Wednesday 16 May 2012

Christmas Layout

I've finally got this album to December! Not long to go now until I've finished my daughters first year album. Please excuse the flowers over the faces (for privacy).

Sunday 13 May 2012

Mother's Day High Tea

 We usually go out for a meal or afternoon tea for Mother's Day and lately have been opting for High Tea at a special local cafe that has all the trimmings. This year we thought we'd do our own High Tea as my Mum and my Aunt have lost their own mother and this is the first mother's day without her. My cousins live out of town so we thought it would be nice to do one for the bunch of us girls (plus hubby)!

I was crazy enough to think I could attempt perfect macarons. I did strawberry and dark chocolate ones. Hmm, what a disaster. Seems there is a real science to this - one I couldn't grasp. I call these "mankyrons" as they were all air and an awful chewy goop at the base. The oven temp suggested was far too hot and the first batch cracked. The next lots were undercooked so I put them back in for another bake (made no difference, they were still just as awful)! I wonder if I didn't beat the egg whites enough or the egg white/ caster sugar mix. They didn't taste like strawberry and the pink turned peach on stirring in the ground almonds. The it turned brown on baking.
Mankyrons
I managed to get around 8 of them to look presentable, shame they tasted bad (although my husband is happy to devour the lot).
They may look right but they are HOLLOW! And not very tasty!
Thankfully I made some cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches and my husband made some cinnamon scrolls and some little scones.
Made Mum a Mother's Day card (inspiration from Pinterest).