July weather and Cupcakes

When we left Geelong Sunday around 11.30 am the sun was shining . 20 km away it was very foggy and the temperature dropped to 8 Celsius  the weather didn't improve on our way to Cobden, but the company was warm. I snapped this shot from inside the car on our way back to Geelong just before we got to Stony Rises on the Highway 30km from Cobden.

And this one closer to Colac

This snap is nearing Winchelsea in the morning

Going backwards to Saturday --- On Saturday I made six dozen Mudcake Cupcakes for GD1, 21st , on Saturday DD1 iced and decorated them and took them down on Saturday night. WeDH and I  are too old for all that noise  so we went down to Cobden on Sunday.
This is not my favorite recipe for cupcakes , but the one most liked by the tasters when I had a tasting day, however it is easy . I favour the Cadbury Chocolate Cupcake recipe, simply scrumptious if you are a chocolate lover.

Easy Moist Chocolate Mud Cake Recipe Ingredients

• 1 & 3/4 cups plain flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sour milk (1 cup whole milk with 1 tsp white vinegar added) or buttermilk
• 1 cup coffee (long black strength) I found the 50 year old percolator and made the coffee . After all these years the B.G.E.Coffee maker still works like a charm.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Easy Moist Chocolate Mud Cake Recipe Method

Sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add eggs, coffee, milk, oil and vanilla and beat for 2 minutes with a hand mixer on medium speed until well combined (the mixture will be quite runny).
Pour into a greased and floured 24 cm x 24 cm square or 24cm round cake tin and bake in a 180°C oven for approximately 35-40 minutes (when testing the cake, a cake skewer should come out clean, but the cake should still be moist).
Alternatively pour the mixture into 24 lined muffin cases (you can buy some really pretty silver foil cases) and bake in a 180°C oven for approximately 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cake rack and allow to cool completely before icing.
If you want a flat cake top for icing, simply cut off the top of the cake where any section has risen unevenly to level it, and then turn over. Ice the bottom of the cake with the chocolate ganache.

DD2 will be busy over the next week putting these together for the Gardener's Quilt. And a Columbine for , haven't decided yet.

Titanic Survivor

 

Yesterday  I visited the Melbourne Museum where the Exhibition of the Titanic Artifacts is on show.

On arrival you are given a boarding pass of a passenger. My passenger was one who survived her history and story can be found here.

I met with DD3 who works in the State Offices at 50 Lonsdale Street this building is well worth a visit as it has many artifact on show in the foyer, from when this area of early Melbourne was somewhat infamous for opium dens and prostitutes. The Willow pattern was a very popular piece of china during that era medical bottles and lace making implements are on show. 

So back to the work at hand I have worked another set of The Gardener's Journal  and  made a start on more Early Bird Christmas gifts. Below and below again is the same pocket that has been made from a 7 inch square then folded to make a triangle and sewn inch from the corner angled to the meeting point, then folded back to show the lining. Multi  purpose the real purpose is to be used on the table for the cutlery , but equally as nice as an ornament on a tree. 

 

I have had so much trouble putting this post together only half of what I wanted to share about the Titanic Exhibition is printed. If you enjoy history make it a must see. Margaret  I have been able to cut this from the report and post here in case you didn't read all of the voyage.

Lily ordered the two girls to put on their heavy underwear. She later said, "We all had a little conference and decided that we better not wear our corsets because they might prevent us from swimming. Oddly, I thought about such a thing and never realised that the water had been terribly cold."
Picking up blankets, and wrapping Margaret's little Pomeranian dog in them, the trio headed topside, and met Gilbert Tucker along the way. Waiting for orders at the landing on C deck, Gilbert Tucker helped the three ladies into lifejackets before placing one on himself.
lifeboat 7 was the first boat prepared. A call went out for ladies to come forward. "Why should we?" Lily heard someone ask, "There is nothing seriously wrong, is there?" Lily did not hear a response but a seaman standing near her told her, "The Captain wants to lighten the boat while repairs are being made."

Stitching and Stitching Built a house in July, and fed the birds.

July has started out to be a busy month. The 5th July was our eldest Gs 21st Birthday, He and his family came up and we traveled down to Colac to have lunch.

I completed tracing out the Gardeners Journal stitcheries.

This lovely bear came in the post in June, however at that time I did not have batteries. I have pink bunnies in the camera now so watch  out I have 630 more photos before they run out.

He made me so happy I went about making a Early Bird Christmas Topper and trees.

Then I finished off this adorable little girl that I received last year in the Early Advent Swap.

Now TRA TRA drum roll bang bang bang , I have finished the block for June in the Gardener's Journal to begin our combined second quilt. I think it is only fair that we do two as all the other stitchers are doing one alone. Now while I was nearly finished the Belmont Library left a recorded message to let me know that a book that I had ordered was ready  to be picked up. The girl who kicked the Hornet's nest by Steig Larsson the last book in the trilogy. Ah! well DH bought it home on Saturday lunch time and I finished it on Monday night so I was able to finish the house, doghouse and wreath and send them off to Andrea this morning.

So far July has been busy, we are still having cold weather, the football is half way through that means that Summer is on its way, Oh ! Happy Days. Cheers Margaret