Cake:

6 egg yolks
1 cup of sugar (200g)
3 packets of vanilla sugar or 1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 tsp of baking powder (7g)
1 cup raisins (80g)
zest of one lemon or orange
1 tbsp juice of one lemon or orange
1 tbsp ground oats or bread crumbs
1 and 1/3 cup unsalted softened butter (150 g)
6 egg whites
1 and 1/2 cups of ground poppy seeds (250g)

Set the oven to 300F (150C)
Soak raisins in water.
Mix egg yolks with sugar, vanilla and baking powder. When it becomes foamy, mix in butter, then oats, zest and juice.
Drain raisins and add them to the mixture.
In a clean bowl beat egg whites until peaks form. Blend in poppy seeds then the contents of the first bowl.
Bake for 45 min or until stick comes out clean. After taking out of the oven, cover with cloth or napkin so it can cool slowly.

Ganache:

sour jam (I use four fruits by Bonne Mamman, but could be anything)
1/3 cup sugar (60g)
2 tbsp milk
3 oz chocolate (80g)
4 tbsp butter (50g)

In a saucepan over the stove melt sugar in milk. Add chocolate and stir until it is melted. Remove from fire and blend in butter until it is melted.

Cover the cake with a layer of jam and then spread ganache.

The cake is best if kept in closed container in the fridge.

P.S. Happy 400th post on Post Industrial Brambles; over 7 years of posting – crazy!

I have made it through the first week on my own. I called Chris early from work only once and with a Very Good Reason (I had a dentist appointment to go to and Trevor had already spent an hour screaming about how he hates gravity, it did not bode well for him waiting quietly for the dentist to be done).

I started the week off pretty well though I did miss my dad. On Monday it was nice enough to bike Owen to daycare and take a three hour walk with Markus. On Tuesday, Owen was a bit bored at home, but by Wednesday I figured out that playing in the park and taking walks makes him a much happier toddler. I spent some time with other moms and moms-to-be so the time passed quickly enough for the rest of the week.

We’ve had the First Snow which is always very exciting. I made it to not one but two spinning classes which I now call my “quiet time”. I cooked a few nice meals though my kids did not eat much. I started knitting a hat only to realize that there was a major error in the pattern (and it was not a free pattern either, I am not impressed) I may or may not continue to knit this hat. I cleaned out 80% or my closet. I still have 80% of my house left to clean. Markus is starting to be more and more awake during the day so it is highly unlikely to get done.

Despite advice to the contrary, I ended up ripping half of each pink sock out and redoing it in smaller pattern. The socks are now finished with (very little) yarn to spare. Phew!

I am a bit ambivalent about these. I remember being much more pleased with the blue socks I made last year around the same time…

I still have to wash and wear the socks to see if I like them. I liked the blue socks quite a bit, but I still don’t know if I will continue to knit socks. It is a lot of work and, so far, the socks that I have knit have not proven to be more comfortable, maintainable or even better looking that store bought socks. I hear from people in the know that there is nothing better than hand knit socks so they are either off their rockers or I am doing something wrong. Shrug.

Fortunately, I really like knitted hats and scarves so knitting will continue. I might even move on to sweaters as I have become a veritable yarn snob as a side effect of knitting with good quality wool. Previously, I had no trouble buying and wearing acrylic, but during my last shopping trip I realized that I have developed an aversion. This leaves me with no purchased sweaters and winter coming.

Speaking of acrylic, I have pulled out an old scarf I made in University and have made plans to turn it into a blanket kind of like this one (well, much, much smaller). I am very fond of this scarf as it reminds me of my halcyon days so I have no intention of throwing it out or giving it away and yet I neither wish to wear it nor keep it in a box forever. A little throw might be fun, but I still need to figure out how to make it into something pretty without taking it apart completely or making a bit mess.

Last June at the “Art in the Park” Trev picked a flower for me to be replanted.

I kept it in my car until last week and finally planted it.

It took me a long time to be ready to let go just as I am not really ready to let go of my car. But Pnata Rei, it is time. I cleaned it out and now I just have to vacuum it and give it one last final wash. This is going to be Prvimir’s twelfth winter, and he has served me well all these years.

My recovery has been completed and I have been back to normal for a week now. Yay!

Alas, this also means that my dad is going back home and for the next five months I am left to my own devices during the day. I don’t have any specific plans on how to get through, but I am an old hand at this, I am sure everything will be fine.

Over the last six weeks things have been deceptively simple because I had help. I was able to get enough sleep and the house has been in good order. I feel very comfortable taking care of Markus because I have done all of this two times already. Owen is hitting the terrible twos so he is a handful sometimes, but nothing that we can’t figure out. Trevor, on the other hand is an enigma wrapped up in mystery. He is a wonderful boy, but we as parents don’t really know what to expect from him at this age. Are we too strict or too permissive? Do we let too many incidents go or are we fussing at unimportant things? It is interesting how the eldest child gets a completely different parenting experience than the younger ones.

I managed to get some fun time with Trevor, we’re making another bird costume – this time by Trev’s design.

It was nice to have Owen at home for the month. He is going to daycare for two days per week starting on Monday. I think he now needs some interaction with other kids and I need extra time to take care of chores.