I feel as though the days are flying past this week and already we are hurtling torwards another weekend. So I've been trying to get some jobs done... with mixed degrees of sucess.
1. Fruit successfully soaked in plenty of brandy (feeling very smug and pleased with myself)... then I went and left the cake in too long last night and it is looking decidedly dark around the edges. (Well, burnt if you must ask). Made the house smell good though.
2. Completed a special matchbox book commission in plenty of time for a January wedding and the recipient was delighted... happy about that!
3. Made a dozen lavender bags with a seasonal twist in time for a Christmas Fair. Pleased with the results but know I can never charge enough to cover the amount of effort involved so wonder if my time might be better spent!
4. Made four pots of Chilli Jam but played about with the recipe and now I think it is far too sweet... why?... why, when I have a perfectly good recipe that everyone in the house likes??? Stupid... that's why!
5. Made a beetroot chocolate cake today... still awaiting the verdict on this... yet to be tried! (But I'm keeping quiet about the beetroot bit!).
How's your week so far?
That is a beautiful match box, no wonder the recipient was pleased. I'm in awe of your chocolate cake, especially the icing.
ReplyDeleteWow! you have been achieving at quite a rate. I love the look of your beetroot cake. I know exactly what you mean about the endless urge to experiment. I have fruit soaking for my Christmas cake and have somehow persuaded myself to replace the dried cranberries with dried apricots. It will end in tears...
ReplyDeleteI feel tired just reading what you've done! That cake looks great, be interested to read the verdict (and the reaction when they discover about the beetroot!).
ReplyDeletered velvet cake? My sister was offered some, but it was apparently SO RED, she declined. Probably works better with chocolate to mellow the colour?
ReplyDeleteNot nearly as productive as yours! The little wedding book is exquisite; the fruit cake will probably taste fine; your family might like the revised chilli jam and the chocolate and beetroot cake looks amazing - it can only be delicious.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you can learn to learn to say 'No' in time for the next Christmas Fair! Craft fairs are inaccurately named and are notorious for people not wanting to pay a 'fair' price for work.
Busy like yours !!!
ReplyDeleteLike you I'm doing a fair and know people won't want to pay what the crafts are worth, even though I said last year that I wasn't doing it again!!
That cake does look good and nothing quite like the smell of a Christmas cake baking in the oven! :)
V xxx
Busy like yours !!!
ReplyDeleteLike you I'm doing a fair and know people won't want to pay what the crafts are worth, even though I said last year that I wasn't doing it again!!
That cake does look good and nothing quite like the smell of a Christmas cake baking in the oven! :)
V xxx
Cake made on Monday here. A very busy week here made more difficult by extremely wet and sometimes flooded lanes. I could "go" a slice of your beetroot chocolate cake.....
ReplyDeleteGetting a little flustered trying to pack stuff for five weeks away from home. I think I should just pack the workroom in the Belingo and buy new clothes when I get to Ullapool on Monday.Husband is eating an early xmas cake, hope it will last until the weekend. I'm certainly not cooking him another one before we go. Love the little wedding box Gina and would love a slice of your beetroot cake, alas cake is just a pleasant memory for me.
ReplyDeleteI'I've only just started to think about Christmas cooking! The beet root cake look fantastic. Annya
ReplyDeleteVery busy week here - new clutch in car, hair cut,shopping, chores, lots of quilting (But no baking). Lovely little matchbox book - but it is horrible having to work under artificial light all day - sun, please!
ReplyDeleteWhat a busy week! I love the little book. Keep quiet about the beetroot - they will never know and it looks wonderful!
ReplyDeleteHow's my week? Certainly not as busy as yours Gina. I wish I had half your energy! I know what you mean about the price and time of the lavender bags etc. It's an age old dilemma isn't it? I've often wondered what chocolate beetroot cake is like. Do tell me if they love it!
ReplyDeleteYour makes are fab, it's a shame that people don't seem to want to pay, if only they knew the work involved! Suzy x
ReplyDeleteOoo you have been busy with much loveliness - note to self make some chilli jam ! I love the lavender bags. My weeks are just whizzing by, we seem to be crazy busy at the moment.
ReplyDeleteTwiggy x
Ooh, would love to know your usual recipe for chilli jam - tried some last year from a cobbled-together recipe. I find not mentioning vegetables in cake is a good policy...
ReplyDeleteOh the fruit for your Christmas cake looked so plump - have you got to make another one? The beetroot and chocolate cake sounds different hope it was good.
ReplyDeleteYou should ask the chocolate cake eaters to guess the mystery ingredient! I do with the chocolate cake with tomatoes, and no one ever gets it.
ReplyDeleteThe lavender bags are lovely, such a pity people won't pay what they are worth, but it's the bane of all makers :(
Lots of lovliness going on in your house. We have been incredibly busy and wouldn't know that we've had a holiday.
ReplyDeletebusy you - as long as you are happy - all that running has given you a new lease of life - be realistic with your prices - if not sell them on line - I made Nigella's chocolate cake this week which you can make with ground almond instead of flour - and olive oil so it hits dairy and gluten - verdict of everybody - delish!!!!!
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