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Cakes, beans and exams!

December 15, 2006

Firstly the exams! Thanks for all your good luck wishes! The exams themselves were ok I guess (I can never tell!), but it was a VERY stressful day. I forgot my tax tables, which are essential, and me and my friend Alison had a hair-raising drive back across Bristol in rush hour to get them - horrid! Luckily we were still early even after that, but it did make me a bit hysterical.

But now they're over, and I'm very relieved. And also very surprised to discover it's nearly Christmas, how the hell did that happen?! I have TONS to do before Christmas!

One thing I have been working on is the knitted cakes. I posted about the yarn I bought for them here, and since then I also bought a ball of red for cherries. It took me a long time to get the shape right, but now I think I have the perfect recipe, haha!

Cake number 1:

I started making the cakes with just cakey colour and icing, but I thought it looked a bit boring with just 2 colours, so I tried one with a white paper case.

Cake number 2:

This one was better, but case was too boxy, and the icing blended too well into the cake. Also I cast off too tightly after the paper case. So I tried another, with a more tapering shape on the case, and reverse st st icing to make it stand out.

Cake number 3:

View from above:

So now I think they're how I wanted, but I will save the first decrease row on the top of the cake for the icing, so it's hidden better, and try and do the ribbing a bit tighter so it's neater.

I'll make lots more now, and put them on the xmas tree!

A final thing I made - I've wanted to ages to make homemade baked beans. I refused to eat them when I was little, but since I was about 17 I've been making up for lost time - I love them! I found lots of recipes in this book, and picked one for Greek baked butter beans. It was easy peasy and they are lovely:

They are so creamy on the inside and the sauce is really nice and herby. I'm definitely trying her other recipes after we've eaten all these!

Posted by jen at December 15, 2006 02:26 PM

Comments

Oh my I love your cake ornaments!

Posted by: Amy at December 15, 2006 03:27 PM

I know, can you believe how Christmas just snuck up on us this year!! Adorable cakes!!

Posted by: Emily at December 15, 2006 04:09 PM

I hated beans as a kid, too. Pregnancy changed my mind 6 years ago. Now, I just cn't get enough of those creamy baked ones. If you can get black beans, try them Oaxacan style.

one ham hock (if you're not vegetarian)
sauteed onion
cumin (seeds toasted in oil with onions)
bake with lots of water till soupy
serve with with rice or cornbread and cilantro or salsa over the top

yum!

Posted by: Krista at December 16, 2006 04:31 PM

Yeah for exams being over! I'm sure you did wonderfully.

The knitted cakes are wonderful, in fact they make me hungry. Maybe you could add some leftover clear beads on one to make "sugar" crystals for a different cake. My imagaination will now go nuts...

Posted by: Sil at December 18, 2006 01:51 AM

Congrats on finishing your exams! Your knitted cakes are super cute! I also liked that clear bead idea that Sil posted here. How cool.

I also have to say that I have the same experience with baked beans - hated them as a child (well, what don't children hate. haha. I wasn't even that bad, really) but love them now! Your recipe looks yummy! Does it include cinnamin? That's my mom's secret ingredient.

Posted by: Missy at December 18, 2006 03:30 PM