
When your peppermint cream mixture has been heated to just before boiling point take off the heat and stand for a few minutes (it must cool and infuse) take out the leaves. Stir into the egg mixture.
Keep stirring. Once the egg mixture has been incorporated properly put it back in the pot on the stove and warm slowly until it has thickened slightly to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Take care not to heat to quickly as the eggs will scramble once it has thicken you can now place the custard in a bowl in the fridge to cool down for a few hours (atleast 3 hours).

Roughly chop up the dark chocolate.
When you custard mixture is nice and cold place in an ice cream machine and make according to your machines instructions. Add choc chips half way through :)
*If you don't have an ice cream machine place the mixture in a low sided metal pan or bowl and place in the freezer. Take out every 30 - 45 minutes and beat with an electric beater until nice and smooth and the ice crystals have been broken up - the more time u beat and return to freezer the smoother and creamier it your ice cream will be :)  You can add some choc chips after the first beating.

Enjoy

La Motte - Cape Winelands Cuisine Cookbook Launch

 
On Wednesday I had the pleasure of attending a cookbook launch of Cape Wineland's Cuisine at the La Motte Wine farm.
The idea behind the cookbook is to bring back some of the old family recipes our grandmothers used to cook in the Cape Winelands area ... traditional comfort food. Things like Offal Brawn, Rolpens and pickled tongue. I don't know what is comforting about Offal... I was yet to find out!


ARRIVAL SNACKS. We started in the old cellar with refreshments (rooibos tea, ginger beer with rose geranium etc.) and some snacks (Mosbeskuit, Mini ouma's loaf, oyster and marrow pies to name a few). After our snacking, drinking and chatting, the day proceeded with an interview style talk on a mini stage with the chefs and owners of the farm about how the book came to being. A very interesting discussion to say the least. Funny and informative. All was ended off with a lovely prayer  by Hanneli Rupert-Koegelenberg.

We then headed to lunch at Pierneef.

LOCATION. Pierneef is a beautiful building with a delightful mix of decor, chic and comfortable mixed together.
I loved how everything was mixed together from comfortable couches to beautiful chairs and hanging teapots.

FOOD. We all had detailed programs/menu's which told us what food we were going to be eating- Things like Offal, and pickled tongue and cape bokkom salad...To say I was apprehensive is an understatement! I mean eating tongue and Offal is really not my thing but I was determined to try everything.
And to my surprise - it was delicious. I really enjoyed quite a lot of the food. I had to consciously  turn off my mind and just go with the flavours I was tasting... and they were very good!

My favorite was the Sweet and Sour Pumpkin and Lamb Stew - I will be returning for this if it is on their menu. It really was so GOOD! I am still thinking about it a few days on. And of course all the food was paired with La Motte's wines. All perfectly complimented each dish and tasting.

THE FARM.  Having it been my first time to La Motte I really enjoyed finding out more about the wine farm. It has an art gallery, wine tasting cellar, restaurant, farm stall and walks on the estate.

The  Rupert-Koegelenberg family were very warm and welcoming - letting us onto their farm and sharing their beautiful food and wine with us. I felt at home and well taken care of. Thank you very much.





 *Cape Winelands Cuisine available soon in bookstores


 

ORIENTAL PARTY

In February this year was my daughters Oriental Party. To have a look at the invites I made, take a look here. I have finally got round to editing the photos.

low oriental inspired table to eat at.

 I started with the colour scheme of white as a base colour and then used red, black and different shades of orange as accents and touches of blue.

Oriental figurines

I found this cute Japanese figurine couple at a 2nd hand shop. They formed the center piece for the table surrounded by mirror boxes filled with red, orange and yellow flowers.

Each girl had a pillow to sit on, a square dish, a pair of chopsticks and an oriental jelly sweet that I made. For the candy/jelly sweet I made a version of this Agar-Agar Candy

Homemade sushi

For the main course I made sushi. (I had to get up really early in the morning to make it so it would be fresh for the party) maybe next time I will order it from a good sushi restaurant.

pink and white coconut ice AND pink and white home made marshmallows

In between the flowers were little white bowls of treats. As it was an all girls party - most of the food/treats were pink and white. Pink and white coconut ice and pink and white marshmallows (marshmallows were made by my sister in-law).

Party packs in Chinese take away boxes

I bought Chinese take-away boxes and filled them with pink and white sweets, a little Chinese purse, some hello kitty stickers and other cute things. Tied it up with black packaging ribbon and a black feather with a silver gem stuck on top. Label each box individually with the girls name with a picture of a Chinese lantern next her name.

Party packs ready for happy little girls to take home

alice band accesories

For our craft for the party the girls made Alice band/ head bands with feathers, flowers and jewels.

Other games played were fishing for paper koi fish were they won prizes of little silver rings- which all the girls seemed to love.
(I also had pass the parcel ready with little prizes wrapped in Chinese newspaper between each layer but never got round to playing it.)

my daughter picked jewels to decorate her cake - so I borrowed these from my mom, they were my grans.

And the cake - my daughter had no idea I had made her a rainbow cake, so when the cake was cut it was a huge surprise. I used Whisk Kids famous recipe for rainbow cake but i made mine gluten-free :)

Rainbow cake

It was very delicious cake :)



 

ps linked to a linky party at  http://lilluna.com