AOk got a picture of the centre parcs cake but the lighting is really bad in the kitchen so I'll have to take a better one in the morning.

[IMG]http://www.cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3331452/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

I suppose it makes more sense if you know everyone who is going but basically all those little figures look like the people that will be there. I completely over estimated the size of the cake though and it was a bit of a squeeze to fit everyone in. It's a 9inch cake but I should have made one much bigger I think. It's not perfect but everyone will like it and it was made in such a rush today as I've had so much else to do.

I got a phone call from my uncles friends tonight asking would I make a cake for her son's 30th,I said of course could she message me with some details of what she wants. I've made a cake for her before and she is lovely. So she messages me - she wants a cake for 70 people, carved in the shape of a lamboughini (sp?), coloured yellow, with the doors open! Oh and if she sends me a picture of her son could I make a little model that looks like him and have him sat inside! Is she kidding? Is that even possible? I've told her I could do her son stood next to the car maybe but I'll have to think about whether I can do it with the doors open. Heck I'll have to think about whether I can even carve a lamboughini! And she's going to have to have a second cake to make it up to that many people because I can't make one that big. I'm having panic attacks already just thinking about it!

AOh here's a better pic of the people in the cake.

[IMG]http://www.cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3331454/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

Lovely christening cake Mel!

AEvening all. :-)

Hi Sarah, welcome to the thread. :-)

How are you and John nanny? Still suffering? Leah seems worse today, blowing her nose every five minutes, struggling to eat cos she's so bunged up. She won't be going to school tomorrow.

Lovely cupcakes Nicola, the dog is my favourite. Was it you or loubee (or both) saying you hate being the centre of attention? Just remember everybody at your wedding loves you and want you to have a lovely day. They'll have been looking forward to it for months and will want everything to go without a hitch. Excuse the pun. Saying that I still dreaded the first dance, I instructed a few people to get up and join us no more than 30 seconds in, they did and everyone else followed so it wasn't too bad in the end.

I'm having trouble remembering everything now!

I couldn't do that diet Kuushi, I couldn't go without potatoes. Or bread. Or coffee.

Who made the Swiss roll? Sounds yummy, I used to love those sponges in school.

I need to start shopping at aldi I think. I've been economising a bit lately but shopping is something I'm struggling to cut back on. I freeze loads but I don't have much in the way of leftovers, I dish them out to my mam, auntie, grandad and occasionally my elderly next door neighbour. I'm in asda every Thursday and tesco every Friday so I usually get stuff when it's on offer, I only buy on offer crisps, cereal and treats, I usually get Nescafé on offer in one or other of them, I always buy loose fruit and veg to save on waste packaging and I used to get whatever meat was on offer until I read (close your eyes Kuuushi) most supermarket meat is halal. I thought it had to be labelled. Don't know why I thought it, I just presumed I suppose. So now I go to a lovely butchers in Cwmbran who have their own farm and local suppliers, nothing is halal and they can tell you exactly where it came from.

Kuushi your council sounds like ours, we've got an ordinary bin you can fit three black bags in if you squash them down, that's collected fortnightly, a garden waste bin collected fortnightly through the summer and not at all through the winter, a food waste bin collected weekly and two different recycling boxes collected weekly. Woe betide anybody who puts the wrong waste in the wrong bin, first you get a big red warning label slapped on your bin, (oh the shame), they don't empty it and tell you if you do it again you'll get fined. They have to be able to pull the wheelie bin with one hand or they won't take it, the cardboard had to be kept dry or they won't take it, the blue box lid must be on and the contents dry or they won't take it. They're not allowed to pick any recyclies up if they've fallen out of the box due to you overfilling it. Suffice to say the bin men don't get tips at Christmas round here!

AHaha maisie your bin men sound like ours they're a nightmare. We have the blue bin for papers, brown hin for glass tins etc, green bin for food and garden waste and black bin for non recycling. I must confess that I very rarely put food waste in the green bin. I recycle everything else religiously but I just can't be doing with scrapping all my food into one of the little bins in the kitchen and then putting it in the green bin, mine goes in with emerald rubbish. Our green bin is collected fortnightly in winter and weekly in summer though but ours is always full of garden stuff and leaves. I was once 'red stickered' for putting some soggy cardboard from the garden into the green bin and they refused to take it. Next week I had covered it up with some leaves and off it went. Very naughty I know but I wasn't digging soggy cardboard out of the bin.

AEmerald rubbish?! Haha. General!

AOops, missed some posts.

Cute christening cake mel and it's got a little teddy and his name is teddy, I love it! lmao, "given the choice between ci and Paris I'd choose Paris"! :-D

Oh I love your hot tub cake with all the little people Nicola, they're all going to love recognising themselves, what a good idea! Sports car cake (yeah, I don't know how to spell it either!) sounds hard but I'm sure you'll do a brilliant job. I can quite happily say if anyone asks me for a car cake I'll just say no. I don't want to even attempt one!

