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Hello!

I’m going to restart trading at the market from next Saturday! (20th) Yay! It’s enough with the maternity break. Time to venture out of the coochi-coochi-koo-land & get active, pull my sleeves up, earn some dough. I tell ya, I’m sooo excited & sooo happy about restarting that I’ve got that wonderful “nervous but also giddy” feeling that is similar to when I started the market the first time round.

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I’m revved up & I’ll be armed with lots of chocolates & cakes. There’ll be the “usual suspects” (like the Flourless chocolate cake) & also one or two new products for the line-up that I am “hoping” to make (like the Caramelized dried fruits & nuts tart which I’m pondering on calling it “Winter fruit tart”, & the lemon drizzle cake that will be sold as slices).
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So if you’re around in London next Saturday, fancy popping over??

Love t xx

(Got a white edding pen & wrote direct on the bottles instead of sticking paper labels!)

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Hello, hows things? Hope life is treating you sweet.

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Thought I’d let you know of how my homemade vanilla extract turned out after the 5 week+ of brewing. – As you know, I made 3 samples – with vodka, rum & brandy – & I can say that the best one was… drum-roll please… with Vodka!! Ta-da〜!

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The clear vodka now coloured rich auburn brown, has the most heady scent of vanilla. Bliss. It’s a “happy-moment”. You know that the vanilla has been fully extracted. It has a slightly syrupy density, & when you shake the bottle then pour, you’d get loads of specks of vanilla beans. Gorgeous.

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The other two, the rum & the brandy versions, well, forget ’em really… The distinct flavour of the alcohol drowned the delicate vanilla scent. Quite disappointing & pointless. Despite this, I think I’ll use the rum for making “rum-soaked raisin chocolate truffles” that I used to make for the market sometime ago. Just chop raisins up & soak them in rum overnight before mixing it into ganache with some of the rum liquid you used to soak with. Slightly boozy & definately heavenly.

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As for the brandy version, well…, if anyone has a good idea on how to use that up, please let me know!
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– Since the last time I posted on this blog, I’ve been busy with perfecting my triple lemon drizzle cake, like changing ingredients here & there. I’ve made it 6 times now, & finally “got it right”. It’s soooo amazingly tasty, I’m thinking of adding it to the stall cake-line-up come from this September. I’m now in a process of writing about it for this blog, which is taking ages, because I want to explain about why it uses sour cream, etc…

– I also made a “3-tier wedding cake with chocolate swirly sticks” for my best friend recently, which I will also post about in the near future if & when the wedding photographer gives me some nice pictures of it.
– SO, ’til the next time, see y’all! ^^

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Yup! Another (!) quick note to say that I’m taking a six month break from the market, starting now.

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May I take this opportunity to mention a BIG THANK YOU to all the customers who had visited my stall the last two & a half years. I cannot express my gratitude to you deeply enough. Each one of you have changed my life in a multitude of positive ways. I really can’t wait to get back come this September/ October & see you all again!! – Also, I’d like to express a big thank you to the market team. I understand there’s no such thing as a maternity-leave for street traders, so I am very grateful that you have agreed to secure my slot & have me back in six months’ time. I am so lucky to be trading at such a lovely lovely market.
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Time flies by so quick – I’m expecting to give birth end of this month!

We’ve started to get things in readiness for her. – We went to buy her first ever garment (from a Swedish shop called Polarn O. Pyret) this weekend, & D has brought down the cot-bed (that our first child used) from the attic & gave it a good wipe down.

The pram, the carry-cot, the baby bath tub, the baby car seat, the baby alarm, the bottle sterilizer, the changing table… It’s wonderfully marvelous to think that this time we have all these things already to hand – I remember first time round it was very time-consuming, stressful & tres expensive having to go shopping for all of these!

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Anyway, I’ll still be posting stuff on this blog, so please stay tuned!
t xxx

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Hi – just another quick note to say I will be at the market this Saturday!! :)

Hope to see you there!!

t xxx

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Hi – just a quick note to say that I decided to not work this Saturday…
My stomach is very tight & the discomfort is way too much, I am not sleeping very well. I feel so tired & my feet is swelling. NO-WAY can I work like I want to.

If only you could see me right now, with wacking bags under my eyes…, the face expression-less, walking up the stairs so slowly & uncomfortably, I sure look like an extra from a zombie movie. D might also be able to confirm to you that I’m recently a bit short with the people around me, which is probably not a fantastic state of mind when you’re in a serving sector…!
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I feel so down about going back on my words. I really want to work. I told loads of customers that I’d be there…

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I feel ‘defeat’… I really hate myself when I’m like this… I feel so blue… sob.
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ps: The baby is moving & kicking ALL THE TIME, which is absolutely wonderful, it’s a sign of life, that she’s healthy & active. So I’m not worried. The doctor says that all this movement signifies the baby’s active personality already. So maybe I’m carrying an Olympian Netball Captain or a female Kung-fu Master. – Although the only complaint is that my stomach feels bruised inside with her full-on punches & kicks. Just very uncomfortable all the time…