Another year gone

Yes indeed folks, tomorrow is the big 31. I am not one of those people who like to moan about getting older. There is absolutely nothing that you can do about it but accept it. See you back here on the eve of my 40th though?! (you bring the tissues, I'll bring the waterproof mascara and wrinkle filler..)

Despite a weekend of working we did manage to spend some lovely sunshine filled hours in the garden.
I have never seen so many forget-me-knots in one place. I do love them though, and they do well at filling flower beds that are a tad unloved in places!

Subday morning. Toast on the terrace! Please ignore the white bread, pilfered leftovers from the cafe.

Remember the quilt I mentioned?

Well it's nearly finished. Just a few bits of tinkering around the corners and binding.

Not bad considering I started off with a pair of kitchen scissors and a bundle of fabric! Thankyou to Nancy and Tess for the inspiration!

I will show you a proper photo when it's finished. Meanwhile I have treated myself to a proper rotary cutter and am already collecting samples of fabric for the next one! It's really rather addictive, isn't it?!

It's been a busy couple of weeks or so....

These pictures will all make sense when you reach the bottom..Blogger is still messing me about, but I shall sort it soon! In the meantime feel free to coo over the pretty pink cakes!

Today- Making pavlova for tomorrow when my folks come for dinner. Never fear, Ma, it will also be laden with cream and strawberries...

Last week- teaching myself at last (with the help of a ladybird book!) to crochet. It may have wobbly ends but there are no holes and I am quite impressed so far..will it be a rug? (for a very small person) or a cushion cover perhaps? Hmm. Don't cushion covers require sewing though? We'll chat more about that venture another time, perhaps.

Sliding around whilst exploring rock pools in St Ives. A lovely early birthday present, and one most thoroughly enjoyed by us both. But not my jeans, unfortunately. A diet of salad and fruit from here on in. After strawberry pavlova, obviously.

Mussels clinging onto the rocks- the photo doesn't do justice to the amazing sight of thousands of shades of blue.

It would be fair to say that it rained just a little. But who cares when sights like this greet you when you look out of your window?

The pirates were also in residence.

Wave watching from the balcony

A couple of weeks ago we held another birthday party at No.9. This time for 13 girls with a fondness for pink. It would be fair to say I was in my element! The cake pictures at the top of the page won't let me move them to the bottom of the page, for some reason.

Nancy, thankyou so much for the loan of the party book- none of it would have been possible otherwise. I promise to send it back soon, honest!

Happy Easter

This is what happens to cute easter chicks when they spend too much time sat at the cake counter....

And this is our new tablecloth fabric. Very summery and pretty, I thought.

It's been a big hit with the customers and has made the inside of the cafe feel all bright and cheery.

Yet More Cake!

At the risk of turning into a cake making bore, check out these bad boys! These have been created from my new purchase, Rachel Allens BAKE book. If you are a baking goddess then I insist you buy it now, as it is bloomin marvellous, yes it is!

So first up to tantalise you taste buds, we have the delectable Mocha Cake. Oh yes, she is smothered in espresso icing with a touch of chocolate for good measure, and sandwiched together with more of the same. Finished off with a sprinkling of shaved Green and Blacks dark chocolate this is one sophisticated loaf!!

Secondly, Blue Poppy Seed cake with vanilla icing. Not, I would imagine, everyones cup of tea, but it was certainly popular this afternoon. I have a poppy seed cake recipe from Cowboys and Custard that I much prefer, but you have to try these things, don't you? The icing is a touch sickly, so only a small slice is needed at a time.

It also goes particularly well with a lovely cuppa! (although truth be told what I could really do with right now is a LARGE glass of white wine...but tea will have to do, Saturday night is Alcohol night!)

I have finally decided to sign myself up for a sewing course. At last! I now have the sewing machine, the book for beginners, the pile of squares ready for my first ever patchwork quilt, and enthusiasm by the drawstring laundry bag load. But I don't -have-a-clue. Nope, not one. So the lovely Victoria (my new friend who I have plied with tea and soup this week!) and I are off back to college. Hurrah! I am most excited.