AI won't have the "kitchen caddy" in my kitchen Nicola, I put food waste straight in a caddy bag and straight into the food waste bin. Which means I don't recycle all my food waste cos I won't have a bag hanging around with food in either, I get one out if I know I'm going to have a lot to put in it, if I'm peeling a lot of veg for example but a tea bag here or an eggshell there just goes in the bin.

Thanks Mel. Love the teddy cake it is so cute and the blocks are so neat.

Great cake Sugarluva your family will love it, have fun on your break. A Lamborghini look forward to seeing that I'm sure you'll do a fab job on it. 

Maisie sorry to hear Leah is worse today poor her, I hope she feels better soon and that she doesn't share it with you.

Hi Maisie, you've been quiet today! 

To be honest I don't trust anything I hear in the news, and if most meat in supermarkets is halal no muslim I know would buy it because they can't certify where it comes from. The reason we get it from a ahal butcher is because it's fresh and they can certify it. All halal meat is, is an animal which has been killed with a very sharp knife to the throat causing instant death and no pain to the animal and a prayer is said while it's done. 

I get it though, you have the choice not to eat it and at the end of the day everyone is entitled to a choice :)

I love your cake Nic, I hope you enjoy your time at Centreparcs! I think it all looks great with the people on it!

I try to recycle as much as I can just so my bins aren't overflowing but we don't have the green bins yet, I think I would use it though as it gets emptied more often then the black one in the summer.

AYeah Kuuushi, it's hard making an informed decision about anything, there's so much conflicting information now. I know vegans would have a field day with me but I don't want to eat meat from an animal that hasn't been stunned first and it seems the only way I can be sure of that is to go to a butcher who knows where it comes from. Sort of what you do in reverse really. :-)

Roxy we had new emerald rubbish bins last year, they're tiny, I had to fight tooth and nail to get a slightly larger one because of Leah's nappies. I get that they're running out if landfill, I get that we need to save the planet but it's getting ridiculous now. And they're saying we've got to recycle even more over the next few years to hit central governments targets. If local councils don't hit the targets central government will fine the council and they'll put council tax up to pay the fine. I don't see how we can recycle much more tho.

I'm off to bed now, I just had to correct loads of typos, I must be tired. Night all. :-)

Night Maisie I'm of to bed myself I'm up at 6:30 as Angel is back to school.

ANite nite all, busy one tomorrow too! Xx

ALovely cake Mel, I love the spots, the teddy and the blocks they all work so well together.

What a fab cake sugar, I love everyone inside the hot tub, great attention to detail. Good luck with that Lamborghini cake, after doing my other half a ferrari cake last year and nearly bursting into tears at 1am while sat doing all the tiny details I know I'll never do another car cake, lol, I'll always be busy that day when someone asks. Also I agree you will definitely need a second cake as you'd have to make a gigantic car for it to feed 70 people. I'm sure you'll do a fantastic job with it though and Im looking forward to seeing it.

Regarding halal meat, I don't mind eating it, if my other half goes to the Asian butchers it will be halal meat we have, although he doesn't go that often. If I eat at my other halfs dads house or any of his relatives it will be halal meat we have. I often buy labelled halal certified meat at asda I prefer to get that as its skinned chicken and none of us like skin so it saves me the job of removing it. however I also buy non halal just as much if not more.

Here's my Olaf head I've been working on this evening [IMG]http://www.cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3331483/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

AWon't that look weird like it's been painted on if you know what I mean Cute Christening cake blocks look neater than when I did mine lol Also like the hot tub/swimming pool cake models look good

AMorning cakey peeps.

That's a brill cake Nicola, lots of detail, took ages I bet?

Loubee, love Olaf's head, I loved making him, considering I hate models.

Maisie, Mel, we're getting there, although it's been 2 wasted days for me, but did feel well enough to attempt a rose ready for my wedding cake, and I put the first layer on my sofa for my friends cake.

Bless leah, I had my worst night being bunged up on Sat, it's awful. Hope she feels better soon.

I will start my diet, I will start my diet, soon, all I want to earth is really strong flavours like pickled onion crisps, can't taste a thing at mo.

We still meeting up on wed kelsey and tidds? I have to go anyway, so if your there at 11 then that's great, otherwise we will have to do it again. Xx

A[IMG]http://www.cakecentral.com/content/type/61/id/3331562/width/200/height/400[/IMG]

Here's my one big rose, I made it differently to the rose I normally do, used the 7 spoons method, not bad, just need to make another one of this colour and 1 white one, then a few smaller ones and some buds, filler flowers, hydrangeas and some small leaves.

