Knowing your limits

I love baking, I really do, but there are times in life when you have to realise that circumstances are not favourable to spending a couple of afternoons indulging in sugar and icing and expressing yourself through the medium of cake. And, Easter weekend was one of those times for me.

Rewind 2 years, and I would have been going hell for leather to make sure that I fully achieved every task on my impossible list, along with a pile of arguments, panic attacks, hissy fits and plenty of tears along the way.

But that is why I got so ill.

With everything else I had to do (more on that later) I realised the cake was going to be too much so I decided to ask Anne if she could help me, and if not, I would just buy one. Happily she said yes, and it was AMAZING! Such a talented lady, all the cakes she creates are works of art, I showed her the photos on my previous post and voila!

Isn't she clever? We were all thrilled with them, and they tasted even better than they look!

The birthday girl was truly spoilt, and had such a fabulous time playing with her little friends and cousins, and the guys at the Ice Cream farm could not have been more helpful - they were great.
(To clarify, Anne works in the shop and kindly offered to fit baking and decorating the cake around her other plans over Easter)  

here she is wearing her mini rodini flower blouse, contemplating blowing out the candle!

The deep freeze

Snow, Snow, Snow

Well, it's nearly April and I have never felt so cold! If this continues for much longer I am just going to wholeheartedly embrace it and get myseld an outfit something like this:

Do you think the hat would be a little OTT?

I have been trying to plan my daughter's 3rd birthday party. We have booked the Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream Farm, but I am seriously doubting that the snow will have melted by then. They do have an indoor covered play area, and maybe if the children are so excited and giddy from  ice cream and party food they will run around and play and not feel the cold?

So anyway, positive hat on, I'm sure it will be fine. (That's the spirit!) So, I had better start thinking about the details. As it is an ice cream farm, well, the theme had better be ice cream! I have been having a little search around the internet and found these cute cake pops by Peggy Porschen in her new Boutique Baking Book image via sweet craftiness

and another version:

 daisypinkcupcake.blogspot.co.uk

Balloons, 

these look very easy to do, just brown paper and helium ballons. I think I would use the ballon sticks though as I get huge guilt about using helium during the current shortage. (It's essential for all sorts of medical equipment! Who knew?!)

And for the actual cake, how about this by and everything sweet

or my favourite from one charming party

I have easter Monday to make it all the treats if I am going to, so we shall see if I can get it done in time!