Happy Birthday Nana!

This has been the go to birthday cake in my family for ages. Probably since I stopped having cakes in the shapes of cute animals.

So when it was time to celebrate Nana's birthday, out came the tried and true. How can you go wrong with chocolate? The frosting is made with whipped cream, makes it much lighter than traditional buttercream.

Happy Birthday Nana! We love you!

And thanks for bringing this cake into our lives, oh so good.

The Circus

Often it seems that our life is a three ring circus.

Taming wild beasts, entertaining a crowd, all while juggling everything else.

No wonder it has always been a favourite subject for the littles.

So when I had a meeting to go to, T and the kids decided to start a circus of their own.

The lemonade stand was reincarnated, yet again, to be the concession and ticket booth. A mere five cents for admission and a penny for popcorn.

The audience was held rapt by daring feats and magic tricks. Even the tattooed lady made an appearance.

I hope the circus comes to town again soon.

Girl Guide Cookies

I sold Girl Guide cookies as a kid. Our leaders had a plan, the neighbourhood methodically divided up. Girls sent out in pairs, attired in our stiff uniforms, knee socks and sashes. No house left unvisited.

Back in the day, a box went for $1.25. I can remember racking my brains trying to add up multiple boxes and make change. Math was not my forte.

These days the girls have got it easy. The Girl Guides of Canada have created a cookie so tasty it sells itself. No more knocking on doors or begging relatives to take pity on you.

The chocolate mint cookie is in such high demand the province is sold out. Gone. Couldn't get more if I tried, and I did try. I may have a bidding war for the last few boxes in the garage. Price starts at a mere $4 a box if you're interested.

And with my creation of the Chocolate Mint Candy Cane Ice Cream Sandwich you would be foolish not to be.

Art Crawl

Several weeks ago we spent a showery Sunday afternoon on my first ever art crawl. And, goodness we have so much talent in our town!

Potters, sculptors, painters, glass blowers, photographers. Any medium you can think of was represented.

Given that we had the littles in tow, we only made it to half a dozen stops.

Artists welcomed us into their homes and studios. Answered Anna's endless stream of questions with good humour.

It was a fantastic afternoon.

Yes, the sign really does say "There is a llama in the yard, so please close the gate behind you.". He forgot to mention the emus and peacocks. Like Wonderland in our backyard.

Can't wait for next year.

Happy Hallowe'en!

I wasn't sure we were going to make it, when Yoda woke up at 5am ready for trick or treating. But the day ticked by and the juvenile witching hour arrived at last.

So we left treats on the porch to reward the poor souls who ventured up our steep drive and off we went. A perfect evening for trick or treats, cool with a breeze to rustle the leaves and make the candlelight dance in the jack-o-lanterns.

But eventually the feet, that not long ago couldn't contain their excitement, slowed. Houses were skipped and the lure of checking out the bounty brought us back home.

The littles asking for bedtime milk, bleary eyed crawling under the covers.

T and I, ready to pillage in the name of a safety check. I think I'd better check another Mars bar, just to make sure it's OK.

Three More Sleeps

Nearly there. Three more sleeps, the excitement building.

Orange day at preschool today. Showing off spooky shirts and Halloween skirts.

Cupcake baking for kindergarten tomorrow. Deep rich chocolate with orange buttercream and black sugar sprinkles.

And my little sugar plum fairy, off to the costume party at Sparks.

It's going to be a hauntingly good weekend. I can't wait.

Toffee Sauce Trio

Autumn baking is well under way in our home, and what have we discovered?
Toffee sauce goes well with just about everything.



An apple crostata courtesy of Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. This rustic apple tart is simple and the lemon zest makes it shine. Topped with toffee sauce and toasted pecans, totally yummy.

And speaking of simple? Try the Inside Out Apple Crisp from Jamie at My Baking Addition. You can have it ready for the oven before the pre-heat is done. Oats, brown sugar and cinnamon, oh my!

While it may not look as swish as other desserts, these Mini Sticky Toffee Puddings are a dream. I've been making these beautiful moist cakes loaded with cranberries for years. Serve warm with toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream if you have it.

Toffee Sauce

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup whipping cream

Combine in a saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Simmer until the sauce thickens. Keep in the fridge and heat up as needed. Enjoy!