Some yummy baking

Apple chocolate cake

240 g cake flour

5ml baking soda

10 ml baking powder

20 g cocoa

Pinch of salt

210 g castor sugar

4 extra large eggs

5ml vanilla essence

250 ml oil

250 ml apple puree

Preheat the oven to 180 C

Sift the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and salt together.

Place the castor sugar, eggs, vanilla essence and oil in a bowl and beat well.

Add the apple puree and mix.  Add the dry ingredients and mix.  Spoon into the prepared tins and bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until the cake tests done.

Cool on wire racks.  Sandwich together with a layer of apricot jam.

Dust with a little icing sugar just before serving.

Hannah had a meet the teachers and other students and their families the other day at school so she asked if we could make a apple chocolate cake for her contribution.  Thought why not as it was an interesting recipe and I like trying new baking.  It was super yummy.

Some light reading

A DAUGHTER'S INHERITANCE                    Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller

I enjoyed this book, a bit of the plot had been spoilt by reading in the wrong order but there was still enough to read and enjoy the story.  I felt sorry for the girls having an uncle like that, and reading the book made me glad that I wasn't alive in the early 1900 like that as girls didn't have the "advantages" we have today.

Interesting reading

SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS                        David Gutterson

The story was interesting but I found it did drag on a bit in some places.  I suspected that things weren't as they seemed as it would have been too easy for them to have the guilty person from the start but I never expected the ending that I found at the end of the book.

I wouldn't read it again as it is a long book, over 400 pages but I'm glad I did read it.

School picnic

We had a meet the teachers and staff picnic tonight at Dylan's school.  We could swim but since it is hard to watch 2 young boys in the water I thought it would be better to stay out the water.  The kids enjoyed running around the field and finding acorns.

Reading

AN UNEXPECTED LOVE                Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller

This is the second book and I enjoyed it as much as the third (I tend to find the books in the wrong order and read them as I find them).  I knew some of the story already due to reading the third book but not all the finer details.

Another book

STRANGE TALES FROM STRANGEWAYS                       Sara Lee

I enjoyed this book, it is based on facts and tells the stories of some of the executions that happened in Strangeways.  The stories were short and some were heart breaking as the victims were kids sometimes as young as five years old.  It is interesting that people think they can get away with murder but often they get caught out.

First time swimmer

I have not been able to take the boys swimming due to not being able to watch both at the same time so while Dylan is in school I thought it was a great time to take Scott so at least when he starts school he knows what the water is and a few basics.

Got to the pools and found that the toddler pools are closed but the wave pool is open with no waves.  Changed into our togs and then went to the shallow water, he was happy to walk around and splash but he soon got cold as it is the adults wave pool so not heated like the toddler pools are.  Had to wrap him in the towel and sit on the side until he warmed up a bit then back into the water for a bit.  Near the end he was asking to just sit with the towel around him and mummy could go and swim... I then stayed in the shallow water near where he was sitting and had a bit of a swim.

Good thing is he has asked to go again but the toddler pools are only expected to be open the end of the month so might take 2 towels.. one for him to wrap around him to warm him up and one to dry us off afterwards.

Community Day

There was a community day at our local school which was interesting to go and see.  The kids enjoyed horse rides (well the horse only walked) and the boys enjoyed wearing the police hat and sitting in the helicopter.  Silly me forgot to use sunscreen so we are a little bit sunburnt but still a good day.  They had spot prizes, we got given a Feel Tip Top hat and since I was brave enough to go and dance for the mum's challenge I got a KitKat which the kids helped me eat, a petrol voucher and Turkish bread which we had for dinner.

New books to read

THE MOST WANTED BACHELOR                             Susan Kay Law

It was an easy book to read.  Not the usual boy and girl meet, they fight and argue and then fall in love which was nice.  The story didn't drag out but I wouldn't read it again.

Some light reading

ARE YOU LISTENING, KAREN?                     David Day

It is an interesting enough story but it would have made more sense to be after her death and not what happened to Jason before his sister’s death.  The ending was a bit off as well, the story just ended.  One good thing is it is a short book so I was able to read it in about an hour  but I sure wouldn’t be reading it again.

I have done some reading

THE MARCH                                     E.L. Doctorow

I enjoyed reading this book but in some parts it did drag a bit.  I enjoyed reading about what happened to the normal non military folks.  It is based in the civil war so found that parts were hard to follow as it was about strategy.

One of my favourite books in a while

SCAPEGALLOWS                Carol Birch

This was a really interesting story, I couldn’t put it down easily.  I really enjoyed reading the life story of Margaret Catchpole and how she ended up a convict in Australia.  I would read again but not in a hurry or I tend to skip parts due to knowing the story.

More thoughts on books

CODEX 632                          Jose Rodrigues Dos Santos

This is one book I never thought I would follow through and read but I’m glad I did read it, in parts it was complicated to follow especially the codes and the references to various codes and things but there was enough normal language for me to follow what the story was about.  I did enjoy the story but I wouldn’t read it again.

Books

A SURRENDERED HEART              Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller

I loved this book.  I felt sorry for the family but never the father as he bought it all on himself.  A happy ending in an slightly unexpected way.

This is book three of the Broadmoor Legacy so now I want to try and find the first two to read.

A Daughter’s Inheritance

An Unexpected Love

A Surrendered Heart

I hope there will be more in the future.

Books I have read while offlline....

I have been busy reading so thought that I should update my blog.

A SECRET ALCHEMY                       Emma Darwin

I did enjoy the story but found it can be confusing with the way it jumps from character to character  and not always in the same time period.  It would have been better to tell the story of Elizabeth and her family which I did find interesting and then the story of Una and her cousins trying to save the Chantry.

This is the second book I have read of Emma Darwin’s and had the same problem with the other book, it is confusing and you need to be able to concentrate and not have the kids running around as a distraction.

Finally back online

No internet connection for 3 weeks and it has been so quiet at home.  Done heaps of reading so will update my thoughts on the books and time with the kids.  Saw a possum close up while we were doing some gardening the other evening.