Hello~! Hello~! Hello~!
Yes, I’m blogging again!! – it’s been a while since the last post I know, I’m so sorry… I hope you haven’t forgotten? How have you all been? Did you all have a good summer?
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My summer holiday with the children was just so ”full-on’…
A 7 year old & a 3 year old, 24/7… As lovely as they are, & as much as I love them, by the end of everyday they’ve got me knackered.
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The last thing I wanted to do at the end of the day was to write here. I was feeling very un-creative. Every night I would just zonk out watching Japanese programmes on the internet (with a bag of dorito crisps! My fave flavour is cool original…), or fall asleep at the same time as the children.
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BUT! Finally, since last Tuesday my son is back at school, & my daughter is starting nursery from tomorrow! So hopefully I can come back to blogging like before again! And in fact, my daughter is going to nursery all day (9am to 3:25pm) everyday (Monday to Friday) from the third week! Which means… (!) I will have a good proportion of ‘me-time’ for the first time in the last 7½ years!!!!!!!!!! Oh-my-Gawd, how weird does this feel?! Pretty exciting I guess! Anyway, so infact, I should hopefully be able to blog more often than ever before! There’s so much to tell you, like about my BEST-EVER banana cake for example. And about the numerous cream-teas I had during the holiday… So watch this space!!
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One thing I was pondering on during summer:
I’m thinking of twittering. Whilst writing for this blog takes time, I should hope that a sentence or two for twitter would hopefully be more frequent?? I know I’m laughably totally late on the twitter bandwagon by a couple of years at least… But I guess it’s better late than never, & the thought of twittering from the market on Saturdays would be fun (such as “ggghh, it’s raining…!”), as well as cataloging odd bits of thought on baking might be useful…?
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So, if you like, please follow me at:
http://twitter.com/coco_and_me
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… & watch-out for my debut-twittering sometime during this week!
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See you there~!
Tamami xoxo
welcome back :)
Comment by petoskystone - September 12, 2011 2:05 pm
Petoskystone! Thank you very much! It feels great to be back! xx
Comment by Tamami - September 12, 2011 2:25 pm
Tamami it is very lovely to read your blog again!
Comment by Louise - September 12, 2011 2:27 pm
Louise! Thank you very much for your kinds words!! xx
Comment by Tamami - September 12, 2011 3:05 pm
Followed. Waiting. :D
Comment by cocopuff1212 - September 12, 2011 4:40 pm
Cocopuff1212, arigato~!!
Comment by tamami - September 12, 2011 5:01 pm
Hmmmmmmmm, banana caaaake… ;)))))
Comment by Raquel - September 12, 2011 7:17 pm
Heya,
Nice to see you back!!!
I tried twittering but didn’t really get on with it a few months back, silly me deleted my account and you cannot retrieve it once deleted yet so I have started again this week, giving it one more go!
Have fun tweeting, and hopefully blogging again soon too! x x x
Comment by Kay @ Kays Cakes - September 12, 2011 7:30 pm
Good to see you back after a busy summer. I have a Twitter account, but haven’t really done anything with it. This is motivation for me to catch up with the rest of the world..!
Comment by heidy - September 12, 2011 7:34 pm
Raquel, yes, the bananaaaaa caaaake!! is truly the best ever & is something to shout out about! It took ages to perfect, but was worth the trials & tribulations!
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Kay, hope to hear from you on twitter then! – I hope all is well with your push-up cakes? Looking forward to hear how its going!
Comment by tamami - September 12, 2011 7:36 pm
Heidy, good to hear from you!! ^^ hope you had a good summer? xx
Comment by tamami - September 12, 2011 7:37 pm
looking forward to your tweets Tamami :)
Comment by Little Chan - September 12, 2011 9:04 pm
Twitter is actually quite wonderful. I’m glad you’ll be joining us!
Comment by Leah - September 12, 2011 10:46 pm
Little Chan & Leah!! Cheers!!
Comment by tamami - September 12, 2011 10:52 pm
Yay! You’re back! :) xx
Comment by Rachel - September 12, 2011 10:57 pm
Yup!!!!!
Comment by tamami - September 12, 2011 11:34 pm
I missed your posts! Great to read all that you’ve been up to. Wow, your kids are 7 and 3 already?! How time flies. Mine just turned 2 :) Now that little S-chan is going to nursery school, enjoy the much deserved “me-time” !! I look forward to your tweets too.
