On A Monday

I was feeling so energetic today, after a long game of ping pong in the morning, I did work in the garden, but after one hour, it started raining.  I was so keen to finish the job which was deadheading my standard iceberg roses

White and Hot Pink Iceberg Roses

Brown and dry roses, unsightly.  Deadheading need to be done.

A wheelbarrow full of cutting, wilted and brownish dry roses ready for the rubbish bin.

I stopped for a while as the rain became rapid,  went inside the house, and cooked for tonight dinner, that was an excellent idea, anyway I believed that the rain will ease a little so I could go back outside.    I was right, I continued my work only one more rose plant to go, while the Bolognese sauce was cooking away in my kitchen.  Two jobs were done at the same time, it has been a very fruitful Monday.

The New Look 

The four standard roses look clean, healthy and there are a couple of buds already, before too long,  the second round flowering will be here.

A good start for the week, about two hours playing the game this morning, started off with reasonably easy matches, the luck of having a right partner and very generous and understanding opponents, then the games continued.  Meeting smart partners,  against other skilful people, could be difficult, but in my case, it is the time to learn and to improve.

Pound cake with cherry liquor and
white chocolate - macadamia nuts topping.

It was a sweet day for us,  the day that we both loved to share delicious cakes for morning tea, often it falls on a Monday.







Today is Monday, the fruitful day a good beginning for the week. 

The last fresh cut roses for the house for now.

Hot Pink Iceberg Roses

Until Next Post
Susy

Just Another , , , , , ,

Pumpkin Cake
There are a lot of recipes of pumpkin cakes, but this pumpkin cake is for everyone, the ingredients most probably are there in any family's pantry.  Often we have a roast dinner, and pumpkin is one of the vegetables, use some of the roasted pumpkins to bake this cake.  Of course, you can roast the pumpkin by itself if you wish to.  Roasted pumpkin has an intense flavour and is also not too watery.

The cake is based on the pumpkin cake that I saw on the website, but I adjusted what I thought would suit me better.  Self-rising flour I used instead of mashed roasted pumpkin added extra water instead 1 cup soft pumpkin.  It worked beautifully.

The cake can be dressed with cream cheese and icing on top, or with caramel topping, or simply dust the cake with icing sugar.

The Preparations

Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, add the egg one at the time.  Add in the vanilla and pumpkin, blend together.  Stir in a third of the flour, blend to mix.  Add the rest of the flour, blend it again until smooth, the last one is adding the sour cream, blend to combine quickly.  Now you have a smooth thick cake batter.

Scoop the batter onto the prepared tin,  level and smooth 

the top nicely, and it is ready to bake in the prepared oven.

The freshly baked cake, let it rest for ten minutes before turning out to cool.

The pumpkin cake is resting to cool on a cooling tray.

Every time I try a new recipe, I always try baking small one out of the batter to make sure that it works well and taste good.  I did make two little cupcakes, they looked good.  

And these are the small pumpkin cupcakes dressed with caramel sauce and dusted with icing powder.  It's a very moist little cake just as I thought.  

Pumpkin Cup Cakes

Recipe

Pumpkin Cake
Serves 12

Ingredients

2 cups self - rising flour

½ teaspoon bicarb soda

Spices:

½ teaspoon ginger powder

½ teaspoon clove powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

(Sift all dry ingredients together)

125 g butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed

½ cup mashed roasted pumpkin add ½ cup water

(Mix together well)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon  vanilla essence

½ tablespoon sour cream

Method

Pumpkin cake mixture on a bunt in

Butter and line a bunt tin

Put the oven up to 165 degrees C (fan forced)

Cream the soft butter with the brown sugar until fluffy

Add in the eggs, one egg at the time, beat thoroughly before adding the second one

Add in the vanilla essence and the pumpkin, and mix together

Add one-third of the flour mix, and stir carefully

The top is level, ready to bake.

