Wednesday 22 April 2020

Mr 23

My second born turned 23 today. He is now, tall, dark and handsome and a sweet, kind, gentle lad. He also is a black belt in karate, taught himself to play the guitar and ukelele, makes amazing Yorkshire puddings and flapjack and is funny as. Currently single. Not that I'm wanting to get him married off anytime soon!
His cake was baked yesterday. I used 8oz of my precious SR flour stock! I've maybe a pound and a half of each STR and Plain left now. I'm not bragging but I do have an almost full bag of bread flour left and some in date yeast!!
8oz flour, caster sugar and marg, 4 large eggs. I split the mixture into thirds. Once vanilla, one choc chip and one chocolate. Jam, buttercream, nutella buttercream and milk chocolate ganache was used. Milk chocolate to decorate, Cadbury's chocolate fingers and buttons on the top! I made a chocolate 23 and was done! We facetimed his sister to do the candles and Happy Birthday song!


My absolutely beautiful baby boy.



Now then, I saw a top tip where they used the bottom of a pop bottle to help the pouring effect
Two mistakes I made - one I slightly overwhipped the ganache but it tastes absolutely divine so no big deal and 2 I let the melted chocolate cool too much so it didn't run as free as I'd like but I get how it will work next time! Also - it tastes absolutely divine so no big deal!


You can see the effect you'd get if it was pouring better. 
You then remove the bottle and fill the centre.





Slightly broke the numbers pressing them in. I could have melted more chocolate to glue them on but I was already the worst mother in the world for no presents so no big deal!

School was good today. Only one customer, but I rang approx 30 parents to do their weekly welfare check and it left me feeling warm and glowing to hear how grateful they are for the help we are giving them and how thankful I was to hear they are all fit and well. I am tired out tonight.
The HG took Bluebell for a walk this morning and she had a run in with a little black patterdale terrier. I say 'had a run in'.
The woman owner had 3 dogs, 2 on  a lead, one not. The loose one came over to B and bared it's teeth. The HG called B to him, she came, the black dog followed. The woman owner was calling her dog but mostly just carried on walking away. The black dog then 'went' for Bluebell, who jumped and squealed. The HG confessed to thinking about booting the black dog to kingdom come but he was a little too far away  as in he said his leg would not have stretched that far! and the owner did eventually get her dog to come to her. She got told off in no uncertain terms by the HG and I am glad he did. Bluebell seems unaffected by the skirmish, she does have a mark on her hindquarters which I have bathed in salt water and put some wound cleaner on especially for dogs. I will keep a close eye on it. Grrrr - other people's dogs.
We have just discovered Doc wotsit - I forget his name now - and will try to find series one to watch it from. Bloke out of men behaving badly is a grumpy GP in Cornwall. Wordfinding when I'm tired is none existent. I wouldn't mind but an advert for it was literally JUST on!  A remnant of the damage done when I was yellow I think. Plus old age!

Right time for a brew then bed.

Lots of love from

Rachel*They're not babies long* Radiostar xx



14 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday to Mr 23. The cake looks lovely and the end result was definitely worth using your precious flour for. We face time Amy now for all celebrations when she's at Uni. It's weird though just having her head on a screen at the table, as though she's died and we've captured her forever in some sort of robotic time warp lol.

    Other people's dogs are a bloody nuisance, well actually it's the owners. We've come across people with dogs off leads who've come over to Sparky on his lead and they've said "it's OK, he just wants to say hello, he's friendly". Yes but Sparky's a nervous wreck and doesn't like being approached so don't blame us when he snaps at your dog. Makes me so mad.

    It's Doc Martin you're trying to think off and he's fantastically grumpy. One of our GP's is exactly like him - not the grumpy bit but he's straight to the point, which I find perfect. Get it said and get it dealt with! xx

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    1. Ahhh brilliant thank you = I couldn't get Doc Magic out of my head but I KNEW it wasn't that!I am laughing at Amy being captured in a box!! Poor Sparky! Built for social distancing!

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  2. Doc Martin, brilliant program, well worth watching from the start, it's nice easy viewing.
    The cake looks great, i haven't baked for years, when i can get some flour, i think I'll have a go.
    Hazel

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    1. Thank you Hazel. Good luck in finding some flour - it's rarer than loo rolls were!

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  3. A Happy Birthday to Mr 23! I bet those years have flown by.
    I hope Bluebell is OK. X

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    1. Thank Jules. Bluebell was absolutely fine - Think it was me that was worse. The years have zoomed by like seconds!

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  4. Happy Birthday to Mr. 23!! The cake looks deeelicious!!

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  5. Happy birthday to him and, oh, just look at that cake. Fantastic.
    I hope Miss B is OK and there are no repercussions. What a nasty thing to happen and, if she can't control it, she should not have had that dog off the lead.
    xx

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    1. Thank you Joy. The HG said the cake was a bit sickly. Well that was fine by me because I can have his slices!

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  6. What a lovely looking cake...dread to think of the calorific value but at 23 I wouldn’t have cared! x

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  7. Glad Bluebell isn't badly hurt. I love dogs but can't believe people are walking them off lead at this time of distancing.

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    1. I know - especially if you know they don't come back. I do let B off - but only after I've checked there's noone around - same before the lockdown to be honest.

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