Back in the light

I have emerged from the long, dark tunnel that was marking! Actually, it wasn't really that long, just since last Thursday, and it was entirely of my own making as I was given two weeks to do it but I began with less than a week to go. I have been up late every night since Friday and I must be getting old because I'm pretty tired. A deep breath....it's all over now.

Toby played his second ever game of cricket on Saturday. We don't have any photos because Andrew was umpire but check this out!

For my few readers from uncivilised countries that don't play cricket (I am being very sarcastic here as cricket players are no longer civilised), a hat trick is where you bowl people out in three consecutive balls.

Yesterday Bethany and I went to our friend Rosie's house for a Chefs Toolbox party. It pains me to type that without the apostrophe but that is what it is called. Before I became aware of this glaring error in the brand name I bought some of the fabulous things we had been cooking with. My favourite purchase, it hasn't arrived yet, is a gingerbread house mould. I can't wait to make one! while the grown-ups were cooking, Bethany was kept amused by the kittens recently produced by Rosie's cat. They are being given away for free and are very cute but I'm not tempted. I have allergic family members.

Guess what this is...

It is two Christmas cakes worth of fruit getting swollen with alcoholic goodness. This is the first year that I am making Granny's heirloom recipe and I am so excited. I was going to make just one cake but when I imagined myself asking if people would like a slice, and then telling them not to take one unless they really wanted it, I thought I should make two to help me be generous. Also, you can't buy fruit in the exact quantities you need so the packets generally held enough fruit for two cakes. I'll let the fruit drink for a week, turning the jar over every day and make the cakes next week. I'll help myself to not eat them early by not icing them until just before Christmas.

Megan was, originally, a friend of Tim's through the Internet and over the years Mum and I have read her and her family's blogs so that we feel now as if we know them. They love food, like us, and Tricia is a great decorator as is my Mum. All three, the other being Jessica, create wonderful things. Megan is a brilliant photographer, amongst other things, and has a competition at the moment to win one of her prints. There is still time to enter because they are many hours behind us in Florida! She has lots of beautiful prints but my favourite is the lion (Aslan to me).

I'll be back again soon, maybe with photos of Cafe by Candlelight which s on Saturday night, or of the 30 raspberry swirl mini cheescakes I will be making for it.