Fresh 'n Fruity

Four kilos blueberries, eight kilos strawberries, five kilos hazelnuts, six litres of milk, thirty dozen eggs and twenty-five kilos of flour. That’s just part of the shopping list of ingredients as we enter day three of baking for the Taste Festival.

In a little kitchen in West Hobart, the ovens are running hot as batch after batch of handmade cupcakes are baked and delivered fresh to Hobart's waterfront.

Here's our menu::
:: Rich chocolate and hazelnut cake with dark chocolate ganache
:: Old fashioned chocolate with chocolate buttercream and fresh raspberries
:: Vanilla bean cupcake with vanilla bean frosting and fresh blueberries
:: Lemon cream cheese with lemon cream cheese frosting
:: Fresh strawberry cupcake with strawberry buttercream

We've been using beautiful quality, seasonal and well sourced ingredients, blueberries, strawberries, hazelnuts raspberries, lemons. It's the Tasmanian summer harvest at its best. Delicious!

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8 comments cupcake, good things, seasons, tasmania

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midsummer nights dream

Girls and ponies. It's a romance I remember fondly from my own childhood and one I'm keen to nurture in Elsa. To celebrate her birthday, Elsa asked a couple of friends on a short trail ride at a nearby farm. The horses were gorgeous and the girls loved it. Then it was back home for a feast which included, of course, lots of cupcakes.

In other culinary news, the pizza oven had it's first cooking session and oh my, those pizzas were truly the best ever. It was the summer solstice that night and the children were allowed to stay up for as long they liked. We left out flowers and sweets for the fairies and in the morning, we found they had left us a small gift of crystal. It was a magic night with our little family, to savour the quiet before the first of the family arrived the next day.

So, goodnight unto you all.

PS I had to take these photos on my phone, not the best quality, but my digital slr has died. Sob.

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3 comments cupcake, elsa, family, festivals, seasons

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seven

When I have said my evening prayer,

And my clothes are folded on the chair,

And mother switches off the light,

I'll still be six years old tonight.

But, from the very break of day,

Before the children rise and play,

Before the darkness turns to gold

Tomorrow, I'll be seven years old.

Seven kisses when I wake,

Seven candles on my cake!

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13 comments celebrations, elsa

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Hello!

It's busy isn't it? We are busy. Busy in the garden planting zukes and cukes, corn and lettuce. Staking tomatoes. Harvesting our garlic - what a bumper crop!
Busy organising Elsa's 7th birthday. Busy with end of the school year celebrations. Busy getting ready for um, Christmas. Busy getting organised for the Taste, in which I'll be baking, oh, about 500 cupcakes a day for a week.
And most importantly, busy eating ice cream. There's a lot of peace to be had whilst getting to the bottom of that cone you know.

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7 comments Shoot me now

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This week...

Hugo finished playgroup. Every Friday for two years we've been going to play, make craft, eat warm bread and see puppet shows. It's something we've both enjoyed in our week. For our last day, each child was presented with a tiny red present:: a tiny crochet brooch.
He is so proud of it and hasn't taken it off. Such a small handmade gesture means the world to children. Something I'm mindful of in the lead up to Christmas. Next year, he moves up to pre kinder and for one day a week I. Leave. Him. There. All. Day. He can't wait. Sob.
Meanwhile, Elsa has been filling the house with small vases of flowers from the garden. This little bunch was waiting for me on my bedside table last night after returning home from a late shift at work. So sweet. I felt very special as I feel asleep.

We also have a guest, he doesn't say much, and we're not sure what he likes to eat, but Elsa has made up a lovely house for him. He brings a gorgeous festive sheen to the house. We hope he likes it here.

These are some of the precious moments from our week. I'm trying to focus and remember them and forget about the crazy chaos that takes up most of my time. I hope you've had some precious times in your week too.

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11 comments elsa, family, hugo, waldorf

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