Nifty Nifty Looks Who's Fifty!

"To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time."
~Clara Ortega

Fifty years ago today my mother brought home a little bundle of joy called a sister and I promptly told her to take it back to the hospital as I did not want it around. My mother carefully explained that if she took it back she would have to go and stay with it . . . because this was a baby and very helpless and needed someone to take care of it. I thought about it for a few minutes, and then . . . because I loved my mom and I could not live without her I decided that the baby could stay. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship that has lasted our lifetime, through many ups and downs . . . through thick and thin . . . in good times and in sad times . . . forever and ever.



What is a sister? A sister is a special person, a gift from God. Nobody else on earth knows you in quite in the same way. You share a history together that only you two know about, and only you two can understand. It's like being in a special club, with just you two as the members. They've been where you've been and even though thousands of miles may separate you, they are never more than a heartbeat away. You know you can call them any time of the day or night, and share your joy or your sorrow, and they will listen no matter what. A sister is more than just family. A sister is a unique friend, a friend that nobody else can replace. You may fight like cat's and dog's from time to time, but the closeness that you share from the laughter and tears of a lifetime is the deepest that you will ever know. Love . . . mixed with friendship of the most beautiful kind. She is one of the most precious people in the story and fabric of your life. Confident, counselor, friend . . . she is many things and all things. She is a gentle reminder of all that is good about this world and this lifetime and the close bond shared by family and no-one else. Sharing secrets and dreams, there is no one else in the world that comes from the same place and has experienced the same history as you have, albeit with a different view, but somehow the two halves and views make a whole, in a most beautiful way. You wonder each and every day what ever would you do without her in your life and you are awfully glad that your mother brought her home and that you decided to let her stay . . . life would never have been quite the same, or as beautiful without her in it . . .



Happy Birthday Cindy! Life begins at fifty you know! Trust me . . . been there, bought the tee shirt and am happily still wearing it!

I had a lovely day with Tracy yesterday. I've not had time to down load any photos yet. We never shut up the whole time she was here and Todd and TJ got on like a house on fire. Tune in tomorrow for the whole story!



A sister's birthday calls for a celebratory cake of the most special kind. I can think of no better cake than my Golden Jubilee Cake. This was a recipe developed by Good Food magazine for the Queen's jubilee back in her jubilee year. This is the cake I crack open for any celebration and this is the cake I'd make for you today if you were here my special friend, my sister.

I have to say that these pictures I cannot take credit for the first one is by my friend Friedel Grant of Travelling Two . She and her husband are busily bicycling around the world right now. Several years ago I hosted a recipezaar tea party get together at my home. This is the cake I made for us all, and she most graciously took this delicious picture of it. The second one is a photo by another recipezaar friend Sylvie of A Pot of Tea and a Biscuit. The last one is by my good friend Julie of Tulips Kitchen , whom I also met on recipezaar. All great ladies, all great pictures, a very yummy cake! (Can you believe that with the many times I have made this cake myself, I have never actually gotten a picture of it myself!!! I'll have to remedy that real soon! )



*Golden Jubliee Cake*
Serves 12

How can you describe a deliciously moist sponge, studded with fresh raspberries and then filled with more rasperries and clotted cream . . . heaven is the only word I can think of, and this is all that and more! If you can't get clotted cream you can use whipped cream, thickly whipped. It will taste almost as good as the clotted cream, but as any one knows who has had clotted cream . . . there is nothing quite as delicious as the real thing!

FOR THE CAKE:
6 ounces golden caster sugar (3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp)
6 ounces butter, softened
4 large eggs, separated
4 ounces self-rising flour (3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp)
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 ounces ground almonds
3-5 drops almond extract
125 g fresh raspberries (about 1 cup)


FOR THE FILLING:
1 (227 g) container cornish clotted cream
125 g fresh raspberries

FOR THE DECORATION:
fresh rose petals, free from pesticides and totally edible
2-3 ounces golden caster sugar
1 egg white, lightly beaten to a froth
4 ounces icing sugar

How to make the frosted rose petals: (I make these the day before) Separate the petals and spread the castor sugar over a plate. Holding one petal at a time, lightly paint both sides with egg white. Spoon sugar over it, then using tweezers, shake off the excess. Dry on parchment paper for a day.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter two 8-inch round cake tins and line their bases with parchment paper. Set aside.

Tip the sugar into a mixing bowl and add the softened butter. Beat for a minute or so until pale and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks.


Sift together the flour and baking powder, then sift over the cake mixture. Fold in as lightly as you can using a large metal spoon, then fold in the almonds and extract. Stop folding as soon as the flour traces have gone.

Whisk the egg whites until they just hold their shape. Gently fold in a third of the egg white into the cake mix, using a whisk. Repeat with another third, then the final third. Take care not to over mix and lose the lightness of the egg whites.


Lightly fold in the raspberries. Divide between the prepared tins and level the mixture using a round bladed knife. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out, peel off the lining paper and leave to cool completely.

Set one cake on a serving plate. Spoon the clotted cream on top. Scatter the raspberries over and put the other cake on top.

Blend the icing sugar with 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp cold water until it is smooth and coats the back of a spoon thinly. Drizzle the icing over the cake. Scatter the rose petals over and around the cake, dust with icing sugar and serve to some very lucky people.