21 September 2024 by itwasjudith

weird yet cute birthday cake (we love bunnies)

in a recent posts I mentioned the plan to home-make an alternative cake for a dear friend’s birthday using vintage baking moulds. Here we take a look at the making and the outcome….

I made two of them, with dark and with white chocolate glacing respectively. They were then carefully packed in a colourful box, and brought along as a surprise to our brunch. I also applied candles with “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” lettering.

He was moved and happy and later messaged me that he didn’t want to eat them, as bunnies should live on. His birthday has usually been a sad occurrence (for some reasons that I won’t share), so I was glad to hear that in recent years he has started to feel happy about it because of new positive memory associations. This is the best gift of all, giving time, love and positive memories.

HOW TO

These are the ingredients for one cake and the instructions losely taken from the German ones written on the mold box (the vintage baking moulds are for sale in my shops, feel free to contact me for details):

50g butter, 50g sugar, 1 pack vanille sugar (didn’t use), 1 egg, 5 drops rum aroma (didn’t use), salt, 75g flour, 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon raising agent powder, 1 spoon milk, 50g dark or white chocolate (for the glacing), chocolate confetti (or whatever they are called, to apply on the outer).

Mix soft butter, sugar, vanille sugar, add egg and salt, then flour with cocoa powder and raising powder. Apply soft butter to the form lining to prevent sticking, lightly dust with flour. Pour into the upside-down form, blocked by its clips to keep it closed. Bake at 180C for 35-45 minutes. Gently open the moulds, cut off the uneven bottom and decorate as preferred. Enjoy!

28 August 2024 by itwasjudith

Flea market

There’s a small local flea market near where we live in Gospel Oak that I like to visit now and again. Sometimes I go and buy and occasionally have a pitch to sell.

Last weekend it was a long weekend in England (summer bank holiday) and since we were in town I thought of going. I packed some of my things, mostly from my collections and “stash”.

The day was pleasantly warm, not too hot, not rainy. I walked there with my wheelie bag and folding table. When I arrived the place was already buzzing with vendors setting up, and more kept arriving until it was the opening time. The market is open from 11am to 2pm.

Each time I bring different pieces, to have a bit of variety. This time I brought some antique metal pieces, silver jewellery, antique silver (pocket watches, folding knives, teaspoons), sea shells and some old pictures.

The day was interesting and people strolled about. I had a few chats with the folks stopping by, and it was really nice. I did sell a few bits including a sivler charm bracelet and an iron ram figurine (very heavy). I was quite pleased, and although it wasn’t a huge return, the day was nice and easy, with many people enquiring about beautiful old pieces but wanting them for a pittance (lol, most of them where traders).

Overall I enjoyed it and I shall do it again later in September.

By the way, the birthday cakes were baked and were a success! More on that later in the next post.

How was your weekend?

17 August 2024 by itwasjudith

Alternative birthday cake

A dear friend will be having his birtday on Monday and I would like to visit him.

In the past I used to get a specialty cake, made to order. That was some years ago, before Covid, middle-life complexities (elder parents, for instance) and a general context change. A couple of years I baked my own granny’s apple cake (lots of apple slices in the dough).

During my stays in Austria I purchased a number of vintage baking forms in the shape of rabbit, lamb, Hansel and Gretel gingerbread house, etc. I think they were meant for family holidays such as Easter and Christmas. A neighbour there made a lamb cake once, and I really loved it.

The train of thoughts stopped with an odd-ball idea: what if I try and make something different? He loves animals and nature, and perhaps I could bake a BUNNY cake?

Out they came, a couple of my baking forms – they were in my vintage shop stock. The instructions sound fairly easy.

This weekend I’m going to do a test run, and fingers (and paws) crossed, they will be nice. If they turn out fine, then I will make one more batch for his birthday.

I just hope I haven’t shoot myself in the foot!

Let there be cake

21 April 2024 by itwasjudith

Good Sunday morning!

I hope my post finds you well? How have you been doing?

At present, I’m downsizing and also in the process of restoring old properties in Tuscany, Italy.

Downsizing

I managed to again build up my possessions, which is taxing both from on an emotional (overloading) and practical (storage space is incredibly expensive here in London) point of view. It’s time to let some go and move what I don’t want here in London to my hometown in Italy.

Yesterday books and vintage / antique items were brought to Oxfam charity. I’m still in the process of going through “stuff”. It’s liberating. The plan is to continue working on eliminating unnecessary items from my home.

Properties in Italy (buying and restoring)

There are a lot of other news.. we bought some old properties in Italy… I never got around to write a proper post about it because I’m playing with the idea to start a dedicated channel for them.

Below some photos of the area. It’s part of the “old castle” in a town called Subbiano, near Arezzo, Tuscany, Italy. We would like to restore them and are assessing options for refurbishing and requalifiying, breathing new life into these wonderful places.