[Robin]

It’s not my favorite thing, but I thing marshmallow fondant tastes better than the traditional one.

The Janome dealer said sewing machine servicing depends on how often you sew. The oil breaks down in the machine. I’m supposed to take mine in every year and a half. He was saying that if the machine is never used it needs to be taken in after 3 years.

[with love Heidi]

Not a rude question at all Needlewoman, yes it is edible! My husbands favourite icing was regular fondant as found on Christmas and wedding cakes but this is so much better again. We also work on the principle that everything (except the candles) on a cake should be edible and this works great! 🙂

[Tamara]

After a pretty full on weekend entertaining our young guest and then experiencing a severe sleepover hangover, we have finally gotten back on an even keel and are feeling normal once again. My daughter came home last week claiming she wanted to quit all things music because the instrumental teacher had invited two of the five kids to join the primary band (last term) and she had not been asked aswell. Lots of teen type tantrums later, I had a brief chat with the teacher yesterday on my way to help with woodwork and just discussed the whole thing with her. Immy wanted me to email her and ask what she was doing wrong, which I did and I hadn’t had a reply so it was a good chance to ask.

Well, after the conversation, I had this feeling that the game would change and I might actually get my happy daughter back. It was confirmed this afternoon when after school she presented me with a permission note to join the primary band. She was quite thrilled but I am not sure if it has really sunk in. She’s back to singing and dancing around the living room again – a good sign.

Out of this experience I have come to realise that my opinion doesn’t matter as much anymore. She was after the approval of her teacher and the feelings of exclusion and jealousy were really consuming her, making her into this grump! I’m glad she has been accepted but she will now have to work to keep her place. She has verbally promised more practise but even after twenty minutes of being home, I hear the tv. I guess a girl has to chill a little.

I’m just glad she gets a chance and it has helped her to realise that she wouldn’t have this if she quit! We will just see how it all goes. Band is not easy but it will be fun to know that the great sound they make is partly made by her instrument – she will gain a sense of achievement and pride and enjoy her music more when this happens.

Oh and she got a duet part for the presentation night too! Let music reign supreme I want a noisy musical house!

[needlewoman]

I think there might be a language difficulty re. our discussion about icing. When I think of ‘fondant’, I think of liquid-y, soft stuff. Reading the latest post abt the stuff, I suspect Heidi, that you are describing an icing that’s pretty firm (and in my childhood was usually flavoured with marzipan, or even made of which if you don’t like marzipan can mean a lot of hard work on somebody’s part, goes in the bin! Still can’t grasp the idea of marshmellow fondant – hard or soft. I’m happy to remain perplexed if people are over this topic.

Dear T, sounds like your girl is entering teenagehood – emotionally if not agewise- the time in which parents know nothing worth knowing, and while their approval still actually counts enormously, the adolescent would rather die than admit it so all you hear about is what their friends/other grown-ups (who are, by definition, much ‘cooler’/more in touch than you/Dad) think, say, and approve of. Stock up on gin, you’ll need it. But meanwhile, pleased that Imo has been ‘included’ and hope your house resounds to the sound of music.

[with love Heidi]

It looks like marzipan and probably moulds similar to marzipan but tastes sooo much better! There was no icing peeled off and left on the side of the plates, no, it was all eaten by everyone from the 4 year old to the grandparents, with a not so subtle request for seconds from the 9 year old!

The marshmallow forms the base to add the icing sugar to replacing the gelatine and glycerine in the original fondant (sugar paste) recipe, no wonder the marshmallow version tastes better! I think the marshmallow gives it the elasticity to be moulded like a cross between play dough and plasticine but so much nicer to work with than either!

I finally got the photo up http://www.flickr.com/photos/73669617@N07/10951679414/

[Tamara]

Fiona thank you, I hope so too! The mood is over now thank God! She is back to her happy self. It will definitely help her to pull her socks up practise wise. But we are going to the pool to celebrate this afternoon as it is early close day at school. Practise will resume when we get home though. Or else it will be mum the monkey on her back. She has a choice.

My late mil was a whizz at making and decorating cakes – she did our wedding cake to my specifications perfectly – I actually think she used marzipan to ice it though as it had this clear type gel stuff in between it and the cake itself. I have downloaded a few free craftsy classes as my daughter is crazy about making figurines on cakes and wants to work with Buddy the cake boss (note to self ban the tv). Anyway, the instructor says that if the climate is too hot or humid the fondant won’t work well and same for too cold. Unfortunately that rules out all activities relating to such during our summer – we’d have a right mess on our hands but it would probably still be fun.

It sounds like a fab recipe and I have book marked it for future use.

