I've spent much of this week in the kitchen, as I often do at the start of the month. I like to take the time to prepare big batches of chili, tuna pasta bake and bolognese and then freeze it for those days when I have no time to cook. 

I've also been busy cooking with a friend's birthday and my turn for work's "Cake Friday", falling on the same day.

First I made these marzipan penguins. I followed a recipe in Kirstie Allsopp's Craft book, but the process is pretty simple. Half a bar of marzipan, black and yellow food colouring and a lot of patience.

The end result was better than I expected, and they went down really well at work. Especially with my boss Helen, who I recently discovered loves marzipan. Always helps to be in the bosses good books.

After the penguins I had to make a cake for my friend's 21st. I wanted to do something a little different, so chose a rose gateau from a book my housemate bought me for Christmas.

It's a rose water sponge, with homemade raspberry jam and rose water icing (sadly, I made it too thin this time.) I didn't get to try it, but apparently it was delicious. 


I also got a new piping set this weekend, so naturally I had to bake some cupcakes to test it out on. For my birthday last year a friend bought me these amazing Peter Rabbit cupcake cases, and I've been scared to use them because they're so nice. I used four today, and then wussed out and made the rest with Sainsbury's polka dot cases.

The cake stand was a Christmas present, hence the reindeer.

I also finished my first felt heart today (another of Kirstie's projects.) I cut out two felt hearts and sewed them together with a running stitch. I filled it with polyester stuffing and attached a white ribbon. I also used a blanket stitch around the edge to neaten the felt.


I'm going to practice making them in different sizes, which is the perfect excuse for buying reels of beautiful ribbons from Ebay. I've got the App on my new iPhone, which is dangerous as it's ridiculously easy to purchase things on there...

Finally, I've spent the rest of my spare time reading my new books.

The first is The Last Samurai, by Helen DeWitt which was recommended by one of my favourite authors, Joey Comeau. He explains it's appeal best: 


"This book really played into my leftover beliefs from childhood that I was some kind of prodigy. It made me feel smart as I read it, and that's a nice feeling. The mother character has a refreshingly frank view of the world, too. Actually it plays to a lot of my weaknesses: child prodigies, fiercely intelligent women, linguistics, and reasonable discussions of suicide. "

I am also reading the second book in the Hector series, as previously mentioned, and Pride and Prejudice.