It's been a very busy few days.
Saturday I was attempting to fashion a pair of boxing gloves out of vanilla and chocolate Madeira whilst plotting what to wear on the evening as it was my sister-in-law's hen night. Usually I steer clear of such gatherings; in fact I've only ever been to two in my whole life, but as it was the sister-in-law, it was only right. Well I eventually decided on a Grecian style maxi dress – purely due to the fact that I can not get my rather rotund bottom in any of my other
lovely evening clothes thanks to still carrying weight from the birth of my son – 3 months ago. Anyhow, as the day wore on, I lay down my tools and glammed up for the evening and headed on out. The first point of call for the wanton women was a rather classy affair at Zorba's Greek Restaurant in Wolverhampton, I had never been before and would thoroughly recommend it. As a not drinker, my soda and limes came in at 50 pence a time. I was very happy with that. I think the cocktails were priced around the £3 mark and shots at £2. For my dinner I had  the meatball (whatever that is in Greek) starter followed by calamari and  cheesecake. The cheesecake was the let down as it was an obvious 'mum's been to Iceland'. Once our dinner was finished, the live music began to play and we were encouraged onto the dance floor for some Greek Style dancing; up and down the restaurant we travelled and in and out of the building, all us ladies bare foot (heels are not for Greek dancing) up and down the street around the restaurant and onto the tables. After the singer had finished we were helped from off our elevated perches and sat down again, but no, the night had not finished. Out came the Belly dancer and the entertainment continued along with us all being encouraged to get up with the dancer one on one and do a stint of shimmying around. This could have been seen as highly embarrassing for some, but no, it was indeed all good fun.  However not long after this I said my goodbyes to the ladies as they went on to smash plates, which I have been told was very satisfying. The ladies then continued onto Oceana, which really, truly, is not my style, so I was glad to have left when I did. I made it back in time for my son's night time feed, which is always worthwhile simply for the faces he pulls. Oooooh, word of  warning though, beehive hairstyle, which I sported for the evening, always worth brushing out before bedtime or you wake up with something that resembles Russell Brand's hair. Not pleasant. 

Sunday after I managed to brush out my hair and had a spot of babysitting the nephew I got home to continue on with the boxing glove cake and contemplate what to do for Halloween, Oh I have many ideas now * grins * can't wait!  Gloves all done, I need say nothing more, have a look at the cake gallery, I'm so pleased. I then moved on to start the Lego Captain Jack Sparrow cake, which I have only just finished this evening. It's been a long day; the cake looks fantastic though. However I do appear to have been zapped of all humorous anecdotes of the
weekend. Ah well, sod it. Shooting Stars is on and I'm in love with Angelos Epithimiou.

Yesterday was a very splendid day indeed; the morning started well with thrill after surprising thrill, *sighs*.  I was on cloud nine from first thing in the
morning to last thing at night.

To name but one of my interesting moments (as to name all of them, well, that's simply not cricket old chap and not something one can discuss in polite society, but believe me, they were good), I had a visit from Wolverhampton's Environmental Health to check that everything was acceptable for catering purposes.  It was, of course, and it's on with the cake. Today I have started work on a pair of boxing gloves.  I have made them in a vanilla madeira and will begin covering them tomorrow, as they are cooling at present.

Earlier today I went for a little look around Wolverhampton's Antiques shops and market on the hunt to feed my passion for vintage china (teacups and saucers, along with side plates and servers).  I just can't help myself; nothing matches, and I like it that way.  Alas I couldn't find a thing I liked.  Typical. Anyway I really don't have time to worry about old crocks; I am currently planning some Halloween cakes and cupcakes to tantalise and tease you with, so I really should get down to the planning of those and not on here talking in riddles and rubbish. Plus I think it's time to get the dinner on, Scallops and mozzarella with salad... followed by summer pudding.  I really am not going to shed any weight at this rate am I?  Dinner is healthy, dessert... hmmmm. Best renew my fit card and head down to the baths, hair pinned and eye-liner off!!

Well, yesterday was my birthday and I had been looking forward to it for quite some time, no not because of it being a day to get cards and gifts but because my parents had agreed to have our son for a couple of hours so we could go to the cinema. My birthday itself, I do not care for it's just a reminder that I will be counting the crows feet with more vigor... anyway the cinema, yes a welcome break it was too, a nice opportunity to throw down the pinny and get out the house for a few hours. Bliss.

Today, well today has been nonstop in the kitchen, I honestly felt a breakdown coming on but I just did not have time to acknowledge it, now all I have is a banging headache and this as my therapy, allowing me to vent. Oh what a sad sorry little state to be in, I would like a maid, a Thai bride or a willing volunteer to help me maintain domestic bliss. The laundry basket is overflowing, my son's room is piled high in junk, my bedroom needs a good old clean and the living room really could do with a dusting. The only two rooms in the house I can tolerate is the bathroom and kitchen and to be fair, my already roomy kitchen is just nor roomy enough I need more shelf space. I do believe I am having a crisis in my own little head and nothing short of a winning lottery ticket will fix it, and I don't mean a £10 three baller.

Well, it was a very hectic and yet slow motion start for me yesterday, thanks to my son demanding my attention every five seconds. Before guests started
turning up we were running around  trying to sort out the most suitable lay out for food and getting things prepared, as I realised that quite possibly the BBQ
cake that I had been working on prior to the party (to save me having to do lots of cup-cakes) just may not have been enough, soooo I got the mixing bowl out and whipped up a small batch of lemon flavoured fairy cakes. Not something I would really recommend doing an hour before people turn up, but, I couldn't have a
shortage. So once the lovely citrus smelling little darlings came out of the oven I then had to run out to pick up a friend, leaving my husband alone with the cakes, he did say he would decorate them for me, I became scared. However on my return I walked in to find 20 perfectly decorated cakes, complete with pressed blossom (he had raided a stash of fondant flowers I had painstakingly pressed out a few days ago to put on another cake and had oodles left over) they looked lovely, I breathed a sigh of relief that he had not turned them into some darkly morphed Picaso creation. I was also pleased to see the BBQ had turned up, (recently borrowed by a friend, it had just made it's way back in time for the party – phew!) everything was ready as the guests started flowing  in.

