Halfpom

Delicious double velvet....

I'm still on the cake trail....I've been meaning to try making a red velvet cake (from the United States)  ever since I saw the recipe used for cupcakes at the Magnolia Bakery in New York and what with one thing and another just never have got round to it. Then I had a slice at the vintage fair last Saturday and was inspired to give it a whirl.....what fun it was to make. You use a whole two tablespoons....yes tablespoons!!..of red food colouring mixed into the buttermilk so the whole experience was slightly halloweenish but the end result was delicious and looked totally amazing...

I used the recipe from Rachel Allen's Bake book and it turned out exactly as planned. I also used her recipe for the marvellous meringuey icing.....and the fresh raspberries were from the allotment.  Yum yummmm.....will definitely add this into my repetoire!!

Balloon season....

Driving to work this morning along a new route through Dunstall Common & Kinnersley and just had to pull over to take this picture - fortunately it is not a busy road and my camera was on the passenger seat....isn't it a beautiful morning??

A lovely view with the folly at Dunstall Common in the bottom right hand corner of the picture and the Malvern hills stretching over the horizon... It is definitely getting much colder this week...I have a thermometer in my car and to give you an indication of the drop in temperatures this week...

::Tuesday = 11 deg Celsius

::Wednesday = 8 degrees

::Today, Thursday, it was 4 degrees!!!!! 

A bit of warning would have been nice...I'll have to dig out the winter woollies if this carries on.......  
 

Vintage Craft Fair...

A friend mentioned that there was going to be a second Vintage Fair In Worcester on Saturday and I had missed the first one as I was laid low by the dreaded swine flu so decided to check it out. Overall it was delightful but as my friend commented - some people who are very talented hide their light under a bushel & don't have the confidence to exhibit at something like this whilst others are super confident and have vastly overrated their talents.....Simon Cowell comes across quite a few of these types on the X factor too!! So most stalls were a hit but some of them you could definitely miss....and I do feel qualified to make this judgement as a veteran of many years of shopping...........

 

It was held at St Helen's Church right in the centre of Worcester's shopping area so a great location.

After a bit of browsing & shopping, it is nice to be able to take the weight off one's feet & have a nice cuppa and a great big HIT was the Royal tea shop.....

Yummy cakes and good coffee - what more can you ask for....

and the next Vintage Fair will be held in the same venue on the 12th December....