Jottings from my African Kitchen Table: Domestic Goddess

The highlight of our Home Economics class year, when I was in hgh school, was making and decorating a cake to enter in our local annual show. I can't remember ever being interested in the baking displays when we visited the show. When we visited the big Royal Agricultural Society show held in Sydney at Easter every year my parents would head straight to the massive pavilion that held the regional produce displays. My Godmother worked for the Rice Board so that was usually the next stop. As a teenager and then living in Sydney our interests lay more in the cattle sheds checking out the good looking boys who brought their cattle and sheep down for the show.

The year that it was our classes turn to enter in the cake decorating, I must admit, I was rather nervous. the baking bit was fine, the decorating was not. In the end my pale green cake with pink briar roses looked fine, except that when I went to view it some of the flowers were broken. However, I remain exceeding jealous of my best friend Alison who received a certificate for hers!

My skills in cake decorating have developed over the years with the help of books and a few essential pieces of equipment.
A couple of years ago I offered to make Mea her 8th birthday cake as her present and it has sort of exploded from there. The lady dinasor (made from a bunt tin) with cardboard wings tail and neck/head was really very pretty. Her wings moved as if she was flying and when cut she disgorged all sorts of Haribo treats from her belly.
Now, each year I have to think of more impressive creations and as she and Ella get older rather more sophisticated, I imagine.

Serena's 1st birthday beehive and then her 2nd birthday train brought on a rush of requests for 50th cakes.
The biggest order yet is a sandcastle fantasy for Kaya and Mark's wedding in December. I am a little nervous about all that icing in the tropics in December but it is going to be so much fun.

I did for a short time consider going full time but I think I would rather just do it for friends, the stress would be just too much (and it drives Jim nuts when I am up beyond midnight trying to get things finished).