Add the rest of the flour mix, and stir well, add in the sour cream mixes them together.

Put the cake batter onto the prepared tin, level the top evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean.

Take it out from the oven, let it rest for 5 - 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely.

To Dress: Dress with icing powder on top or with caramel topping and roasted nuts.

It is not just another pumpkin cake, but it is a family pumpkin cake that everyone should have.

The cake was served for afternoon tea, and it's truly a delight, everyone loved it.

Cake is Served

I will bake again, as it is now our family's cake and I will try to freeze it, it may freeze well.  I love the cake because it can be dressed down or up, meaning for a special treat, serve it with creamy caramel sauce and roasted nuts, or top it with cream cheese icing, for healthy style, have it as it is or dust it with icing sugar.

More baking soon.


Until Next Post
Susy

Milo Isaac

Milo Isaac Van Ras, yes it is his name, he is the youngest of our grand kids.  He came over for a visit with his mama and papa, he is an adorable and clever boy. For the past few weeks he spent time with his mama and papa travelling around New Zealand, he had a great time, even though there were no other children to be with him until he visited their cousins in Melbourne.  There he had to learn something new to play with his peers, a big adjustment for him.  He is accustomed to playing with other children as he spends some days in childcare in the Netherlands and he loves it.  He stayed for a few days with us, it was a short visit, but a sweet one.
Now we got to know him a little better; usually we only talk to him via Face Time, and while he was here with us, we could tell, hold him and play with him.
He was easy to care for, he always enjoyed his meals, especially breakfast.  It's so good, we know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

If I have to tell you about my cooking, it is about soft boiled eggs for Milo.  It was the best cooking that I ever have done, it cooked in perfection.  It was soft runny egg yolk, so he could dip the toast into it.

A dessert that he was not keen was the pear pudding with the ice cream.

Milo with his playmates
Morris and Charlie

I did not think that the pear braised in red wine was for him, he tried though, but he left the table, he had enough.





He loves to play with play dough but also playing with iPad, and he does it with ease too.

Playing with play dough.

Watching TV, resting from playing with his iPad

Rolling water pastry with nana

Sweets he loves, the fruit he eats; apples, grapes,  but not sour oranges, but of course cake is the winner.  He often has cakes, served with lots of milk and light tea.  He did enjoy my baking.  













He was so happy with his mama birthday's cake, he had a slice, and he insisted on having a big one.

Milo in the backyard was enjoying his mama's cake the next day.


His mama says that chocolate cake is his favourite.  I baked a special chocolate cake and decorated with meringue for Milo; indeed, he loved the cake, but he was not too sure about the meringue.

The cake for Milo

For his meals there were always mixed vegetables a little bread, he was not too keen about protein except eggs.  He loves his pasta or noodles and also the savoury brioche that I prepared.  The roast lamb, he tasted the meat,  but he liked the potato, carrot, asparagus and sweet corns better.  As for rice, he was not sure, I suppose it is hard to eat.  I am sure when he grows up, he will like it, then he will enjoy nana's rice cooking, which is delicious.

Sweets, cakes all are yummy and giving so much energy.  It is time to spend it, we took him to the playground in Victory Park and also for a picknick in the rose garden,  Morwell.

At Victory Park with Milo

 We all had a great time, it was a happy and busy day.

Pick Nick in the Rose Garden

We stopped to visit a friend's home in Erica, Nicki and Alan Lowe, they have a beautiful garden with a gorgeous view.  It is good to know that soon they will open the tea house: Asaggio (I taste)

At the Lowes, enjoyed the beautiful place and their hospitality.

Thank you, Nicki and Alan, for the pleasant morning, for the excellent coffee and delicious cakes

 At the Pick Nick, the Rose Garden Morwell

Milo had a lovely time smelling the roses, walking around the garden, and enjoyed his unique sandwiches which were avocado sandwiches, he was not too keen about the cold stuffed brioche with egg.

