On 'fancy' baking with kids.

I'm writing this by request from a friend after posting some photos on Facebook after Abby's 1st birthday party.  She wanted to know how I managed to make the party food while juggling two littluns.  So Ellen, this blog post is for you - the seven main reasons I can make a lovely party cake.

Etta helping Abby blow out the candles    
(she also helped make the cupcakes)

1) Experience
Potentially unknown Hannah-fact: I worked in a small town cafe from the age of 14 until I was 18.  And if you've ever worked in a small town retail anything you'll know it means there are just a few staff who do basically everything.  Small town retail survivors = jacks of all trades.  So not only was I paid (under the table) to run the till, wash dishes and provide service with a smile, but I also made the wares we sold in the cafe.

So from a young age I baked for pay.  The skills this gives someone are many, but the four that are most relevant to this particular post are:
- An ability to successfully bake on a schedule
- An ability to multitask
- An ability to transform kitchen mistakes into some other edible thing so your boss doesn't get mad about wasted time/ingredients
- Faith in your baking abilities

After years of managing to not screw up too badly I know that whipping up a simple cake or batch of biscuits is something I can do.  It's not hard for me because I've done it successfully many, many times before.  In fact, when I cut my weekend shifts back as a teenager to apply more time to studying (in 7th form) I missed that additional day of baking SO MUCH that extra study was seldom achieved as I would spend a good chunk of the extra day at home making marshmallow squares to compensate for not being at work.  Because I missed it.

2) The Love
Because I truly loved baking.  And still do.  I love its chemisty.  I love the creativity it inspires.  I love how you can appear to make something out of nothing.  I love the challenges it sets.  I love cake.

And I use that love of baking to show others I care.  I try really  hard to remember peoples likes and dislikes regarding food (although at the moment I muddle this a lot with my crap memory post concussion/babies).  I love being able to cater for friends and family with 'special' food requirements (thank you Gluten Free Grocer for those years of training in this area, and thank you Mum's family for having so many random food allergies).  I love having health through food knowledge to share.  I love that food can be medicine.**

And that love is a family thing.  I have so many good memories of helping my Mum and my Grandma in the kitchen when I was young.  For Mum, it was out of the necessity of living in isolated places on small budgets, but Grandma loves it in much the same way I do.  Both of these reasons have imbued in me a love for kitchen craft.  I remember the yeasty smell of fresh bread from the oven.  Mum letting me and my brother shape things out of 'our' bread dough to bake.  I remember the exciting job of putting the tuppence in the Christmas Pudding.  It's about the traditions, the sharing, the ability to contribute something special to your whanau.  I feel so lucky to have had these women share that with me.

Me 'helping' bake bread in my Grandma's kitchen

So if I make fancy party food, it's because I love the person the party is for.  And if I bring something nice to your party, it's because I care about you.***

3) Multitasking

I'm not too shabby a multitasker.  Granted, these skills have waned post children as my brain has become mush, but it's still there.  I think in the kitchen it works mostly because I feel confident in what I'm doing, and know when I can easily take my eye off the pot (so to speak) to do things with the children.

The other part of this is that because I'm confident in kitchen stuff I let the biggest kid help me out.  Yes, her helping is not especially helpful.  Yes, it impacts on how quickly stuff gets done.  But her not helping would be worse.  She is a pro at making herself heard.  So if I am ignoring her to do something else fun without her, the likelihood of a mega-meltdown is high.

And she loves helping bake!  It teaches her new skills and gives her a sense of achievement and independence.  I am sensible, and for my sanity limit her 'jobs' to things she can't mess up too badly (sifting, stirring, assisted cookie cutting and bowl 'cleaning') but it is enough to make her happy.  And it means (hopefully) that one day like me she will feel confident in the kitchen without having to even try.  It's an awesome gift to be able to pass on to her just as it was passed down to me.

    

So what do I do with the smaller one?  I'd love to say she's in some sort of hip sling device smiling away while her sister and I cook like some ad for successful AP's* but that's a lie.  I have hip problems and she's in the 97th percentile for weight - so I ain't gonna be doing that any time soon.
Which brings me to...