A

Nanny that looks lovely wish I could do lovely stuff like that

AMorning!

Well I'm definitely coming down with a cold, grrrr! Hope Leah feels better soon Maisie, and you too Nanny!

Thanks for the comments on the cake, I was so pleased with the Teddy, he's tubbier than intended, but actually I sort of like him that way LOL! The blocks took a few goes to get them neat and even, but I got there in the end, a mix of using my smoother and a reeally sharp knife!

Sugar, love the hot tub cake! That's so fun, they will love that! :) Yikes to the Lamborghini cake though! Wow, my first though was, good grief that will be expensive! I wouldn't know where to start with that though, could cake frame help with an open door maybe? You are right I don't think you could sit anyone in it either...

Great Olaf Loubee too :) And lovely rose Nanny, I love when they are nice and frilly, and I use the spoon method quite a lot and find it really good.

Who was worried about wedding day attention? You really don't need to be, I'm very shy IRL LOL and was so worried about it, but on the day I was just so happy that I didn't even think about it! You're surrounded by everyone who knows and loves you, and it really is great! Plus, by the first dance you will have had a tiny bit to drink as well ;) I do not dance at all, so hubby and I just did the shuffle sway 'slow dance' ROFL

Ugh, I need to get up and get going but I feel rubbish this morning, think I need a huuuuge cup of tea before I contemplate my next job.........

AOoh and I meant to ask, Nanny I seem to remember you doing a music themed cake before, with music notes on? Can I ask what cutter set you used? Thanks! :)

Morning all - it's a lovely bright sunny morning here - always does wonders for my mood that does.

I have tried to catch up on my phone but once again, you lot defeat me!  I loved those cupcakes with the little house, etc on them.  So unusual.

The christening cake was lovely - I loved the teddy!

The swimming pool cake is a really fun cake - I bet they will love "identifying" themselves in it.  How did you get the ladder to be so straight?  Did you use an extruder?  Love it though.

The rose is beautiful Barbara - what is the seven spoons method?  Sounds like an ancient ritual!!  (I could only think of seven veils lol).

Don't want to even think about where my meat comes from - I'm a head in the sand person I'm afraid - if I think too much about it I could easily become veggie.  A long time ago when I went to Yorkshire for a holiday (pre children) we were wandering about and these little sheep followed us around and were nuzzling us and being quite cute.  I didn't eat lamb for years after that.  Needless to say I became a fake vegetarian for a while - you know, the meat eater who really, really craves meat but thinks it's wrong.  Well that soon disappeared when we went for lunch at somebody's house and they had a leg of lamb.  As for halal - well - I prefer not to think about that at all!

Hope Leah is feeling better Maisie - and as for CI vs Paris - the cost is about the same!  Haha!  I spent so much last year that it would have been about the same to go to Paris.  I'm still not sure whether to go or not - I do love going.

Hope you are feeling better Barbara - I hate that feeling of not being able to taste anything.

As for first dances - well my hubby can't dance - at all.  We sort of stood together and moved in a slow circle to Stevie Wonder's You and I - which was the most perfect song ever for us.  I think the DJ realised that it was going to be a non-event and got everyone else up!  Lol.  My cousin's daughter and her husband went to dance classes and rehearsed a routine.....that was so OTT.  But now we know her husband a little better .... we can see where that came from!

Have a lovely day everyone - and Suzanne .....did you post a pic of your Oscar's cupcakes yet?

Kathy

love your rose nanny, so realistic - did it take you long to do?

Mel - when i did my country music cake i used Patchwork cutters for the note - if that helps.

Maisie hope Leah get better soon.

Loubee - Olaf head looks great.

sugar- the hot tub cake is brill!

Morning all 

Nanny lovely rose, hope you feel better soon.

Maisie hope Leah is a bit better today.

Mel if it's any good to you I saw a tutorial a while ago where someone used the funky letter tappits to make music notes. I think they cut the H, this information is inly useful if you already have the funky tappits of course.

Love olaf Loubee he's looking good so far.

Chezza hope your daughter's cough clears up soon, I know how you feel Angel coughs her guts up all night when she has a cough or a cold as it kicks her asthma off. When she was younger she would actually cough that hard she would throw up in the bed. I still don't sleep if I hear her coughing. Try an have a nap later with your daughter it will do you both good.

Morning Lelly.

Kathy the sun is out her to, I should get the washer on actually and make the most of my solar panels while the suns here. I saw Suzanne's cupcakes on the home page a couple of days ago but I don't think she posted them here.

Hi all....

