As a proud Mummy, I just wanted to log some milestones that the kids have reached recently.
Charlotte recently stopped sucking her thumb. I caught her doing it in her sleep last night but it's really been a few weeks now since she last sucked her thumb.
We had friends over to play and I commented that she was having a lazy day where all she wanted to do was lie on the sofa and suck her thumb. The Mom commented that her daughter just recently stopped after she was told she would need braces because sucking your thumb makes your mouth smaller.
I thought that was a great idea and realised that maybe I'd needed 4 teeth pulled because I used to suck my thumb. So I took it up a notch (as Charlotte wouldn't know what braces were) and told Charlotte that if she sucked her thumb, her mouth would get small, there wouldn't be enough room for her teeth and the dentist would have to do an operation to take some of her teeth out. A little harsh? Maybe. But it worked and she has not had any nightmares either! Win!
Both kids have learnt to 'pump' on the swing. Charlotte can now swing all by herself and Toby tries but sometimes he is just too short to even be able to get onto the swing! But he tries and of course and his big Toby grin on his face when he is doing it. If he is too short he shouts "Mummy I need you!" which I hear a lot in the course of a day. It's music to my ears most of the time but when you are in the middle of getting dressed or taking a shower it's not so good!
Oh and I would love to take the credit but it is all down to the preschool and day care staff! Thank you ladies!
Toby loves being outside and his favourite thing is his scooter. The problem is that he is a wanderer and would probably scoot off for miles if I let him! Charlotte is more of an indoors type of person, preferring to sit for ages at her little wooden table and colour or draw or write. She is actually excited to do her summer 'homework' which involves writing her name neatly between two lines and writing numbers through 200.
Charlotte has also learnt to click her fingers. She has been practising for ages now. It's not very loud but she is very pleased with herself that she can do it and we are very impressed too!
There are probably so many more things that they are doing that they weren't a few months ago but I am happy that I have captured these ones.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
lemon and lime love cake
It was book club tonight and often people bring a bottle of wine or a sweet treat. I've been going to this book club for a few months now. I love the small group of ladies, we always have a good laugh over a glass of wine and we've read some interesting books that I wouldn't have necessarily picked up myself.
So I decided to bake a 'lemon and lime love cake' which has always gone down well in the past. Baking ingredients here are a bit different to the UK. The butter we buy is made from canola oil and is softer and they don't sell caster sugar in the main supermarkets, only granulated. The wheat is also softer and had less protein. I know this through experience at Kellogg's, trying to use American wheat to make the UK products. It's just that it's grown under different conditions and you have to adapt your recipes to suit.
So my baking, since moving here, has been pretty disastrous! My pastry has been awful and cakes have been a big flop. Not that I am a great baker but I could give most things a good go!
But today I left plenty of time to run to the local store if there were any disasters and I am happy to report that there weren't! I used imported Irish (Kerry Gold) butter which I think made a big difference :)
I had a little helper with me, who I am very pleased to say, gets excited about helping to bake cakes and bread. I hope she develops a love of cooking and experimenting in the kitchen. Though it won't be great for her waistline!
Here is the recipe that I followed:
Under the heading in the recipe book is written the following:
"This tangy loaf is known by lots of different names, but Love Cake is particularly appropriate since everyone who tries it finds it impossible to resist."
6 tbsp/90g butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
11/2 cups/175g all-purpose (plain) flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
11/4 cups/275g (caster) sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup/125ml milk
Grated peel of lemon and juice of 1/2 lemon
Grated peel and juice of 1 lime
1. Preheat the oven to 325oF/160oC, Gas 3.
Grease and flour a 9 x 5in/23 x 13cm loaf pan (tin).
Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Put the butter in another bowl and add 3/4 cup/175g of the sugar.
Beat until pale and creamy, then gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little flour if the mixture shows any signs of curdling.
Gradually add the remaining flour, alternating with the milk, beating well after each addition.
Stir in the lemon and lime peel.
3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and level the surface.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Invert the loaf onto a wire rack, then turn it the right way up.
4. Mix the citrus juices with the remaining sugar.
Put a tray underneath the rack and spoon the sugar mixture over the top of the loaf, letting it run down the sides slightly.
Allow to cool before slicing.
It went down well tonight I think. The next challenge will be to try and make it with spelt flour which is pretty low in gluten and therefore great for Jeremy.
So I decided to bake a 'lemon and lime love cake' which has always gone down well in the past. Baking ingredients here are a bit different to the UK. The butter we buy is made from canola oil and is softer and they don't sell caster sugar in the main supermarkets, only granulated. The wheat is also softer and had less protein. I know this through experience at Kellogg's, trying to use American wheat to make the UK products. It's just that it's grown under different conditions and you have to adapt your recipes to suit.
So my baking, since moving here, has been pretty disastrous! My pastry has been awful and cakes have been a big flop. Not that I am a great baker but I could give most things a good go!
But today I left plenty of time to run to the local store if there were any disasters and I am happy to report that there weren't! I used imported Irish (Kerry Gold) butter which I think made a big difference :)
I had a little helper with me, who I am very pleased to say, gets excited about helping to bake cakes and bread. I hope she develops a love of cooking and experimenting in the kitchen. Though it won't be great for her waistline!
Charlotte's choice of outfit for baking: half of her ballet costume and her apron!
Oh to be 4 years old again!
Here is the recipe that I followed:
Under the heading in the recipe book is written the following:
"This tangy loaf is known by lots of different names, but Love Cake is particularly appropriate since everyone who tries it finds it impossible to resist."
6 tbsp/90g butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
11/2 cups/175g all-purpose (plain) flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
11/4 cups/275g (caster) sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup/125ml milk
Grated peel of lemon and juice of 1/2 lemon
Grated peel and juice of 1 lime
1. Preheat the oven to 325oF/160oC, Gas 3.
Grease and flour a 9 x 5in/23 x 13cm loaf pan (tin).
Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Put the butter in another bowl and add 3/4 cup/175g of the sugar.
Beat until pale and creamy, then gradually beat in the eggs, adding a little flour if the mixture shows any signs of curdling.
Gradually add the remaining flour, alternating with the milk, beating well after each addition.
Stir in the lemon and lime peel.
3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and level the surface.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Invert the loaf onto a wire rack, then turn it the right way up.
4. Mix the citrus juices with the remaining sugar.
Put a tray underneath the rack and spoon the sugar mixture over the top of the loaf, letting it run down the sides slightly.
Allow to cool before slicing.
It went down well tonight I think. The next challenge will be to try and make it with spelt flour which is pretty low in gluten and therefore great for Jeremy.
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