'TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY

It was my beautiful daughter’s 14th Birthday last week! 14!! Where did all those years go?? I promised I would make her any cake she chose from one of my favourite fancy cake books, “Planet Cake” by Paris Cutler. I was delighted when she chose the giant cupcake, which I thought was quite manageable. It was only when I started looking at all the steps involved more closely that I got really nervous. What seemed simple at first, was in fact rather complicated for an amateur like me….a couple of pages of instructions and lots of ingredients later, the pressure was definitely on!

I started with my daughter’s favourite, chocolate mud cake. But not just one; I had to make 3 (yes 3!!)……..

Once cooled, the stacking and shaping began…..

I even had to get out a saw to cut some dowels down to the right length to hold up the top layer of the cake. (This cupcake thing is really challenging me to tread new ground – I’d never even held a saw before!)…..

Jam between the layers and chocolate butter cream to glue on the icing ……

Rolled chocolate icing for the top…..

Blue icing for the patty pan, with a chopstick cleverly pressed in to get the right shape…..

Nearly there, with just the white & red icing to go…..

The cherry on top almost looked real……

All done…..

The verdict?

Admittedly, my giant cupcake looks pretty good in the photo, right? But unfortunately, it was far from perfect in real life. Everything was going so well up until the blue icing. For some reason, it was too soft and started falling apart. For a moment, when I thought my patty pan was totally ruined, I was just about ready to throw in the towel. But I didn’t have the heart, as my gorgeous girl was so excited about it. I managed to salvage it as best I could, and I guess it didn’t turn out too badly for an “amateur”!

After singing “Happy Birthday” and cutting up the masterpiece, the real test was the taste….and it happened to be a consensus….the mud cake was perfect – moist, not too heavy and perfectly sweet! I was very pleased. More importantly, my daughter loved her birthday cake, so the effort, time and nerves were worth it!

After a birthday celebration dinner, we were off to the Rocks night markets in beautiful Sydney…..

We took in the sights along the way…..

And couldn’t help but notice the Christmas cheer, with lights and decorations everywhere….

What would a trip to the markets have been without a cupcake stall?!! Too full from dinner to try them this time though. Instead we enjoyed the aesthetics…..

The next day, we were off on our second birthday adventure into gorgeous Darling Harbour for Carols and fireworks…….

Soon the city and the tree were all lit up………..

Then there was even more light with the spectacular fireworks display…..

After the excitement of the fireworks, we weren’t ready for the night to end, so we all went for ice cream. Funny how we all picked different flavours…….

On Sunday, we decorated our tree. My talented sister-in-law created a Nativity cave…..

That night, we had a BBQ with friends and all enjoyed a yummy trifle for dessert, which I made using left-over mud cake…..

Although pretty hectic, I love this time of year…the kids on holidays, Christmas decorations everywhere, lots of social activities! Some might call it the “silly season”, but in our household, ‘tis the “jolly season”. For me, Christmas is filled with joy and wonderful childhood memories. As each year passes, I get to create even more memories with my husband, children and extended family – I am so blessed. Even thinking on Christmas last year, when I was bald and fat from chemo, and in a wheelchair with a broken ankle, I still have the fondest memories of all the eating, laughing, and fun had with loved ones.

There are so many different ways to decorate a cupcake.

Just as there are so many ways to decorate a cupcake, there are also many different Christmas experiences. For some people, joy and happiness fill their Christmas memories. It’s fun-filled days with loved ones, exchanging gifts and family holidays that come to mind. But for others, the Christmas experience is not a positive one.

My heart goes out to those people who will spend Christmas alone this year; to those families who will struggle to put a meal on the table, let alone presents under the tree; to those who have lost a loved one and won’t be able to bear to get out of bed on Christmas morning; to those people who are too sick to be bothered celebrating; and to those who have never even believed in the hope and joy of Christmas.

My prayer is that all people might find a reason to hope this Christmas. My prayer is that in spite of circumstances, the gift of peace might be sprinkled into every heart, as first offered all those years ago by a little baby in swaddling clothes…..

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: ….and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6, Holy Bible).