 

4) The Help
I am blessed with a Mum who comes down to help us out twice a week, Murray's parents who takes the big one to their place once a week, and a partner who takes his parenting responsibilities seriously (as all parents should).  This means that if I need/want to do some baking without 'help' from the littlies I organise it around the times I have help available.

And although Murray thinks I choose to do some crazy things in the kitchen, he realises it's a creative outlet for me, and takes over with the kids so I can get stuck in as required.  There are some things that are not safe for Etta to help with, or that are too fiddly for me to manage with her in the kitchen.  It's equally a good opportunity to have some fun one-on-one time with the kids.  He doesn't get a lot of time during the week to spend with the kids with going to work, and the commute to and from work.

I can bake nice things because I have the support to do so.  If it weren't for them there would be a lot less fudge in our lives, and that would be sad.

5) Planning
Hi.  I'm Hannah, and I have anxiety.  Just saying in case you've never read my blog before****.  So this means I plan a lot.  Some might say obsessively.  But it helps.

Here's an example:

A month before Abby's party I decided what I was going to make in terms of her birthday cake - which was a series of different animal cupcakes.  I then cruised Pinterest for 'inspiration' selecting only the simplest ideas.  Initially starting with 10ish ideas, I got realistic and whittled this down to 7, (which ended up as 6 on the day).  Two of these ideas were pre-tested for 'ease' before her birthday.

Two weeks before the party I made a list of the other foods I wanted to make.  I only chose foods that I had made before to ensure I wouldn't get too stressed.  I didn't have to make too much as I made it a bring-a-plate (rather than present) party.  I then made myself a little planner to work out the logistics and timing of when I would make what.  Once I'd decided on what cupcakes I was making I then made a list of the components I needed to decorate them and worked out an 'icing schedule' so I could just ice the parts requiring the same colour at the same time to cut down on washing my piping stuff and having to make new icing (ie: save time).

On the day of the party a few things had taken slightly longer than planned, so halfway through making some vegetable snails I ditched them as it was too late, they weren't necessary and I wasn't happy with the aesthetic.

 Animal biscuits (my Mum's recipe)

 Bumble bee mini cupcakes (so so easy!)

Basically, obsessive planning saves stress (and time) around baking for any big event.  Have you ever watched MKR?  Like me, when they say 'Well, I've never cooked a oak smoked partridge before, but I thought I'd give it a go' do you think what in heavens name is wrong with you?  It's a rookie mistake!  Just stick with what you know.  And if you want to make an oak smoked partridge, practice making one at home before you go on MKR.  Seriously people!  It's not rocket science.

6) Great Tools

Here are my essential time-savers for baking:

- A microwave (makes creaming butter and melting stuff quicker/easier)
- A small Pyrex measuring jug
- A middle sized glass bowl (about the right size for making a regular batch of biscuits)
- Decent measuring spoons and cups
- A decent knife
- Electric egg beaters (for creaming butter and sugar)
- A very simple piping set up with a variety of nozzles
- Oven trays that are FOR BAKING ONLY (ie: not bacon)
- Greaseproof paper (for lining things)
- Assorted sized silicon muffin pans
- A couple of good non-stick cake tins (the ones where the bottoms pop out)
- An array of simple biscuit cutters
- A Tupperware slice container (specifically for making fudge.  If you don't make fudge, it's not needed.  But you should make fudge.  Fudge is delicious)

7) I Seldom Do Fancy
I mostly use tried and true recipes and almost never make anything new if it's for people outside of my household or for a big event.  So it doesn't feel fancy.  I also don't really do fiddly.  I'm actually not that patient a person and often have to get things done quickly with the needs of the kidlets being paramount.  So mostly I just make something I've made a bazillion times before that I know will work, and then just put some pretty icing on it*****.

Very simple Panda cake - not fancy at all!

Occasionally I'll do something that may be deemed 'fancy' - I recently made some bits and bobs for a high tea including lavender scones with a nectarine, honey and thyme butter.  Sounds fancy, right?  Yep, but it's simple to make.  The scones are a pretty basic scone mix with finely chopped lavender in it (and you can buy culinary lavender if you want) and the butter was just a home-made butter which is simple to make (beat the crap out of cream until it separates, remove the whey, add some salt) with some bits from around the house added in in small quantities until it seems balanced.  If you can make scones, you can make lavender scones with nectarine, honey and thyme butter - trust me.

