I'm going to try and not make excuses because blogging isn't meant to be an obligation but I will say that I have still been cooking and eating and having adventures and, overall, I think my complete lack of blogging for the past 8 months has been due to the fact that learning how to be a teacher takes up a lot of time! A LOT! Particularly when you are trying to work two other jobs around it. Holy mackerel, kids! (Also, my camera's screen has been playing up a bit. It is frustrating.)
That said, yesterday afternoon signalled the end of my teaching rounds for this year. Obviously, I still have uni for the rest of the year but no more school time. It's weird - I am totally jazzed that time is passing and I am closer to becoming a teacher but it is also really sad. The school was fantastic (the kind of school dreams are made of, particularly for rounds) and the students were engaged, bright and funny. I think I will miss my two classes of Year 11s the most and, to thank them for being so awesome to teach, I made them some Catastrophe Cookies for class yesterday. They were very popular and, thus, I bought the love of my first class. Note to self: food works.
Anyway, let's use this moment to clear some of the 8 months worth of photos I have on hand. There probably won't be heaps of info but, hopefully, it will get me in the mood to do some more up to the date blogging.
At some point in February, I made my first ever spring onion pancake. Please excuse the iPhone photo:
So easy and tasty. In fact, I believe I lured our 'new' flatmate, Byron into moving in by promising him spring onion pancake. I have yet to make it again. Oops.
For Easter, I made an amazing carrot cake (recipe from The Pioneer Woman) and it was super-tasty.
I also made some Hot Cross Buns, using the amazing BBC recipe which they have since changed! WHY, BBC?!
For the lovely Miss Jen's birthday, I made this Gingerbread Layer Cake with Lemon Frosting.
The birthday girl seemed to enjoy it and I remember it was nice but not groundbreaking. It was, however, a lovely birthday picnic and anytime you rock up with
a cake and cake stand in the middle of the botanic gardens, you do become very popular.
Three Bags Full. Believe the hype. (Also, get there ridiculously early to get a table.)
The lovely M and I have been baking buddies for the past little while. Our first effort was a Rainbow Cake.
Don't worry - I checked with her mother before filling her full of food colouring.
A month or so later, we decided to make something else. She had wanted to make a chocolate cake but as soon as she saw the pink jelly cakes in the recipe book, it was impossible to convince her otherwise.
They looked pretty enough . . .
Expectations were high . . .
But . . .
Oh, I hear you, bb. They weren't so great. As M said, "I thought they had a flavour but they don't."
Finally (for now), the other day we made the most ridiculous brownies the world has ever seen.
Each quarter was a different stroke of evil genius: marshmallow, gummi bear, mini m&ms and turkish delight.
AND THEN WE MADE OURSELVES SICK EATING THEM.
Marshmallow and Turkish Delight were the best. Would make again.
Anyway, I do have some other stuff (Daylesford, St Andrews Market, misc other things) but this has become a bit ridiculous already. I will be back soon - I promise!
