The days begins with kitchen chaos. I attempt to put yesterday’s cake crisis behind me and look ahead to a better day and a better bake! I forego barbells for baking this morning, because a birthday is not a birthday without a cake. I will not arrive at Heather’s hairdressers without a cake. I could buy one. But I wouldn’t. The difference between a Sam Cake and a shop cake is that everything that comes out of my kitchen, is made with LOVE! Taste the difference!
So, today Evelyn is in bookshelf exile, and I’m sticking to a chef I know and love… Bill Granger. My lovely friends Simon and Takashi gave me Bill’s Basics for my last birthday – so, it’s only taken me a year to get busy with Bill. Better late than never! I’m going to give Bill’s Cake for a Crowd a go, because as Bill says “this basic cake recipe makes opening a the packet look tricky. Throw all the ingredients into a bowl and stir together – it’ll never let you down.” Yay! This sounds like my kind of recipe!
I put the mixture in a deep square cake tin and it rises sky high, so high in fact, that I get to use my newly purchased cake leveller to tart up the top. Never one to miss an oven opportunity, I multi task and make some Sugar and Spice Shortbread for Geraldine and the Prof. I’m super excited because I finally get to use my wild animal cookie cutters. The rhino is a no-brainer, they’re the Prof’s best beastie, but I also try out some elephants to spice things up a bit. They’re simple to make and scrumptious to eat!
After the mini-baking blitz, I let my cake and cookies cool while I hurry off to the doctor to get things going in the Feeder Program. Today, the lovely Bev is on reception, and I share Cousin Lucy’s Fantastic Flapjacks and some of Nigella’s Totally Chocolate Chip Cookies. Bev must surely be one of the most enthusiastic members of the program! My lovely doctor gets a goody bag too, and also the pleasure of giving me another shot of Thyrogen. Another day, another butt cheek! We both marvel at my expensive taste in drugs! Thyrogen is like a good diamond, so small, so magical but yet, so expensive!
After my jab, things go into overdrive. I hurry home, slather Bill’s Cake for a Crowd with Bill’s Vanilla Whipped Buttercream and then make a mad dash into the sunshine for a sneaky 5km run. But that’s not all, then I’m off to the lovely Endota Spa for an awesome organic facial which is so relaxing, I almost fall asleep (more than once!) So at least tomorrow, when I’m radioactive and glowing on the inside, with my new-fresh-looking face, I’ll be glowing on the outside too!
Then it’s hair fare! I hurry off to Hev’s for some hair improvement. There are highlights, a lot of foils, candles and cake. It’s all very jolly and Bill’s bake is a surefire hit! It looks good, tastes terrific and gets the birthday girl’s seal of approval.
While I’m in the chair, I get a call from the doctor’s surgery and my heart does a dive. Last time, I got a call from the doctor when I was at the hairdressers, the news was bad. I had Cancer. Today, however, it’s all good! It’s just Bev, phoning to tell me how much she loves Cousin Lucy’s Fantastic Flapjacks! Bless her little cottons! She hasn’t even worked her way into Nigella’s Totally Chocolate Cookies so there’s a treat in store for her tomorrow! Anyhow I digrees, the weather turns wild with the mother of all storms; torrential rain and gale force winds. Just what you need when you step out of a salon! Hooray for my hoody!
Back at home, we get as warm and cosy as we can without heating, and heat things up with a dinner of Pasta with Chilli, Tomatoes and Spinach which has got a kick and a half! David taste tests some of that birthday cake and gives it the thumbs up; high praise indeed for someone who is so difficult to please!
