Sticky lemon and poppy seed muffins

 

Over the last year I have worked on some very interesting and fun campaigns, and I feel lucky to be able to do this from home. However, this work-from-home scenario is not without its challenges, chiefly in the form of two very busy (but adorable of course) and engaging little humans.

 

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Saucy chocolate and coconut puddings

Mini self-saucing chocolate and coconut puddings.

While some may not share my sentiments I actually love the school holidays. No lunch boxes, no school runs, and just generally no rushing. Yes, it does mean that productivity grinds to a halt and there is the ever present risk of cabin fever, but how wonderful it is to have a short break from the regular routine and enjoy some quality time with the little ones. We have managed to do a couple of fun outings so far, but when it is cold outside we love to huddle into the kitchen and cook or bake (i.e. make a huge mess!) together.

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Spiced apple slices

Earlier this year we had a few days away with friends in the lovely little town of Montagu. On the drive back to Cape Town my daughter wanted to see where all the apples are grown, but got more than she bargained for when we drove past orchard after orchard full of trees bursting with thousands of apples. She was absolutely delighted (and it was a beautiful drive)!

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Millionaire’s shortbread with ganache topping

This is a fully loaded treat if ever I saw one. Utter decadence on a plate – I must admit that I only make these occasionally due to their richness and for fear that gobbling too many might induce a sugar coma!

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Chocolate sandwich biscuits

 
So today I am grateful for two things. 1.) That I managed to get a blog post together for this week, and 2.) that I am able to string a coherent sentence together. It has been a rough couple of days you see, with the entire family being struck down with an assortment of germs and lurgies. Currently my kitchen counter looks more like a pharmacy than anything else and we are all lacking in the sleep department which is less than ideal. The timing was also unlucky as we had planned to go away this past weekend for a wedding. We did manage one night away in the end but we were not on best form. Never mind, grumble grumble.
 

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Classic chocolate chip cookies

Classic chocolate chip cookies

So how were the holidays everyone? Did you have fun? Did the Easter bunny come to visit? The last two weeks have gone quickly – holiday outings and play dates, the build up to Easter and of course lots of egg hunting fun and family time over the long Easter weekend made for a busy time. Then last week we went on a family holiday with friends where we headed to Montagu for a few days. (Can you believe that in all my thirty five years this was the first time I had ever visited Montagu Springs?) We love a good road trip, although sadly the littlest of our troupe decided that he was not enjoying the long drive and expressed his disapproval in a rather loud and shouty manner for much of the way! Other than that little hiccup the trip was loads of fun and turned out to be a perfect spot to take the family. All in all it was a very special holiday and I can’t help feeling a bit sad that it is over. For now, it is back to school runs, packed lunches and the regular term time routine – onward and forward!

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A fairy party (and a fairy cake!)

 

If there was ever a good time to haul out some banal clichés then this must be it. “Time flies.” “They grow up so fast.” How often we use these timeworn phrases, and yet how true they are. As I write this, almost exactly 4 years ago to the hour my precious daughter arrived into the world. I remember it like it was yesterday, (which is impressive as I often struggle to remember what I was doing last week!). My bright, funny, sweet girl who knows exactly what she likes and wants… which is handy as I knew for months that she had her heart set on a fairy birthday party this year. Oh yes, one of the many things I love about her is that she knows her own mind, and once it is made up she usually sticks to her guns. Luckily this also meant that I had quite a while to mull over cake ideas before settling on this one.

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Caramel apple and blueberry tart

I know that I am not the only Capetonian who did a little dance of joy when the rain started on Sunday night. It was such a relief after the heat wave that has been stifling us. You could almost hear the garden greedily slurping up those much needed raindrops! It is still pretty warm though, and that got me thinking about this dish which my family loves to enjoy when that summer feeling is in the air and also in the colder months.

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