This is the sight that greeted us when we finally managed a trip to the allotment last week-a host of golden daffodils. Our plot stood out from far far away due to the abundance of bulbs that Dad put in. The Sweet Williams are coming, as are the irises. The kiwi is spreading across the shed and the rhubarb! Remember when I used to make jam and marmalade? Remember when I used to make things in my very own kitchen, in my own home?! Well I decided to go mad and make some Rhubarb Orange Lemon and Grapefruit Marmalade. It was a recipe I spotted in The Times, called Dalemain Marmalade, after a National Trust place, I believe, in the Lake District. They hold an annual jam and marmalade festival, and the one I made is one of the specialities. It is truly fabulous, and if anyone would like the recipe then do let me know!!

Staying on the subject of Domestic arts, I was given a marvelous present this week from a very special lady. We had a lovely lady called Mary who used to come into the cafe most days for her lunch and we always had a chat and a giggle. For an 80 year old she had a wicked sense of humour and always have me in stitches. I got to know her, and her fabulous sister Gracie really well over the past few months since we opened. Mary sadly died quite quickly a couple of weeks ago now, and Gracie travelled down from her home in Scotland to sort out the funeral and other bits and pieces. She popped in most days to see us and have a cuppa and some lunch. I heard lots of stories about her and Mary when they were younger, and it was lovely to spend time with her. Before she caught her train home Gracie came in to see me with something she thought I might like that belonged to Mary. A very old, very well used (and therefore all the better, in my view) copy of Good Housekeeping's Home Encyclopedia. What a wondeful present. I clutched it (and Gracie!) to my chest and shed a tear or two. It will be so well loved and cherished, and also used! I thought I would show you one of the pictures from it that made me smile..but then Blogger went stupid on me and wouldn't allow me to insert the pictures where I wanted to. Has anyone else had this problem with them? Usually I can move pictures around the page easily by clicking and dragging, but have really struggled with this post for days now. Any helpful suggestions would be gratefully received!

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In the meantime, Mary, I miss you massively, but am sure that you are looking down on us from a very lovely place with a ciggie in one hand and a pint in the other. Here's to you, lovely lady, I am delighted to have known you X

Fairy cake-tastic

After a hugely exhausting and highly entertaining, in many ways, week, we raised a brilliant £470.13 for Comic Relief. We are all delighted with the support we have received from our fabulous No.9 Team and customers, who have all been so very supportive.

And Mr Wogan? Well, he gave us another mention on Friday morning!! This time it was a general update with how much we had taken so far from the sale of fairy cakes, the Silent Cake Auction (which in itself raised £140) etc.etc. Cue much cheering in the middle of the cafe when we heard it!

We really are so amazed at peoples generosity-one person bid nearly £30 for one cake! Customers were stuffing notes into our Red Nose bucket, and the whole atmosphere all week was totally brilliant.

Oooh, and as Columbo would say, 'Just one more thing' - To the very nasty ahem 'lady' leaving me vicious emails, you might want to brush up on your computer skills and learn exactly what 'Anonymous' means-it's not as secure as you had obviously hoped... I know exactly who you are, and if you feel the need to keep emailing me, maybe we can get together and I can share some 'home truths' with you as well? Get a life, concentrate on your own business, and stop making up rubbish about mine, you saddo.

To everyone else-thankyou! You make blogging such a pleasure. xxx

Do Something Funny For Money

To gain as much cash as possible for such a great cause, we decided to have a Comic Relief week instead of just a day this year. I am so aware that I don't want to turn the cafe into the sort of place that is constantly asking people for money for this that and the other. I think we shall stick to Macmillan Coffee Mornings and Comic Relief for now. And The Poppy Appeal. And National Chocolate Cake Day. Never heard of it? What do you mean?!

So anyway, I digress. We have several things going on if you are in the area. And before I go further, a big HELLO to Victoria and Claire, both who have come a-visiting in recent days. Both fellow bloggers and readers-of-bloggers!
Right, so, we have made several billion red nose topped fairy cakes for sale, of which all proceeds are going in the bucket. Very popular with small people in particular. One of the girls who works with us has a sneaky habit of asking small people (in her very best small people sing-song voice) if they would like a 'special cake' with 'a special cherry on top' No child (or parent) has been unable to refuse. Naughty yet effective. Well they are only small, and it IS for charity.
Secondly we are holding a 'Silent Cake Auction'. If any of you are Terry Wogan fans you may have heard him giving our humble cafe a mention this morning.....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00j02pj/Wake-Up-to-Wogan-11-03-2009

