Good food and food company

I believe good food makes people happy. Good food and good company make for a fantastic night. And good food, good company and a great bottle/s of wine is always memorable. I started getting into baking when I wasn't the happiest in life, it acted as an escape for me and also gave me something to be passionate about and enjoy. Eating the food was also amazing, however did cause a fair bit of weight gain - so a lesson, moderation ;-).

I find my baking can make others happy. I am filled with pride when I present a layer cake to a friend or family member to celebrate their birthday. I love hearing the mmmmmmm from people when they take the first bite of a treat I've lovingly prepared. And I love when friends or family ask me to bake something for them, as it shows my passion has transferred to them and they want to share good food with their friends or family. (My photography is not great though, so I think that should be the next thing I work on...)

This recipe is for my uncle. He has shared many cakes and desserts with me and during the week asked if I could make something special for a lunch party he was throwing. Blueberries are just coming back into season here, so I decided on a blueberry sour cream cake with a white chocolate cream cheese icing. I was later told it was a hit!

Lunch box treat for daycare

I don't have any proof, as I am one of the first to drop my son off in the morning, but I sometimes wonder if the other parents are judging what I leave my child for lunch in the fridge at daycare each day. Do they look at the same ham and cheese sandwich that my son gets for lunch everyday and smirk at their gourmet bites they have brought in for their child, or do they think "I really should try feeding my child ham as it won't eat anything else?" I am sure everyone actually does what I do and throws the lunch in the fridge with the hope it lands in the correct basket then whips my child to whatever room he needs to start the day in before having the teacher peeled him from my arms so I can run to the car/bus/train to get to work on time. No time for judging, only time for a sympathetic look or smile from other parents as you can hear your child screaming down the hall.

So, with this little theory of mine not really debunked or confirmed, I sometimes like to treat my son with a special (tasty) lunch box treat. Today it's an apple tea cake. It's so easy to make, so can be whipped up the night before after the kids are finally in bed and before you pass out from exhaustion yourself. ENJOY.