Friday, June 29, 2007

Lemon tree, oh so pretty.

I love a lemon cake and I'm even happier when I can use home-grown lemons from my tree. Baking is quicker on my own, but more fun with the boys. They run to get the little stool so they can reach the bench and pester me constantly for a taste. Climber is getting quite competent now with the egg-cracking and all, and they both love doing it. Of course, this is mostly to do with licking the bowl and the beaters at the end of the process. We used to call it the scrape when I was little. As in May I have the scrape please?

I used this recipe from The Elegant Sufficiency and it is as she says dead-easy and tangy. I was visiting her blog after she wrote an article about blogging in the Sunday Age a few weeks ago, featuring Poppalina. I was pathetically excited when Shula's name came jumping out of the newsprint at me. I've met her!! I may never be famous but I know some famous people. Which is just as good.
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We had our parent teacher interviews this week, for both creche and school. Both kids are doing fine.

The Cherub is happy and settled and my only complaint is he doesn't do enough artwork for me to have as a tangible reminder of his days at creche.

I'm finding myself slightly surprised to discover that Climber is achieving academically at a higher level than he is physically. Not that I thought he was stupid or anything. Or that he's underachieving in PE - he's right on the norm. It's just he's always been such an active kid, climbing up window sills before he could walk, getting out of the cot and up the slide at a ridiculously early age, good hand/eye co-ordination, kicks a ball well etc etc. So I've just always thought of him as Mister Physical and was envisaging a cushy retirement based on his earnings as star goalkeeper for Manchester United. As you do.

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More on the great love story of this century, Angelina and the Climber. (Can you tell how much I'm enjoying this?) She is smart, that girl. How's this for a tactic? She's been working her charm on The Cherub so that he's besotted with her and has been pestering me to have her over for a playdate, something the Climber has never requested. And!! As I was waiting for my turn to speak with Climber's teacher, I perused the self-portraits on display. Climber is up top, centre. Beneath his *masterpiece* is Angelina's self-portrait and check it out. Because it's not just her in that picture. She's with a boy! They're virtually holding hands. Damn the school holidays. I won't find out for ages if it's Climber!!!

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Finally, I have now had the hangover I felt I was owed. On Wednesday we had a girls' night out (with one honorary husband) for the Prep-T gang and we had a great time, only someone left the red wine bottle(s) right in front of me. You know that level of drunkenness when you giggle at yourself in the mirror in the bathroom? And where you have to focus really, really hard just to follow the conversation? That was me. So I took it nice and easy on Thursday and was doing alright, but it hit me like a brick halfway through the second tap class I was teaching that night. The worst thing was that I couldn't work out what was wrong with me for a minute or two. Once I knew I was able to deal with it. Made it through, just.

13 comments:

  1. Yum, lemon cake. Ok, you say she said it was easy blah blah, but was it?

    And was it yummy?

    As for the pic with Climber(?), I reckon it is. Of course it is!

    Congrats on the drunk night, I know what you are saying, especially with the red wine, which I cannot resist, and if it is left in front of me, consider it gone. If it isn't left in front of me, consider yourself pushed over while I reach for it! Then consider it gone.

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  2. who needs iron when you've got red wine???

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  3. ...and the lemon flower is sweet

    Such a pretty song, and lemon cake has to be my fave ( and that's saying something, as you know my penchant for savoury )

    Bought some home-made lemon cordial in Healesville. It tastes just like my Great Grandma used to make, and I really need to get my own lemon tree ( I have a miniature Meyer lemon in a pot, which is lovely, but not as prolific as the firmer pithy 'real' lemon ) Gotta git me ..

    I giggle at myself in mirrors.
    I've even kissed my reflection, and giggled .. *ahem* My husband gets a red stain on his lips and teeth .. tee hee ...

    We're MUCH more mature now. tsk on you ;)

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  4. arent you all nigella?????? Cake looks yumbo! Need to hear what is going on in the love triangle!

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  5. Someone told me that organic red wine didn't give you such a hangover. Haven't tried it yet, but I'm willing to do the research. And I do hope that's Climber in the pic!

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  6. I LOVE lemon cake! I'm not a cook or a baker but I do know how to make a mean orange cake and a rm cake as well!

    If you knew how bad I was in the kitchen you'd be proud of me too. LOL.

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  7. I adore lemon cake. We had the sweetest lemon tree growing up, and we could actually eat the d*mn things off the tree they were so sweet.


    But a ManU goalkeeper? Gaw! Goalkeepers get blamed for everything - how about a nice striker. (Our secret plan for MF, too. heh heh)

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  8. Is there any of that cake left? I might just pop over....

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  9. Stomper, you ARE a dag.

    But you can bake like a fiend, so you're ALRIGHT.

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  10. Lemon cake made with your own lemons? Goodness, how very exotic-sounding (to my Scottish ears). And look at that sunshine at the Harry Potter party. That's winter? It has hardly stopped raining here for a fortnight and this is high summer. Not fair!

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  11. My all-time-favourite recipes are ususally lemon/citrus cake, slice, tart, etc. They always work! Oh I do hope it's Climber too!

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  12. Lovely paintings...And the lemon cake is making me hungry

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Don't let the cat get your tongue.