Comment by Akiko - September 20, 2011 4:20 am
Awwww, aki chan, soooo lovely to hear from you ^^ How are you?? Any news of the seconds one? ;) He he. Yes, time really does fly doesn’t it?! Are you on twitter too? xx
Comment by Tamami - September 20, 2011 9:07 am
Dear Tamami,
I landed on your blog and I was totally hooked! I recently decided to leave my day job and open up a cupcake business in Taiwan. I relate so much to the things you write about: OCD about hygiene, I grew up overseas in Canada, graphic design background, obsession over chocolate, and the science of baking. Your site is a collection of all things I am interested in.
I am not sure how you bake with two young kids, that involves super powers. It seems really impossible…
Anyways, I wanted to also ask you if you bake from home. I will start the bakery as a home brew and am trying to decide between built in home oven or something commercial which is about 4x the cost and a smaller rack area but better insulation and built to bake all day and night.
Great ideas and great presentation on your cakes! I don’t know when I will be visiting UK next but I will definitely stop by if I do.
Kimmy
Comment by Kimmy - September 22, 2011 3:01 am
Hello Kimmy! Cheers for lovely comment!!
I’ll reply properly later! (after working for a bit)!! xx
Comment by Tamami - September 22, 2011 8:17 pm
Hello Kimmy!
Wow! Cupcake business in Taiwan!! Nice one! How is it going so far? OCD with hygiene…, Lol!! Yes! Totally ditto on that one! :)
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I have A LOT of help from my parents & my partner D with the children…
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Regarding baking at home – I use a standard home oven that came with the house we live in. Mine is under the hob, so I always have to bend my back to get the cakes in & out. A bit of a pain, but for the quantity that I make, it is kind of alright. I am stingy with money like hell, so I won’t want to invest in big (& expensive) equipment! Then again, if you are baking all day & night, perhaps it might be better solution for you?
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Another idea is to borrow a professional kitchen – a lot of bakers do that here in UK…
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Anyway, Kimmy, good luck with your new venture & please keep in touch! I’d love to know more! x
Comment by tamami - September 22, 2011 10:44 pm
Hi Tamami,
I have been operating for a year out of an XL toaster oven! I will be sure to send you my site when it’s done.
I am also chea- I mean, frugal. In Asia, ovens are a luxury otherwise I wouldn’t take on this cost! The insulation and consistency of a pro oven would save in the long run – but I also plan to expand to a proper professional kitchen if things take off. I will probably just install a home oven as it will be easier to sell off later on. Price wise it’s not too much difference believe it or not.
Renting a pro kitchens was an idea, but baking is expensive novelty here in Taiwan. The costs would be more and inconvenient.
Keep in touch! =) And I look forward to seeing the artsy touches on your products….
Kimmy
Comment by Kimmy - September 23, 2011 8:00 am
Hey Tamami! :) It’s great that you’re back blogging! What are your fave Japanese programmes? I watch some too! :)
Guess what, I’m expecting a baby!! I’m due sometime next Jan, sooooo overwhelming but so exciting! Not much me-time when baby gets here, I might have to mail you for child rearing tips haha!
Take care,
Jan x x
Comment by Jan - September 25, 2011 9:19 pm
Jan!!!!!! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my g—o—d!!! CONGRATULATIONS honey!! Wow wow wow! Thank you for telling me! I am sooo happy for you!
Enjoy your me-time to the full now honey (while taking care of your body ofcourse)! Coz the first 3 years is FULL > I mean busy/ stressful/ tired, etc in all sorts of ways! :) (Having said that, it is super fulfilling too! Having children is the best thing that has happened to me.) How many months are you right now? When are you due?? Tell me tell me tell me!! xx
Comment by Tamami - September 26, 2011 9:01 am
Thanks Tamami! :)
I’m 24 weeks now, due 21 Jan! Am busy trying to get everything ready for baby now, kind of tiring (I hate DIY and housework with a vengeance!) but has to be done!
I’m so excited already, can’t wait for baby to get here!! :) xx
Comment by Jan - October 2, 2011 8:23 pm
Jan! 24 weeks!! Wow!! Passed the half way mark already then! New year, new baby, new chapter. 2012 is going to be amazing for you!
Good luck with everything darling – but please take it easy on the prep. – The most important thing is that you, the mother is happy & calm – I believe in that the baby inside is influenced/ susceptible by you already. – I went through an employment tribunal during first pregnancy & was worried a lot. I think that maybe my son has that trait in him too. – Anyway! I’m so excited for you honey!! :) :) Do keep me updated! All the best, T xx
Comment by Tamami - October 3, 2011 8:59 am