Loubee - we love that programme.  My husband has become a little bit obsessed and we did do taste tests between our usual brands and Tesco own brand.  Our findings so far are that their own brand of Frosties taste just as nice as Kelloggs.  That's fine...  BUT I NEVER BUY FROSTIES!  He used it as an excuse to buy some, I think, LOL!  I did try their own brand Shreddies are they, too, are very nice indeed... possibly not quite as 'malty' in taste.  But they're taste good.  I'm going to buy those in future!  He bought chilled juice from concentrate to compare with the usual not from concentrate orange juice I buy.  I could taste the difference immediately; but as I almost never have juice, I left it to Steve and the boys to decide.  They like it very much, so I'll switch to buying that from now on, too.  I've bought my usual (Heinz fridge pack) baked beans, Tesco baked beans and a more expensive organic tin of baked beans to try.  But I'm dubious...  I'm VERY fussy about baked beans, LOL!  All these little things will hopefully add up to make some savings, right?  To be honest, I'm not sure I have the time or energy to be shopping in 2 or 3 supermarkets, though.  I'll do the best I can in 1 place.  I do already buy a lot of own brand things - things like pasta; tinned chopped tomatoes; frozen sweetcorn; frozen peas; oven chips....  I plan our evening meals and then shop accordingly.  When I occasionally don't make a plan, oh boy do I notice the shopping bill going up!!!!

Kathy - my brother lives in Hainault in a maisonette above the shops in Manford Way.  There's a WONDERFUL greengrocer there and I always buy some fruit when I'm there (which isn't that often, unfortunately).

Mr B...   Poole is lovely.  We're going again in May - my dad's lodge as a ladies' weekend and he pays for us to go.  It's at the Sandbanks hotel which is very nice. 

Suga - lovely cakes!!!

Hi Sarah - welcome!

Olaf is looking good!

And gorgeous, gorgeous rose!

Kathy, yes, Oscars cupcakes posted.  Here they are so you don't have to go searching! LOL!

Have a lovely day everyone....  BUSY, BUSY, BUSY week for me, so will try and pop in to keep up but forgive if I don't reply. x x x

AKathy the lady is just flower paste rolled into a sausage using a smoother. I always use my smoother to roll stuff out into sausage shapes as I don't have an extruder and when I do it with my hands they end up all wobbly. I just left them to dry for a bit and then stuck them on. The ladder steps keeps falling off though I don't think they're going to make the 90 minute trip to centre parcs!

Lovely cupcakes Suzanne.

Yes - lovely cupcakes Suzanne and thanks for posting!  I can't always see the galleries on my phone.

Kathy

Question for all you fruit cake makers.

I have been asked by Angel's best friends nan to make a birthday cake for her friends 80th birthday. She wants a two tier 12" fruit and 10" sponge. It is not until october but she asked me to price up how much it would cost for the ingredients and get back her. The problem is I have never made a fruit cake so my questions are

1. What is the best recipe to use?

2. I don't drink so what Brand should I use, also what fruit is there a difference in brands?

3.How far in advance is best to bake it?

4. How do I work out the cost for the ingredients that will actually be used in the cake?

Thanks advance x

AMorning all. :-)

Well it's pretty bleak here today, I'm jealous of those of you who woke up to sunshine. It's freezing cold, really dark and has been absolutely piddling down all morning. And I don't mind the rain so it must be bad for me to complain! I was so tired this morning I fell asleep on the settee for an hour. Leah's still bunged up, horrible isn't it nanny. She's not coughing yet but I know what you mean roxy, my son was asthmatic when he was younger and he'd cough, cough, cough all night til he was sick. He'd sleep then but I'd still be awake worrying.

Gorgeous cupcakes Suzanne, I love the little oscars. I can't stand cheap beans, they have to be branstin and I can tell the difference. :-)

Your rose is beautiful nanny, I wish I could make them. How long did it take you?

Roxy I've got a lovely fruitcake recipe, very easy, I'll PM it to you if you'd like it. It's for a 9 inch tin and I don't know how to scale it up tho. I've also got the exact cost of it worked out on an app, I can give you that too but again it's for a 9 inch. I use tesco value brandy if I buy it especially but anything is fine, you could use rum or whiskey if you wanted to. I usually mean to ake them a month or more in advance but as I'm the procrastination queen I usually do it a week before if I'm lucky! Anyway, let me know if you want the recipe/cost and I'll PM you. Fruitcake is easy, so good tempered, my favourite cake to make. :-)

What else? Can't remember, I'll have to go back and check.

AThankyou all for Leah's get well wishes. Her nose is still running like a tap, I won't be entering any competition at this rate, I won't be able to do that amount of work with her home and poorly.

Lovely Olaf loubee, he's gona look good when he's finished.

Have a lovely time at centreparcs nicola, hope you have nice weather and hope the cake survives the journey. :-)