Little candles
When I was a child the smell of Birthday candles to me was what Happiness smelled like, the sulphurous whiff , the wish winging up to Heaven and guaranteed party and CAKE afterwards. I just love Birthdays and parties, even today when my age sounds like a Bingo callers dream. I think we should treat every day as though it was our birthdays , getting older is a privilege when so many of the best people I have met , never got the chance to blow out many candles.
My Mum was pure glamour as I was growing up, doing the Hoovering in her Levi 501s made her many of my teenage friends Mrs Robinson. Naturally and effortlessly beautiful and kind she was and remains, culinarily challenged as well I'm afraid! However , without fail she made me a homemade birthday cake every year for me, Hedgehog shaped with chocolate button spines, Mickey Mouse holding a clutch of Smartie balloons. On my 18 th birthday I woke up to the smell of cake cooking and had hot coffee cake for breakfast with little candles sliding gloriously off the plate in a mudslide of icing. Quite simply those little acts of love, like the candles , light up our lives in memories that last a lifetime. Little candles are the kind deeds we need to survive in a weary World, they can illuminate the darkest of days. Happiness rests on such little things. Someone let me into a traffic queue today so I wasn't late for work, I was brought a bag of free Damsons that I'm turning into Damson Vodka for Christmas to share with my family and that sweet sweet smile from Jemima when I picked her up from school a bit earlier today all priceless shiny moments that make life worth living - worth celebrating.
I suppose I'm a sturdy girl because I treat each day like a birthday, cake , cava and I love a fire and candles! Candles everywhere , life can be so grey without them. My Nanna always had a piece of Battenberg on the go and had the loveliest , cherubic face , even in her 90s. Face cream vs double cream- it's a no brainer to me.
When I went to visit my Grandmother Lucie, she always had a tin of rock buns in her pantry. To me a cup tea and a bun equalled true love. Happy Thursday, make a wish!
Rock buns
You should listen to the Foo fighters whilst making these to make them "Rock" buns, but actually they're "as light as lad's love " as my Nanna would say! Not rocklike at all.
200 g self raising flour
75 g butter
75 g golden sugar
2 eggs
50 g mixed fruit and peel
Rub the butter into the flour stir in the sugar and fruit bind together with eggs and a little extra milk. Put dollops onto a greased baking tray put in glacé cherries for eyes and bake in a medium oven for 15-20 mins until golden. ( I think Betty's of York call these fat rascals, if you eat too many you might turn into one , like me! ) xxx
