13 March 2008

Let It Bee

Apologies for the yawning gap between the last post and this one, but there were extenuating circumstances: (a) uni is incredibly stressful (okay, so it's mostly photography giving me grey hair and wrinkles but everything is full-on) and (b) our other goldfish, also called Laurim or Taura, died yesterday and I didn't really have it in me to blog, especially after a particularly draining photog class where my pictures were largely slated by the teacher (who, in all fairness, was most likely correct, but it still stings.) I guess loss is the risk of loving something, but it still saddens me that we are completely goldfish-less now.

Speaking of stings...there's not much that can't be fixed by the sight of marzipan bees.


Above: It was Ange's birthday on Monday (and it's Kieran's birthday today - hoorah!) and she requested that I make her the Chocolate Honey Cake from Nigella's Feast. It was quite easy to make, and in keeping with Nigella's suggestion I fashioned wee bumblebees out of fondant icing and slivered almonds. Aren't they sweet!


Above: The cake is not only cheeringly adorable, it is also delicious - the honey gives it an unexpected depth and complexity, while managing to avoid being viciously sweet.

A bunch of us went to Satay India to celebrate Ange's coming of age. There was seven of us, and we ordered eight curries (they have a two for one deal) and absolutely soaked ourselves in the stuff. I'm not even sure if the photo can adequately convey how much we ate.


Above: As well as all that curry we also got roughly forty-seven pieces of naan. But we managed to dominate the lot. And the cake. Somehow.


Above: Told you we did it!

Other stuff we've been consuming lately:


Above: I seriously love making bread, and this particular recipe was very rewarding. At the Kelburn Fair on Saturday I picked up some Cuisine magazines abandoned stupidly, for only 50 cents! Result! And within one of them I found a recipe for Simit Bread, which is a Middle Eastern ring-shaped bun. (Not a bagel though!) I also found an unintentionally hilarious Cosmo from 1975 - full of nudity and innuendo!

Above: These were delicious. I sprinkled them with sumac and sesame seeds, and served them with meatballs, couscous, roast beetroot and brocolli.



Above: The recipe for the meatballs also came from Cuisine and had a ton of different herbs and spices in it, making for wonderfully flavoursome, er, balls. As I mentioned, the Kelburn Fair was on Saturday. As well as the magazines I also got a cool pair of green and blue t-bar high heels for $2, and a brioche tin for 50 cents. It was only Tim, Paul and I in that day because everyone else had travelled to Ohakune for a 21st. So we had...Rod Steward Appreciation Day. Instigated by Paul, this involves sitting in the sun, drinking, and listening to Rod Stewart. I can't pretend I'm the biggest fan of The Rod - I mean, he has his place and all, and I quite like that "Wear it Well" song, but has anyone actually read the lyrics to "You're In My Heart" without throwing up? Well have you? But it proved to be a novel way of passing the time.

Speaking of novel ways to pass the time, do look up David Bowie and Mick Jagger's Dancing In The Streets on Youtube if you ever wanted to know what the greatest music video of all time is. Even better than the ones Michel Gondry did for The White Stripes. To watch this is to truly witness brilliance.

6 comments:

  1. Hey Laura, You must be learning something in your dreaded photography classes as your most recent photos look great (to my untutored eye of course)
    Those bees are beeutiful!!
    Chau

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  2. Cake looks bee-ootiful.

    Feel free to make as much muesli as you can carry in your luggage.....

    Am a Rod Stewart fan from way-back,even have the vinyl to prove it. Paul has gone up in my estimation based on his Rod Stewart appreciation.

    All going well, you should be able to cross paths over Easter with the other great family blogger currently doing her Steve-Irwin/David Attenborough impersonations in about as far outback as you can go before you start returning......

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  3. Laura, the cake looks wonderful and thanks to you I now know which chocolate cake I'm going to make at Easter!

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  4. I was just looking at that cake last night and wondering if the bees would be fun or a pain to make. I just love it. Glad to see it's a successful recipe.

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  5. Viv and Mum: Thanks, I sincerely hope my photos are getting better - glad you think they are.

    Jilly B - thanks! :) It would definitely make a cute Easter cake.

    Bells - thank you, it is definitely fun to make...more fun to eat though lol.

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  6. I've wanted to make this Nigella cake for ages it's great to get a recommendation!

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