It's snowing again!

Well I don't believe it, after two days of glorious sunshine, long walks and a very successful trip to Inkpen Farmers Market, I awoke this morning to see more snow. Now don't get me wrong I actually like the white stuff, but preferably not when I'm trying to do the school run or get to the shops for essentials like chocolate (talking of chocolate, the brownies were delicious). The trip to school was a bit hairy, I passed a car in a hedge and once I got there I met a mum and a teacher swapping stories of their sliding experiences - from now on I resolve to walk more often. Once safely home I started to think about the likelihood of a slightly unfit (but getting fitter) 38 year old being able to take part in the skeleton bob at the next Winter Olympics. Amy Williams is certainly inspiring, as is Shelley Rudman, but is it enough to simply be inspired - especially when I am scared of heights and too chicken to even get on a sledge :-)
Anyway the madness has now passed and I am back on to the serious stuff of researching cupcake cases. I though that I had it cracked, but sadly the lovely new ones that I bought have been pulling away from the cupcakes and it is not a good look. There is a possibility of a humidity problem as the kitchen was pretty warm and steamy on Saturday evening, or maybe I put them in the air-tight containers too soon. Whatever it is I need to get it sorted and quickly, even though the cakes are delicious they need to look good too. Sadly I think I'll have to get baking again to experiment with them - does anyone want some cakes?

More Chocolate.........

Half term....... what more can I say? Certainly any mother of two small boys will know all about the chaos that our lives descend into during what should be a time of relaxation and fun with our children. This week has certainly seen more than its fair share of chaos, especially with our rather badly timed trip to the Natural History Museum in London. The boys wanted to see the dinosaurs - I had promised dinosaurs - what the country bumpkin in me hadn't anticipated was the hour long queue in the rain just to get in. Don't worry, I thought, at least once we're in we will be able to get warm and dry and see the dinosaurs. I was mistaken, inside there was another huge queue for the dinosaurs and no hope of any relief for some time to come. Unperturbed I decided that the blue whale would offer some interest - only to find that the museum in its wisdom had closed that exhibit to clean it - why choose the bl**dy school holidays? At this point wee Euan had decided enough was enough and threw a huge tantrum. Soon after we left, never getting to see the elusive dinosaurs....
Anyway I have survived until Friday without managing even 10 minutes in the kitchen messing around with chocolate - no mean feat. So armed with my little BBC Good Food book of recipes for children I decided that the boys and I should make some chocolate brownies, kitchen therapy. Sadly neither Dylan nor Euan really wanted to help, so I undertook the task on my own and the tray is in the oven now which is why I have some time to write this blog. I'll let you know how they turn out (when I've washed the chocolate off of my fingers) :-)

p.s. Crocus Cakes will be at the Inkpen Farmer's Market on Sunday - come and buy some delicious cupcakes!

Hmmm cupcakes..........

Welcome to a rather damp and windy Tuesday, certainly not good for inspiring new ideas for cupcake recipes. Let's face it I'd rather be curled up in front of the fire eating them, than in the kitchen baking them! In fact as my muffin top has been expanding ever more, over the waisband of my jeans, I've had to give up my weekday liking for the odd glass of wine just so that I can continue to eat cake - and that's a huge sacrifice (as any mother of two small boys will know).
I'm currently trying to concoct something chocolately, but not too sweet, that will be a departure from my normal creations. The only problem is that in doing so I have developed a love of Willie's Peruvian Cacao and now can't bring myself to "waste" it in a cake! Oh well I guess it's back to normal 70% dark chocolate then........ ooh and maybe some fresh cream......
My lovely neighbour has just given me an article from her Sunday paper that says that house prices in areas where there are cupcake emporiums are on the rise. Now if I can persuade the good people of Inkpen to contribute to me setting up my own emporium surely it will benefit them all in the long term (and maybe a free cupcake every week would keep them happy too).
Anyway enough rambling from me, I'm off to collect the small person and then back into the kitchen............
Keep smiling :-)

Hooray the snow has gone!

Well it's the first of February and you may think that I have been lazy - not posting for ages - but we have had Christmas, snow, more snow and then a rather tragic computer malfunction!!! Happily I can see the first signs of spring and school has been open every day for two weeks in a row, so life is returning to normal.
In the cake world I have been experimenting with different flavours - sticky chocolate orange and cranberry & orange cupcakes to name just two. I have also been busy making hearts and roses to adorn the vanilla cupcakes in their beautiful new cases - all in an attempt to persuade the gentlemen folk of Inkpen and Woolton Hill that they would be an ideal gift for Valentines day. The problem is that I don't believe men think that far ahead - it's usually a last minute dash to the supermarket (if you're lucky) which results in a box of Ferrero Rocher and some carnations! At the Woolton Hill village market last Saturday, I even watched a lady expressly telling her rather bemused husband what he should be buying, but short of actually ordering them herself what more could she do??
I'm off now for a walk in the glorious sunshine and to retrieve Euan from the mud in the garden before we have to do the school run. When I can find a way of hooking my camera up to this borrowed laptop I will post some pics of my cakes. In the meantime any requests for recipe experiments please let me know - I've just found a recipe for petit pois cupcakes - random!!

Juggling too many things

Well hello, I'm back again offering another intermittent post although if I can work out the technology I will put some pictures on this one! Life has been very busy here making cakes and looking after small people who have had rather nasty flu like things. Plus the challenge of Bracken our lovely Spanish Water Dog puppy who is rebelling slightly after having her coat clipped last week - maybe she's feeling the cold, or maybe she just doesn't like going out without her clothes on! I was toying with the idea of getting her a coat, but then I decided that she would look even more ridiculous among the black Labradors at the school gates in the afternoons.

Euan and I took the dogs for a walk this afternoon in this very blustery autumn weather, I struggled to share his fascination at hitting things with a stick he had found while he was walking, but we both enjoyed throwing twigs and leaves into the stream and watching them float away.

I am now sat here trying to decide what sort of cake to make him for his 2nd birthday - he has asked for a "choo, choo" cake but has also asked for a Pingu one, I was planning something not too taxing so that I could focus my efforts on designing Christmas cupcakes but then on reflection I have decided that he is far more important so I am off now to try and gather some inspiration (ooh and to eat Chocolate Cornflake Cakes).......

A day in the big city........

Well it's official I am a rubbish blogger - or maybe that's a bit harsh and I should say that I'm an uncommited one.
Crocus Cakes was finally launched to the sound of my Kenwood Chef on 1 September and since then I have been busy making cupcakes and other delights to inflict on the customers of the Inkpen and Woolton Hill Village Markets. Euan (who is nearly two) is mummy's favourite helper as every time I make something new he greets it with the words "wow - cake", if that's the only feedback I ever get then I will be a happy woman.
Today I had the joys of travelling up to the big smoke for a day learning how to make sugar orchids at Cakes 4 Fun in Putney. It meant a very early start, which as anyone who sees me running to the school gates in the morning will know, is not my forte. The day was a resounding success, with our lovely tutor Celia being very patient and encouraging and the girls in the class were all great. I managed to make a very cool cupcake topper and a spray of orchids - photo's to follow. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get any time for shopping (Brian breathes a sigh of relief) but I did get a whole day of mummy time and tea was cooked for me when I got home!!!!
Anyway a rather boring post from me - but I do promise to put up some pictures (cakes & puppy), recipes and write something more often than every 2 months. I'm off for some cake and a cuppa.
"How long does getting thin take?" asked Pooh anxiously. "About a week I should think"......