It's a new day... so what do I do with it?

I am back in the world of mobile blogging. I finally gave in, got frustrated, stopped procrastinating and bought a new laptop. Check it out... she is beautiful:

So what happens to a blog about making cakes when there are no cakes to make?

I have some ideas.... Although this brings me back to my thoughts on the purpose of a blog. Do you guys really want to see my garden growing or other things I have been making in the kitchen? Or is it all about the cakes? Should I be trying new techniques I want to learn and blogging about it? This is what was originally planned, but maybe a blog morphs as it grows, as life changes?
Ok, so lets think... things I could blog about:

• My garden, yes it is growing and I am excited about it
• Other foods being cooked in my kitchen
• The mammouth knitting project I recently finished ( yes, knitting... don't knock it until you've tried it)
• Some cake techniques I want to try:
• Whimsical style cake (mad hatter cake)
• Stunning, tall layer cakes
• Piped designs on a cake (royal icing)

Lets be honest, I could write a whole blog about how much I think eggs are a truely amazing phenomenon or my all time favourite All Blacks... the blogging world is my oyster.

And if these are the topics, do I blog about what I want, what I'm most excited about? Or do I blog about what I think you would be most interested in? Are these the same things?

At the moment, with no cake orders and my knitting quest complete, my brain has enough space in it that it is starting to drift back to dreaming about food and what I would like to try making. Lying here in bed on a Sunday morning the prospect of heading into my kitchen with new ideas and new things I haven't tried makes me smile.

This makes me realise, my blog is all about a voyage of discovery, trying new things and finding out what happens... what works, what doesn't and getting to share the results. It's all about adventures people!

So, its a new day, its a new laptop and apparently its all about trying new things.

Skip forward 8 hours.....

Its now the afternoon of this new day and my food day dreaming has become a reality.

Fresh pasta is one of my all time favourite things in the world, I can't explain it, I just love it. Today... spinach pasta, last time I made this (years ago) it wasn't very successful - the spinach wasn't dry enough. Then on top of that, filled fresh pasta makes me even happier. So here it is, super simple and gorgeous... fresh spinach tortellini with cheese filling:

Pasta dough and making the cheese filling

Making tortellini

Complete!

Then it isn't a cooking Sunday without something sweet and I seem to have an affinity for cookies at the moment... these particular cookies are something I have been interested in making for a while. These aren't the most perfect and pretty things I've ever made but they tasted fab... shortbread coated in walnut with raspberry jam centre. Here are the before and after baking photos (not too different):

So the first of (potentially) a string of blog posts without cakes, let me know what you think... let me know if you want to see more foodie treats. Be back soon... I promise.

The day the laptop died…

I have been in blogging hibernation…. Since, the day the laptop died. It was very quick and hopefully painless…. I tried resuscitation but to no avail. In my mourning I have not quite gotten to the point where I can face buying a new one. Juuuust kidding… for reasons unknown I seem to be putting off getting a new one.

There has been a saving grace that has stopped us from being a computer technology-less household (outside of the ever faithful iPhone)... The good old PC that I bought maybe close to 10 years ago when I was studying. It may take a little time to warm up and creak and groan as you click manically to open an application while it is still getting used to being awake – but it lives on and is going through a revival of sorts.

So you’re asking – why the lack of blogging? You have the technology Rachel – excuses, excuses!

Yes, you’re right – but there is another element. This dinosaur computer happens to be located not only in the coldest room in the house (and it has been winter) but the room that has for a long time been a ‘man cave’. I am not the chief occupant of the ‘man cave’ (for obvious reasons) so its all about sharing. But really its mostly about the cold. After being able to sit under a blanket on my couch watching MySky as I type – its hard to relegate yourself to a little room.

The good news of the day is that I have been making cakes over the last few months, so today’s post will be an extravaganza of cakey goodness…. Not to mention any other food adventures I might have thought to take a picture of.

Now where to we begin with this tale? Ah, at the beginning would be good. Once upon a time Rachel (the cake lady) had friends named Craig and Charlottle… Craig was about to have a very special birthday and Charlotte wanted to surprise him with an extra special cake. So who do you call? No…. not Ghostbusters.

My lord… time out. My writing has gone completely loopy while I have been away. But as I’ve said in the past – I want to write as the thoughts are coming out of my brain without editing too much. So what you see is what you get.

Back to the story…. But lets move away from fairy tale land. Doing birthday cakes for friends is great – you get to chat about ideas and come up with cool things to do. For some reason they seem to trust you and the best part is you often get to see them receive their cake.

For this cake it was all about whats on the inside…. No, it wasn’t an ugly cake. But I really wanted to try something different in terms of flavour and Charlotte (bless her) was ever so willing to let me. I ended up going with a dulce-de-leche cake…. Yes I had to look up how to pronounce it… doolsay-de-lashay… yes, say it again!

Basically this is French (I think) for a milk based caramel… which is used as the filling and then the cake itself has a slight almond flavour. Success? Yes I do think so.

And, although rather late, I have to provide my gratitude, thanks and appreciation to Ortega Fish Shack. Not only were they completely happy for me to bring a cake along but the food was incredible and they had a fabulous sense of humour when it came to cake time. This is what Craig was presented with first:

Then for the real deal:

So I have had quite a fear that I have not fessed up to in the past. Children’s cakes. To be more specific… cakes that are shaped like things. You might have noticed all my previous cakes are all some form of square or round.

Cakes that are shaped like actual things have always scared the daylights out of me. How do people make cake look like a dinosaur, or dora the explorer or a fairy princess malibu barbie inspired castle??? Aaahhhhh!!!!

Then a miracle happens. My most amazing friend Brook is about to throw the lovely Tora her 3^rd birthday party…. She had planned to make a cake, a Very Hungry Caterpillar cake even. I see my chance to pop my shaped cake cherry. Brook, being a good friend allows me this courtesy with full knowledge that this is a new adventure for me.

Turns out…. Shapes are a whole new world of cake creativity and goodness. It’s a little tricky, it’s a little like a puzzle but its good.

The caterpillar came out as good as I could have hoped for and was even green inside and out. Yes, those are M&Ms on the bottom of the board – which turned out to be quite entertaining once a whole pack of 3 year olds figured that out. There was some serious M&M hoarding going on. Sugar is seriously like crack for kids.

And just to ensure my fears were fully crushed, I signed up for yet another shaped cake. I am a total theme park junkie, Disneyland is still a magical place for me… so this cake made me smile…. Mini Mouse. Enough said, here she is:

So I promise to be back sooner rather than later. Blogging may morph into all sorts of topics at this stage well outside of the realm of cakes. Not only did I just plant my vege garden and am eagerly awaiting magic to happen, but I don’t have any cakes on the books at the moment. Don’t be sad for me, I have enough going on at the moment that maybe it’s a good thing.

Last but not least, here are a few food pictures taken over the last few months…

 Mountain of cookies that came from a mountain of cookie dough

Mini apple tarts will crumble top

Slow cooked italian meat sauce with pasta