an ombre cake for Lizzy's 15th birthday

A girl about to turn 15. A grandma keen to help out. Put them together. What do you get?

Ombre cake!

There are two words I never thought I'd see in one sentence. I didn't know such a thing existed until a few weeks ago. In fact, I'd never heard of the word "ombre" until my much-more-fashionable-than-me girl brought the word to my attention in relation to hair styles.

Doesn't it look glorious?

Each layer is a different flavour: vanilla, caramel, choc-caramel, chocolate. They're sandwiched together with caramel, and topped with chocolate cream icing.

My mum used the recipe here and substituted dark brown sugar for brown sugar in the caramel layer, which tasted just like sticky date pudding. That layer alone will inspire a caramel cake soon, it was so yummy.

And here's my girl, 15 years old!! I can hardly believe it. Seems like only yesterday that a plump baby with dark hair and midnight-blue eyes was lying in my arms for the first time.

We sit on the couch together every morning, read our Bibles, and pray. We cook together and talk about life and occasionally *cough* even argue. We're the only two girls in a house full of boys, and we're good mates, and did I mention we're going away for a mother-daughter weekend soon?

So glad God answered my prayers for a daughter - Please? Just one?? - all those years ago.

starting school

Here they are, all ready to start school.

Lizzy, beginning year 9, wondering if she will make friends in her electives, looking forward to subjects like Design and Food Tech, already missing the holidays, learning what it means to be a Christian, ready to live for Jesus at school.

Ben, starting secondary school, a little apprehensive about making friends and migraines (he got one half-way through the first day of school), but "energised" (his word) by the thought of this brave new world where he gets to study science, history and geography.

Thomas, all set for grade 4, looking forward to having his best friend in his class again, constantly surprising me with his affectionate, considerate, helpful nature.

Andy, heading into grade 1, so cute with those two front teeth missing, facing school with his special brand of independence, determination, thoughtfulness, and friendliness.

I love the various stages of our children's lives. I'm enjoying (though a little exhausted by!) the in-depth 10 o'clock chats with adolescents, and the way their minds are unfolding and their faith growing. I revel in the cuddles and morning nestling of the little ones, knowing they will grow up all too soon.

We make our way through worries and tantrums and whinging and arguments. We face sickness and doubts and rebellion and repentance. We teach the Bible and try to model godliness (and often model complaining and grumpiness instead) and pray, pray, pray for our children - so many prayers!

They are growing, and they are growing well. And for that I give thanks.

how we made a 3D cross-section volcano

It's been a long time since I posted a school project. But since the top searches on my blog always lead to our rainforest diorama and atom model, I thought it might be time to post another one! I've been meaning to post this for years: Lizzy's 3D cross-section volcano.

Here's how we made it. We started with a large cardboard tube cut in half, and a flat square box about the size and shape of a large pizza box. I cut an arc in the middle of the box and inserted one end of the cardboard tube, spread a little at the base.

The main body of the volcano was built up using lots of foil

until it looked like this from the top

and this from the side.

The next bit was a little tricky and probably unecessary. We cut away the top of the box in front of the "volcano",

cut the cardboard at the front of the box, folded it back, added another piece of cardboard to join it all together, and fastened them with thick tape

so that the "underground" was included in the cross-section.

Then Lizzy covered our "volcano" with paper mache made out of newspaper and wallpaper paste

until the foil was completely covered;

and covered this with a layer of plain paper mache

until it had a smooth, plain surface.

Once the paper mache was dry, we blocked in the three main colours using poster paint,

then blended the different colours into each other to make it look more natural,

and painted some "lava" overflowing the top.

Here's how it looked from the back.

Lizzy used red cellophane to make the "lava" in the middle of the volcano,

then added cotton wool to make the "smoke".

To finish it off she added a few labels. There you go: a volcano!

not so small anymore

Conversation between my daughter and her "baby" brother.

Andy, you're cute!

I'm at school now. I'm not small and cute.

What are you then?

I'm big and tricky. I will trick you really easily. You had better get out of this room or I will trick you.

another volcano cake that almost worked

For some reason, it's been a year for volcano cakes in our house. Here's another volcano cake we made that almost worked - and it would have worked perfectly if I read the recipe more carefully! :) It was very easy, and the yummiest birthday cake we've ever made, by a lo-o-o-ong way. This one was for Ben's 11th birthday, and Lizzy helped me make it.

You start with a round chocolate cake (ours is a double gluten free cake from a packet)and 4 litres of ice cream softened a little (about 10 minutes) then shoved into a metal mould - this shape is great if you can get it. Put it in the freezer overnight.Turn the ice cream out on top of the cake (our ice cream is butterscotch mixed with good quality vanilla).Beat 600 ml cream with 1/4 cup cocoa and 2 tbsn icing sugar until it's thick, and spread it over the cake.Chop up lots of chocolate bars (the yummiest is Snickers, but include some Cherry Ripe, Crunchies, Toblerone and anything else you like). This is where we went wrong. I misread the recipe and bought about 400g of mixed chocolate bars instead of (believe it or not) 200g chocolate bars and 1 1/2 kg Rocky Road.Here's our volcano - as you can see, there weren't quite enough chocolate bars to cover it! But it looks good all the same. (You're supposed to pour thick strawberry topping over it, do some complicated thing with sheets of homemade toffee, and put dinosaurs and dessicated coconut mixed with green food colouring around the edge. I got a little lazy here! ;) )Put it back in the freezer to harden up for a few hours (the cream is YUMMY after you've done this). Get it out, stick some sparklers in, light them,
wait for them to go out,then watch it disappear.YUM!

This cake is adapted from the "Volcano Vibes" cake in The Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book.

family catch-up: Lizzy

Lizzy is now 12, and turning into a young woman -but she can be just as silly as ever.She still enjoys cookingand loves her little brother very much.She graduated from primary school(much more fancily than in my day)and started secondary school, which she loves.From thisto this in just a few short months!That's our girl.

Lizzy's 12th birthday

I spent the night before Lizzy's 12th birthday party praying it wouldn't rain. Every morning for a week Lizzy had checked the forecast: cold and wet. On the day of the party I woke to the sound of rain, and we watched the clouds come and go all morning.

We were going rock-climbing! Well, we were if it didn't rain. We arrived at the Latrobe University Sports Centre under cloudy skies - tightened the complicated straps on our rock-climbing harnesses - looked out the glass doors - and, with perfect timing, the rain began.

We started to remove our harnesses, then took a vote and decided to wait 5 minutes to see if the rain would stop. It did. We got in half-an-hour's glorious rock climbing and then, sure enough, the heavens opened. No matter! Cake time; pool time; and 10 tired children made their way home, one to open presents and the rest to suck lollipops.

Here are some photos. (The cake, by the way, was very easy to make: a cardboard tube pushed into the middle of a high round cake; some icing, lollies and long-stemmed lollipops; and there you go!)







Happy 12th birthday Lizzy!