Cheeky Cousin Carenza

80th Birthday celebrations

My Mama is 80.  She taught me the usual stuff... how to pan for gold, get tucker from the bush, put a tattoo in a cow's ear.  All the essential skills for a modern woman.  Today we get to pay homage to her.

We all gathered at Te Rore hall, not far from the homestead, and celebrated the incredible woman who is my mother.  Over 100 people came.  People I hadn't seen for 20 years or more.  Old neighbours, cousins, relatives, friends. 

It was wonderful to see so many people there for my Mama, Maureen McMonagle.

The band played all Mum's favourite songs.
Of course we had to have a feast.

 
All my brothers and sisters turned up.  That was the best.  So many nieces and nephews.  4 generations running around.  I love being the "great" aunt, but most likely, I am the crazy aunt.

With music, we had to dance, and all the cake got eaten.

Making the accordian cake.

My Mama was turning 80, and the family wanted a special cake to celebrate the occasion. 

My loving husband suggested an accordian cake, as my Mama has played this instrument for as long as I can remember.  I have fond memories of Sunday afternoons, Mama making music on the verandah.

There were going to be about 90 guests at the celebrations, so I needed a decent sized cake.  The only cake tins I had that were perhaps big enough were roasting dishes.

The recipe is one I use for all my family celebration cakes. It cuts easily for shaping, and keeps well, and is moist on the day.  It’s been used for pyramids, treasure chests, monsters, rainbows, safari, volcanos, and lego cakes.

About 15 years ago, a neighbour gave me the recipe.  It’s Chris’ Aunty’s from Canterbury Chocolate Cake Recipe.  The only modification I have made is the addition of the spices.

This recipe is for one cake only:

Dry ingredients

3 Tbsp cocoa

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

300 gm flour

200 gm sugar (soft brown if there is any in the pantry)

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Wet ingredients

250 ml oil

3 eggs

250 ml milk

3 Tbsp golden syrup

Method:

Preheat oven to 150 Deg C, line baking tin with paper.

Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Mix wet ingredients together.  Beat well with a spoon until combined.

Combine wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Mix well until smooth.

Pour mixture into pan

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until skewer comes out clean.

As I only had roasting dishes, I made one mixture for one cake, and cooked it for 20 mins, as it was longer and thinner.  I needed more cake, so doubled the mixture and used the other roasting dish. This took about 30 minutes to cook.  I left them to cool overnight.  I wasn’t sure it the cake would be big enough. 

Cake decorating became the all day Saturday task for me, so I got up early, layered the cakes with icing in the middle.  Then I carved the cake to be the same size.  I used fondant to create an aged accordian look – I wanted the cake to look like Mama’s accordian

I enjoyed painting the gold and silver dust for the accents.  I agonised over how to lay out the spacing for the 48 chocolate drops.  My amazing husband worked out the spacing pattern, and my son used a pin through the pattern to mark the placement, and then popped in the chocolate drops.

I finished the cake at about 6 oclock Saturday night, and discovered the box I had put aside to transport the cake, had been cut up, and made into an aeroplane by the urchins!  Fortunately one of my neighbours had a banana box I could use.  

 

The cake survived the 1 and 1/2 hour car journey with minor incidents, which were repaired before the celebrations on Sunday. 

Over 100 people helped celebrate my Mama’s 80th, and there were only few pieces of cake left, so there was enough.

Mama's Apple Cider

I remember drinking this at my Nana's house,  I remember my Mama making it.  Now I am making it.  The stone jar used to belong to my Nana.

What do you need?
Lots of windfall apples, and hot water.
Cut/slice the apples and put in container.  When container is full, add boiling water until apples are covered with water.
Cover the container and put it in a warm place for a few days.

 When it is frothy(2-3 days), strain the liquid into a large bowl or pot.

Add sugar to taste.  Approx 3/4 cup to 1 litre.  Mix until dissolved.
A hint from my Mama.  A good way to dissolve the sugar is to pour the liquid between two containers, e.g pot and bowl.  It really mixes it up well.

 Pour into bottles and cork.  Put in a warm place.  The window sill is great.

 Wait until the cork pops off.  Depending on temperature, could take 1-3 days.  The children hate "waiting for the pop"

Chill bottle, and then enjoy!

Sunflowers and sadness

I read recently that sunflowers are a symbol of 3 year wedding anniversary.

The special secret that I was excitedly hoping to announce to the world on our 3rd Wedding Anniversary, unfortunately has become heart break instead.  Grief catches me out when I least expect it.  I feel my eyes welling up at work, driving the car, cooking dinner. The painful emptiness within my soul doesn't go away.

On top of our insanely turbulant, mixed up world of unreliable and untrustworthy family members, of parenting orders, affidavits, criminal courts, and family courts, we suffered another devastating personal tragedy.

Those who have not experienced this type of loss, tell me "it was meant to be".  Those who understand, tell me take time to grieve.  Sadly, we have been here before, perhaps too many times these past few years.

I am just so incredibly sad, it feels like my soul is drowning in my tears.  I never had the opportunity to look into your eyes, and tell you that I loved you.  You didn't see the tremendous joy in your father's eyes when told  of your existence.  With long sensitive tender fingers, he traced the barest hint of changes to your mother's body, the smile of wonder ever present.  You were loved every day of your incredibly short life.

I know an Angel never dies, you live in our hearts forever.

Oscar at the skate park

Oscar is getting more and more confident on his bike.