My son says to me this morning that his teacher wants me to make “farmer” costumes! Whaaat?? When most of the kids are farm kids couldn’t they just where their farm clothes? Murray suggested high vis vests. I’ll suggest the same when I see her this afternoon. Noah had this brilliant idea where when the chorus comes on for the song they are doing they should ask all the farmers in the audience to stand up and call out “What does the farmer say?” Check it out, it’s a fun song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyMv4kkSCvk

[Tamara]

Ha! I found out it wasn’t the teacher after all. The students volunteered my services bless their little hearts. I must have impressed them with the costumes I made earlier in the year.

[Nicole]

I only have two costumes to make this year. A fish costume for Hugo and a Sleepy the Gnome/Dwarf (not sure which term is more PC).

I was initially disappointed but I got over that pretty quickly, MAS.

My three Biggies have left for camp, they have flown interstate and will get back late Thursday night.

I have had a lovely day with my two small girlies, listening to children’s music and wrapping presents.

I can’t believe that by 7:30pm it will just be Jed and me. That is, if the rain keeps up and he can’t reap the beans.

[with love Heidi]

Enjoy the time with Jed, Nicole! 🙂

[Masha Richart]

Heidi, your cake looks fantastic!

Happy to give the fondant question one more go, needlewoman. What Heidi is talking about is basically a sugar dough that can be rolled out, and then is laid atop the cake and smoothed into place. It makes a flat, smooth top. It is quite sweet, but the marshmallow variety is tastier than the other kind (which I’ve never made, only eaten). It can also be sculpted like clay. I used it for the first time for my girls’ princess castle birthday cake: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23557464@N03/10096941143/in/photostream/. The cake icing and decorations, as well as the princesses, are all made from marshmallow fondant.

All this talk of icing, though, is making me pretty ill. I have been down with a stomach bug the last two days. DD1 is finally about 90 percent, after a solid nine days of being sick. We sent her back to school today; she wasn’t happy about that. DD2 woke up with her eyes glued shut by crusted-over goop; that scared her quite a bit. Neither she nor I have wanted to eat anything in a couple days. Hubby stayed home to take care of us but he has to go back to work tomorrow. I hope one more night’s sleep will have me able to take care of all the kiddos alone tomorrow!

[Tamara]

I had a rather silly brainwave idea this morning and shared it with Imogen’s teacher. I was riding on the news of Nicole’s costumes for her kids’ final school event and how it would be fun to have a class dress up as something from a Christmas feast. I like the idea of dressing as a bonbon! Unfortunately our school consists of the majority of parents who whinge and moan over costumes so we have to dress in boring everyday gear instead, because it’s “easy”.

My sister and her little son are coming to visit on the weekend. It will be my nephew’s first ever visit to a farm, and our farm especially. We plan to shear the pet lamb while they are here. We are all excited about the visit.

RTWG I hope you all recover soon. I have one child home again today. We have two weeks until the term ends and we are on summer break but it seems that the kids are on a mission to clock up days of absence with one day at least off every week for the last three weeks. I can gather that they are tired and yes the bugs are still going around but it is taking its toll! We were supposed to have a family day tomorrow to celebrate my birthday but it won’t be happening due to too many days off already.

[meleliza]

I had a really lovely time over Thanksgiving with lots of cousins and aunts and uncles. Turns out I was right and my cousin flew home from Dublin with her Irish boyfriend to announce their engagement! It was a squealing, jumping kind of hug when I found out. Athlone in June 2015! Cross fingers that plane fares come down before next year!

[Nicole]

I have my Biggies home! (From camp)

They had a ball but I am so glad they are home.

A wedding in Ireland sounds the stuff of dreams.

[lattemama]

So happy for you Nicole, I know you missed them.

We were hunkering down indoors last night as a storm beat down on us. We are all fine but it was scary there for a while.

Isabel had a concert flute recital in the evening but as the weather services raise the warning to a class 3 (most severe warning here) we decided to stay home instead.

So I made saffron rolls and the girls curled up under a quilt to watch telly with Daddy.

I have one more batch of saffron rolls I want to make then I am done with baking for the holidays. My 90 yo grandma made sure I am stocked up on cookies so I only made Swedish gingerbread myself.

I may cave in and make a gingerbread house too but I’m not sure.

Sewing wise I am done with the girls’ dresses and next up is a toile of a Negroni for Rickard. I measured him and I don’t think I have to add much to the pattern other than to compensate a little around his middle section. Too much beer?

[Tamara]

I have just seen on the news about the storm. It seems to be very widespread so I hope all our European and English friends stay safe. It is the unfortunate downside of the season. At least you are occupied and it seems that you have power which is a positive.

Imogen had her first primary band performance today. According to Murray she played very well and the band (of primary school students in years 5-7) sounded much better than in previous years.