What’s been going down lately.
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(ps: no pics this time! Maybe I’ll add one when I get a chance…)
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I’m currently writing this sitting on my green couch, laptop on my lap, still rather merry from sipping red wine all afternoon/ evening.
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Right this moment my Mr.D & our son ‘I’ are at his school, camping on the school field for the night (!), & so I’m at home, a very quiet home, & loving it. – Although having said that, & having spent the most wicked time this afternoon/ evening with them at the school camping site, sitting on the grass in the sun, white puffy clouds passing by the bright blue sky, the children happily playing with their friends, us adults boozing & munching, I kind of regret not signing up myself for the whole over-night experience too – but our toddler S we think is too young to sleep outdoors yet, she is also currently potty-training, so here I am at home with her instead. But hang on, then again this brings great opportune for me to blog doesn’t it? So with firm warning from me to you that it’s all probably gonna sound disjointed & that I’m probably going to make grammatical mistakes, here’s my write-up on what’s been happening recently…
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Craftacular:
Last week I took part at the Craftacular event I told you about in earlier posts! I made three special things for the event;
– homemade lemonade (honey + vanilla extract + lemon juice, topped with sparkling water) + ice cubes,
– banana & strawberry frozen yogurt smoothie,
– croissant sandwiches (with Bavaian ham, Jarlsberg cheese, Lamb lettuce, Japanese Cupie mayonnaise (the one & only!), & Dijon mustard).
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The lemonade was the greatest hit of all, Mrs A (my trusty helper for the day) & I were pouring it out to cups non-stop for the good first half of the fair. Many many visitors were gagging for something cold to drink – it was over 30 degrees that day, sooo hot – & as soon as the doors opened, the visitors who’d been queueing out in the sun decided to form a queue for the icy lemonade straight away. We ran out on it so quick that we made a second batch afterwards, which also sold out. – So yes, I’m very very happy about this one. ;)
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On the other hand, the frozen yogurt smoothie was a bad mistake. Oh…, never-again I say… Despite nice comments from customers, it soon proved to be a nightmare, as A: it was messy, B: the frozen yogurt took ages to slush in the Waring bar blender, C: because of the lengthy time to make it, there was a back order & customers waiting, which is not good is it?
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Croissant sandwiches, was tasty, I was proud of it, & was good value at three quid, but didn’t sell all 50 as I’d hoped. Again, not good is it?
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Lemon was definitely the choice flavour of the day it seems as both lemon drizzle cake slices & lemon cream tarts sold out very quickly. Actually, the chocolate cake & cheese cake slices also did very well, but y’know what, I have to admit that I totally misjudged on how many fruit tarts & plum cupcakes to make…!! I had quite a lot left, so at the end of the day I decided to go around the craft vendors to give them out for free…!
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Despite the misjudgment on quantity, it still was a good day, the first 2-3 hours was pure crazily busy! The organizers & other food vendors were so sweet to be around with, aswell as the crafters who were all so talented & inspirational. I just adore the type of craft that they were selling – when I walked around the hall later on in the day, I wanted sooo many things! I did buy two items in the end: a brooch that says “Super!” (because I jolly-well am!!! well, I like to tell myself…) & a emilythepemily raindrop t-shirt.
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Anyway, I don’t know if any regular customers have noticed that I was not at the market this Saturday? Sorry if you were looking for me…! A collection of little reasons (excuses) made me decide not to go… (like potty-training & camping.) But y’know, it felt really good having the one-week-rest. Physically, the recent 30 degree hot weather has been hell to work in – in the kitchen with the oven on all the time & then under the tarpaulin at the market. Mentally I was drained of energy too as sales figures are dramatically down when it is this hot (people generally don’t buy cakes in hot weather but instead buy salads or ice-cream), it’s rather depressing!
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And furthermore, it struck me even more than before that my one-week-rest also means that it is a one-week-rest for D & my parents too, who look after the children when I can’t, dealing with a kitchen that is out-of-bounds, D driving me to & fro. It may seem like a one-woman business, but if looked at like this, it so isn’t. Also, this Saturday morning, I was able to take my son to the Japanese Saturday School for once. Really, the boy was so happy. So happy. Holding my hand, showing me the ropes. I felt happy & awful. I feel bad.
(Still trooping on with the usuals!)
(Left: Denmark’s Mary welcome drink with black pepper vodka & horseradish. Also a small hot chocolate mix take away present. Right: Main brunch was gravlax, meatballs, dill potato & scrambled eggs.)
(Large Bunny driving car chocolate mold circa 1950)
(Smaller chocolate mold & a rabbit snow-globe by ‘&K Amsterdam’ on the right.)
(My favourite wooden hares that I was selling at my stall last year.)
