"What's cookin Ma"

It's my birthday and there is nothing nicer then a roast.When I was young my Mother would let me choose what ever I wanted for dinner .I always chose roast chicken and always wanted the drumstick.

Now days I prefer roast lamb so lamb it is and birthday cake.

The best thing of all though is family with me to help celebrate.

Because  it is Tuesday and everyone has school kindy or work I have chosen to have a little family party on Sunday so that the grandchildren can all have a special night with me...

Of course not everyone can make it Sunday so today we had a little family party for me with Number 2 son and daughter in law and two very exited grandchildren...

The recipes are coming out..

Winter meals ......

Fun for the kids

and a good Nosh up......

Chocolate cake..

Rose apples

 Butter made a couple of days ago has come in very helpful

Almond cake made from our own home grown almonds

I only picked the almonds last week i got a good basket full.the shells were soft and so easy to remove the nut.

I have never really mastered getting the sides of a cake iced I had imagined covering the sides with ground toasted almonds Not to be...

so instead i planted a garden in the decadent ganache

The chocolate cake was so moist I used the buttermilk that remained after I made butter.I filled it with redcurrent jelly and cream in the centre.....

“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” ― Mother Teresa

UUUUUUUUUUummmmmm  realised too late that the lime cream icing should have been on the Almond cake........

Worked out well in the end and oh what fun for the kiddies to go to the larder to do a cake search..

What an enjoyable day ..

My dear friend popped in with a very special book, my lovely friend from my hometown gave me a bag full of goodies and I got spoilt by family too...

I received a card from my new friend in England , and a huge happy hug from my wonderful neighbour .

Its been a great day.

“Gracious acceptance is an art - an art which most never bother to cultivate. We think that we have to learn how to give, but we forget about accepting things, which can be much harder than giving.... Accepting another person's gift is allowing him to express his feelings for you.” ― Alexander McCall Smith, Love Over Scotland

Today was a beautiful day in so many ways...made all the more special through friends.

Today I give thanks for my life and  I thank you all for sharing it with me....