For some reason I am struggling to link you directly to the relevant piece, but if you can be bothered, we are mentioned at approx 8.30am( or one hour and seven minutes on iPlayer, just to be specific! just after Girls Aloud!
Now the weirdest thing of all was that five minutes later the door opened, the first customer of the day walked in and announced that she had to come in because she had just heard Terry talking about us! And then her mobile rang and it was her husband saying "You know that cafe we keep meaning to go to, well Terry Wogan has just mentioned it on the radio!" Much laughter excitement and jumping up and down was had. Cue second customer of the day, Marton, a regular and a very nice chap indeed. "Have you heard Terry Wogan this morning?" I joked.
"Yes, I have, here you are" and he thrust a poster at me that he had made. There, in full colour, a picture of Sir Terry and a write up,
'Silent Cake Auction held here, and Mrs F's legendary Guinness Cake, as mentioned by Terry Wogan'. What a lovely lovely thing to do. All splendid stuff.

The Silent Cake Auction, by the way, is where people make secret bids on a cake of their choice (off a list supplied by us) pop it in the bucket with a donation, and then on Saturday we see who has bid the most for each cake. Those people then pay the money pledged and we make the cake whenever they want. So if they have a special occassion, people coming to stay etc. then they can have a freshly made cake for the event. We have had lots of very generous bids, which is fabulous.



Now, moving on, Cheltenham Race Week. Great excitement descends this time of year. The streets are full of happy smiling people soaking up the atmosphere that seems to rub off on everyone. Lots and LOTS of Irish folk come over for Race Week. I thought it only fitting to make Guinness Cake. The first Irish customer of the day was offered a slice.
"Eurgh, God no! Get me a tea cake, will ya? In fact, what the heck's a tea cake? Is it like a scone?" Hmm. How to make friends.....He got his tea cake, and ate half of it. Such a waste. Should have had the Guinness Cake.
Thankfully lots of other people(including Irish!) did sample said cake and LOVED it. Oh, it really does taste so very good. It's a Nigella recipe, I believe, but I just googled Guinness Cake many moons ago and came up with the recipe that I use. I made a second one this afternoon, ready for tomorrow.

And here it is, the finished article. Can of Guinness, anyone? God no, me? Can't stand the stuff...Give me a teacake any day.

Simple Pleasures

Evening All.

Good grief, it really has been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about that. 'Normal' life just seems to take up so much time though, doesn't it?

I am still doing extremely well when it comes to arriving home and collapsing on the sofa of an evening. I can just about manage to lift cutlery and eat whatever meal has been lovingly prepared by the husband. And I am highly skilled at soaking in a hot lavender scented bath whilst my pj's are warming on the radiator.

Such simple things bring me the most enormous pleasure. Freshly laundered bedding, in which I climb into by half past nine most nights. The crocuses that are blooming rather beautifully in the herb garden. Our beautiful new/old antique teachers desk, at which I am sitting right now. I have had great fun arranging things on it so they look just so. A jug of roses here...a lamp there...an artfully placed pile of books in that corner...our old fashioned red telephone in the other...drawers full of paper and envelopes and pens in all colours of the rainbow. I love sitting here and watching people walk past. It makes me feel most creative! (when in actual fact I am being most nosy)

New cake recipes are bringing HUGE pleasure, of course, and the latest creation is Nigellas Victoria Sponge, which i pilfered from someones blog. Apologies that I can't remember whose though! It really is verrrrry tasty indeed. Cherry jam and chocolate sponge. It's really a re-vamped Black Forest Gateau, is it not?

Speaking of simple pleasures I have jars of daffodils everywhere at the moment. Loads of customers have commented on how cheery they are, and the instant reminder that Spring has arrived. Apparently.

I wouldn't say no to a teeny weeny bit more snow though.

Just a little?

No?

Photo at the top of the page (because for some reason I am unable to move it to the bottom of the page) is of myself and my brother, who is back in the UK for a while. He saw the caff for the first time yesterday and said lots of lovely things about it, so he is now allowed to stay for a while longer.

This week I am mainly going to be teaching myself to use my new (ahem) sewing machine. Yes indeed, I have finally decided it is time to teach myself to make the things I covet so much on everyone elses blogs. Whether I will manage it or not is another matter. All suggestions for a complete sewing beginner will be VERY gratefully received!

Obviously next time I post I will be showing off patchwork quilts, a living room decorated in home made bunting, cushions and loose sofa covers. Hmm.