Milo with his mama and papa

Indeed, it was another lovely outing with Milo and his mama and papa.  We got home a little feeling tired and exhausted, he needed his afternoon rest.  A very successful day, another happy holiday for Milo.

More stories of Milo during his visit to Nana and Pop 

I arrived at Park Lane with our dear Friend Lauren, Thank You.

The table sits for six is ready for Milo, his mama, papa, Lauren and us, it was Jane's belated birthday celebration.  A light lunch, the menus were sweet.  Lemper (glutenous rice rolls stuffed with delicious meat), golden turmeric rice served with chicken stuffed with egg and truffle, garnished with a leafy salad.  Rose petal birthday cake for the dessert.  Soft drinks and apple juice were the offers, no alcoholic beverage, Lauren had to go back to Melbourne on the same day and catching the flight to Canberra.

Lunch with Lauren.

Milo looked the platter with interest.

The luncheon went very well, we enjoyed the company and the delicious food.

In the backyard with Lauren, Ed and Jane

Lauren left Traralgon about 2.25 in the afternoon, it was a big day for her, drove down to Traralgon and went back,  drove up to Melbourne on the same day.  She is such a kind and generous person,   Jane is so lucky to have her. We are all so too.  Thank you and see you again for sure.

Breakfast with Pop

He served porridge dressed with brown sugar or honey, it's his daily breakfast food.  It delighted Milo, he devoured it all.  The adults could have a treat, vegetarian spring rolls were served, I prepared them a week before they arrived. I simply pulled them out of the freezer and fried into perfection.  I told them, have it as a YUM CHA.  They were good, the pastry was crisps, and the fillings were delicious.  It is good to eat them once in a while.

After the porridge, the adults had the spring rolls.  Well, it's a very early Yam Cha.

It's time for Milo, his mama and papa to go.

Georgie and baby Felix came to pick them up and drove to Melbourne by car.  It was good to see her and more so to meet the gorgeous baby Felix who always smiles.  We had lunch together, mini spinach cheese pie, Javanese resoles and a salad.  Tea and small cakes afterwards.  It was the last meal we had together.

Milo tried to show off his drawing, he was not too interested with the lunch, he ate a large apple for morning tea, what he had for lunch was only a few pieces of cucumber, no not the resoles.  Baby Felix finished a whole mashed banana, it was the right time for him to have the lunch.

 Mini apple strudels and wedges of Milo cakes to close of the meal with freshly brewed tea in a pot.

Milo was ready to go to continue his journey, Melbourne was the destination.  He was so happy to be in Georgie's car, sitting close by baby Felix heading to a hotel in Melbourne.  The next visit would be to the cousins' place, it's their last day in Australia.

Georgie, baby Felix, Ed, Jane and Milo in the backyard

A car ride toward Melbourne with Georgie and Felix

I understood they had a lovely last day together at Melanie's place, she is Milo's eldest auntie.  She put on gourmet pizza in the afternoon and topped up with a sweet treat from Susan, Milo's youngest auntie.

 Enjoying Ice Cream

Milo with his cousins, Mary Rose, Thomas, Henry and Lily

After the good times with the cousins, aunties and families, Milo had to say goodbye, it was time to go home to the Netherlands.

Before they left Melbourne to the Tullamarine airport, we managed to catch up via Face Time.  It's sad to see Milo with his mama and papa go, but I know that soon we shall see one another again.

I could see Milo, soon he got home, he is happy playing with his own toys, reading his books as he has his personal library,  I saw him shelving his own books during our Face Time.  Milo is so amazing, cute and smart, loved by his mama and papa, and he is loved by all of us.  He is a happy boy.

The reason for the trip was his sister Ivy who is not born yet, the baby was due in February 2015.

The surprise trip made us happy, it was great to see you all. 

Milo's toys, Charlie and Morris

Love you, Milo, until next visit or maybe see you before.  xx

Park Lane, November 2014

Susy