Speckled Egg Cake

I saw this cake (with instructions on The Cake Blog) and fell in love with it. It wasn't quite as easy as I thought it'd be but in the end, I'm happy with the results. It's a 3 layer vanilla cake with 2 layers of lemon curd filling covered in buttercream. Happy Easter.

Time for Cupcakes

 Sometimes I don't make cupcakes for a long time.

 And then sometimes that's all I seem to be making.

And then these Easter ones come along and I have such fun. Cool, eh?

A Tale of Two Kitties

I've updated you on Marlow, the shorter hair of the two kitties I saved from a garage. This time it's Duchess, the one in the centre of this photo.

 Here she is in her forever home, growing like a weed.

At first Jen, her mom, called her Duke because she is red and since most red cats are male, we assumed she was a boy. Oops! She's now called Duchess.

Isn't she a doll? I'm so happy she's found a happy home.

Happy Spring...

Okay so today's the first day of spring but I think someone forgot to let Mother Nature know the date. It's March 20 and last night we got 25 cm of snow. I'm feeling a little like these spring bunnies with snow on their heads and at their feet. Enough already!

Mourning Doves

I love these doves just hanging out and dozing on a branch. Nice thing to do on a Sunday.

Strange Day at the Bird Feeder

 We had a few warm weeks and last night a cold front came in with light snow. I guess the birds kind of panicked and I can't blame them. I hard a big ruckus outside the window and a pair of crows were at my suet, pecking away at it.

Later in the afternoon, I looked out and the first starling of the season was digging into some seed left on the ground. Beautiful markings and colouration on the birdie. I know no one likes them because they are invaders but they look pretty nice.

Marlowe Then and Now

 That little Marlowe, one of two orange kittens I saved from a garage last fall is growing like a weed.

Scott, my friend who adopted him, calls this pose "The Full Marlowe."

Sleigh Ride in the Bush

Sunday saw temperatures of 8C. Getting springlike but still enough snow for a sleigh ride. We were led through the woods by the ever capable twins Sam and Jake and their horses Sara and Limerick.

 There was a team of horses ahead of us...

 ...and a rider behind us.

 My friend Natalie tried her hand at driving the team for a bit.

 The horses are so beautiful!

Here's Eugene getting ready to drive this team around the woods.

 I thanked Limerick for taking us around the bush.

Antique Shop Cat

  A local junk-antique shop opened locally and I finally decided to have a visit.

The first thing I saw was this gorgeous Tabby who climbed right onto my coat.

The owner of the shop has 4 other cats in his apartment upstairs and told me that he had saved this little guy from a litter he found out in the woods. The other kittens ran away but this one was so friendly he had to take him in.

Friendly and busy. He spends his days negotiating crystal and china and has unfortunately broken a few treasures.

 But he has the sweetest disposition. How could you get angry at a face like that?

Barn Cat Update

 Here's the sweet little barn cat who was hanging around my barn all winter.

 And here she is as Richard's new kitty. Here's Missy Miss.

 She's just getting the hang of the place and trying to fit in. After her surgery she stayed in her room for a week or so.

Now she ventures out, rather gingerly. She plays with everything and doesn't sit still much.

 Speaking of barn cats, here's Barney, also from my barn, who now is the king of his roost. I don't think he's too tickled with having Missy Miss around...

Percy, however, loves to pester Missy and won't leave her alone. Interesting times when you introduce a new body into the house. So far, so good.

Step-by-step: Madeleines

 I found this Madeleine mould at a thrift shop the other day and figured I'd have to give it a try. It cost me all of fifty cents and I was pretty curious to give it a go.
I found this recipe in Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. Great book!

Melt one stick of unsalted butter and set aside to cool.

Grate enough lemon and orange peel to make about 2 tablespoons. Add this and a 1/4 teaspoon orange or lemon extract to the cooled butter. (If you want to omit this, just add vanilla extract.)

Stir together 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup ground almonds and 1/2 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons. Set aside.

Whip 3 whole eggs plus 1/2 teaspoon salt till frothy.

Whisk dry ingredients into egg mixture, then add the cooled butter and extract. Stir until combined and cover with plastic and put in fridge for at least two hours.

 Grease and flour Madeleine pans and fill moulds about half full. Bake at 350F for 12-14 minutes. Should make 24 Madeleines.

Done! Now, to get to the rest of my Baking Bucket List. What's on yours?

Fire truck Cake

My friend's son is a volunteer fireman and she wanted a cake for his birthday. She found a fun little toy fire truck that when you press one of its buttons, it lights up and an alarm goes off. Even the ladder on the roof was extendable. So I created a cake as its perfect backdrop compete with an edible asphalt road and an out of control bonfire.

Garden, ducks and dogs cake

Regan has a wonderful organic garden, guarded by his two dark huskies Bear and Loki and a small flock of ducks. I had a blast trying to get them all on a chocolate cake for his birthday.

Wiener Dog Cake

 My cousin Saul celebrated his birthday last weekend and I thought I'd make him a special cake to look like his wiener dog Hershey.

I think I was pretty successful. In this photo, it almost looks like the cake daschund is trying to make friends with the real one!