We had a lovely evening, so good to see friends that we had not seen for some time. Unfortunately  a few could  not make it and their presence was missed, but no doubt we shall see them again soon.  The weather was perfect, the atmosphere fun. Children running around 
following the rabbit and in awe of the ducks, who did not disappoint and added their dulcet tones to the airwaves, along with performing a more adult rated side show halfway through the evening, leaving some little ones asking the obvious, with parents having to create all manner of wonderful stories to explain 'duck loving'. Unfortunately one little girl did feel the razor sharp swipe of Ginger's paw,after she somehow managed to sneakily crawl past our radars and over to the waiting feline, a mistake, one I doubt she will make again.

The famous tomato sausages that I have developed an obsession with went down well with most – admittedly there was the odd coward who just wanted a 'normal' sausage, normal? we don't do normal in this household, but they settled for Cumberland’s none the less.  I finally
tried the Black Pudding and Pork Sausage, and to be honest, tasted like standard pork to me, but maybe I should try them again sometime, just to make sure. My husband who had done a sterling performance as chef  managed to get the masses fed, admittedly for those that came later through the evening there was a little wait whilst the fresh coals went on, but everything went down well. At the end of the evening we were left with the odd gammon slice and stuffed pepper, all the fairy cakes vanished, along with the mushrooms and jelly – oh the jelly, I had never before used a jelly on a mould. Hmmmm, well, it did take a shape, not the shape of the mould, which was a classic rippled doughnut style, when turned out onto the plate, it slopped
resembling more Mick Jagger s lips than a doughnut, I feel next time, I will have to make a stronger setting version. But, all in all, everything got consumed and the BBQ cake seemed to go down well too, the mini bugs and food dotted around it went down a treat with adults and children alike, followed by lots of compliments on design and taste, so I'm glad I decided to do it. 
 
Anyway, the clean-up operation will begin in a while, once I've had a cup of tea, and then I can continue with the Wolverhampton Wanders cake, to be collected later this evening, better get
the kettle on!

After just getting the Princess Fairy Castle cake out of the door, I decide on a bbq for this Sunday before whats left of our british summer time evaporates into myth and legend, plus it's my birthday and Tuesday and I just wanted an excuse to stuff my face.

After preparing loaded potato skins and  stuffed peppers to freeze down ready for the day, I decide to make some  Shroooooms, lovely lovely coconut mushrooms in red and green marzipan, they are  fantastical looking little fancies that always go down a treat with children and
adults alike, however are uber fiddly, I still have yet to stick all the white  spots on the caps. They are currently sitting in the fridge, taunting me. 

Yesterday I baked 6 cakes to sandwhich all together to inevitably turn into a  whimsical topsy turvy number for the BBQ, figured one big cake would eliminate  the need for several little cakes (after making all the mushrooms, I'd like a  break from fiddly little things). The top layer is a lemon sponge, middle  chocolate and bottom, good old fashioned Vanilla, which today I will be icing,  along with adding some bbq/garden elements, that is once I have sorted out my
make up, pottering around the house is all well and good when you are on your  own, but I am expecting guests again a little later so better not scare them,  time to go...

I ventured to Bilston this morning to pick up a cake tin and find some brilliant tomato sausages for the BBQ tomorrow.  I had never before tasted the infamous tomato sausage untill at a friends BBQ last week.  Oh my, what can I say, what a sausage; mouthwatering at the very least, yum yum.  However whilst perusing the sausage counter I also came across the interestingly titled 'Pork and Black Pudding' sausage.  Of course I purchased some of those too, why not?  So it appears the BBQ will almost entirely consist of Sausage, with good old fashioned Cumberland thrown into the mix, a Sausage fest indeed. I should add however I have got the standard quater pounders, lamb kebabs, chicken skewers and BBQ chicken drumsticks.  But I've also prepared stuffed peppers (actually my husband has done those) loaded potato skins and corn to throw on there too.  Am I making you hungry yet?  All I can say is, get yourself to Bilston Market - it's fabulous, full of bargains and some very interesting charectors, but I thouroughly recommend it...

It's 3.37pm and I have nearly, nearly finished my whimsical cake.  The three sponge sandwiches are iced (I chose sponge as opposed to Madeira because of its soft and light texture, Madeira, although still light and perfect for carving and modelling, is a little
denser and I was looking for a light floaty cake – think Victoria Sponge with an
acid explosion) and now I am simply playing chef, creating mini BBQ food to go
along the edge of the second tier, with large ladybugs, bumble bees, caterpillar
and snail dotted around the bottom tier.  Adding to the mischief is a scattering
of big daisies to add that summery garden feel.  I think it's super, and I hope
the guests will too.  I just have to make a miniature BBQ grill to sit on the
top tier.  I admit whole-heartedly it doesn't look perfect; it's a little lumpy
and bumpy around the sides, but that's what I wanted.  A structured cake with
sharp surfaces and edges just wouldn't be fitting.  It's not for a formal
function; it's a relaxed garden party, with fun and frolics.

Right I'll just finish my tea. I am clock watching at the moment as my friend, Rachel, is on her way over to drop off her car, and for me to take her to the train station, for me to pick her up
again Sunday (just in time for food; she got that planned well) and then it's on
with show...