High Society!

Yesterday was a great day! I held my workshop from 9.30 - 12.3o and it went so well. The three ladies made nice jokes to one another and chatted in between making their cards, drinking coffee etc. and they were all delighted with their efforts which is what it is all about! It was a lovely morning, enjoyed by all. Then I buttered and cut all the cucumber sandwiches for Amieke's High Tea, and went off with Lily and Sara around 1.45pm. The spread was AMAZING! I have got photos but Blogger was not co-operating this morning when I tried to upload them, so they will follow, promise! I have got the table from several angles as it was FULL of delicious foody bits, and then I managed to capture a great set of photos of Amienke in her Alpine Durndle outfit, with Sara and Lars, and.................her CRICUT!!!! Amieke was so happy with that! She even demonstrated it to her cirlce of card-making friends in a corner of the kitchen in between all the cups of tea and food prep. It was great to see that she is loving it already!!! I have promised to give an English Baking workshop in January for Marion and Lily and anyone else who is interested!! Marion had got loads of recipes and made her first ever Lemon curd and scones and quiche etc which I was very impressed about. Since she had never tasted some of them before, so had no real idea what they were supposed to taste like even, I think she did remarkably well. If I give this workshop Peter may get me the Kitchen aid.....what do you think?!......could I get one for Christmas darling??!!! It would be fun and I love baking! So many wonderful english cakes and bakes and ideas which here in Holland are unknown recipes. Maybe I will advertise it on my site...www.thepaperlady.nl bakes!!!!! Anyway, I am now going to get ready for the visit to the kitchen design centre to discuss our new kitchen. I've taken photos to take along with me so that they can see what we have now, and what we would love to have by next March!!!! Peter and I went there with Tim last weekend as Peter is in Denmark today, and found a few we all liked - our taste is the same I think so that is easy enough- but it is the design and the layout that needs tweaking for sure! I am a lefty and like to have a kitchen that has the plugs to my left or at least with the space around either side so that I can get the kettle etc where I want them. As you can tell, I am the main cook and bottle washer in our house! So I get to say where I want it all, yes! We have got one side that is ok, but the other has nothing fixed so there is plenty of scope to re-design it all I hope. One thing is for SURE...a Boretti oven will be coming!! I love them and need the ovens for the style of cooking I enjoy, which is typically English with Italian thrown in !! It is super to have two ovens when cooking a Sunday Lunch for example, or Christmas Dinnner, yummy. Oh I must tell you this! We are going to my aunts for Christmas and she has always decorated Fabulous cakes. She used to tell a story or a cartoon etc on them, all made out of marzipan or icing and then coloured etc. We have heard of so many wonderful creations.... and then I asked her what it was going to be this year and she said ' oh, I don't do them any more!" Disaster!!!! But we got chatting on the phone about all the things we are doing over Christmas etc and she said that she will try and make an iced cake again....but what should she put on it? I said, half joking, ' I think Xander and Genghis throwing snowballs would be nice" - (our two Siameses) -and she said that that wasn't too difficult to do cats so she would have a go!!!!! Can't wait! Anyway on that note I really have to stop. Lots to do and little time to do it in! Havea great day one and all where ever you all are!