 My version of fancy (from the top) 

salted caramel chocolate mousse, lavender scones and feta and pumpkin mini quiches

And 'fancy' is a matter of perspective.  I see other people's triple layer cream filled super magic birthday cakes and am like damn - there's no way I could be bothered even attempting that!  I see people making profiteroles and donuts and think they're either completely mental, or some kind of kitchen God.  Honestly, I don't even make pastry if I can help it.  I'm not proper fancy.

Ok, to me this is a fancy cake.  And it's made by someone I know.

(Nicola Reynolds makes proper fancy cakes)

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

So that's why I can do this baking despite having younguns.  What I mostly want to say to Ellen though is that we all have these skill areas.  One of mine is just baking - and it's more because it's something that is comfortable for me.  I am in awe of all Mummies who work more than a simple part time job.  I just don't have the brain for it.  I think you working Mummies are legends.  I genuinely don't think I could do it and not for smarmy 'love my kids' type reasons - for more basic reasons like 'I have no brain any more' and 'How do you survive day to day life without a nap?'  And what about sewing Mummies?  And run-your-own-business-from-home Mummies?******

Basically, all Mummies are legends.  If you're ever cruising Pinterest and feeling like a failure, just focus on those things you can do awesomely.  There will be some.  And if you're awesome at loving your kid(s) that's really the most important skill of all.

*Attachment Parents.  I'm not one, but equally I'm not not one.  I don't do parenting boxes.  I just do what works best for us and the kids.

** Yes, I consider chocolate and cheesecake medicinal.  What else would you recommend for heartbreak or sorrow?

*** If I don't please don't take it to mean I don't love you.  Usually it means I've been unrealistic about how much our family can do in one day/weekend or I'm just totally wiped out.  Or I forgot about the party.  Again, not because I don't love you, but because my memory is truly awful these days.  It's no joke.

**** I know this is unlikely.  I read my blog stats.  BUT, JUST in case some day someone I don't know reads this for the first time...

***** And remember that cafe work in high school?  That jack-of-all-trades thing?  Part of that included icing birthday cakes with 'Happy Birthday' messages on them.  So simple piping is not that hard for me.

****** And play producing Mummies, and go-to-the-gym-three-times-or-more-a-week Mummies, and getting-an-education Mummies, and Porse Mummies, and still-maintaining-an-art-practice Mummies, and blogs-at-least-once-a-week Mummies, and healthy-food-making Mummies, and sing-in-a-band Mummies, and is-still-an-amazing-friend Mummies, and still-wants-to-be-intimate-with-and-not-kill-your-partner Mummies, and maintaining-a-clean-house Mummies.  We all got skills. Trust me.

On Growing Our Own

We have a garden.

This is some of it - courgettes growing in our old bath tub!

We don't have an all-encompassing-survive-off-the-land style garden, but we have a garden that grows vegetables that we eat, and herbs that make cooking exciting (and delicious).  This may sound like a mundane thing.  But it feels pretty magical.

I grew up for the most part in the country.  Having a garden was pretty bog standard in that country lifestyle, along with many other things that helped our family to be fairly self-sufficient in terms of food*.  My parents taught us how to grow plants, and encouraged us to do so - giving us our own little patch in the big garden to grow what we wanted.  But I soon gave up on my piddly little radishes.  The whole enterprise was just not exciting enough.  Nothing seemed to happen fast enough, and I was never the most patient child.

And big me was much the same.  The few times a poor plant was foisted on me from well meaning friends and relatives it didn't take much before it perished.  I just figured I had a 'brown thumb' - plants were just not for me.  This wasn't helped by the fact that I've always hated the feel of dirt on my hands** and was perpetuated by living in flats - where starting a garden always seemed an exercise in futility when you moved as often as I did through my early 20's.  I only lived in one flat that had a garden, and when it was my turn to 'tend' it (we had a roster, so I had to do it once a month) I'd kinda just phone it in (sorry Mindy, Miriam and Steph, I did feed the turtles though)...

But in our flat in Pt Chev we had a little success with a small vege patch which had been put in by my gung-ho husband.  Because it wasn't mine, I didn't care about it.  But then, stuff started to grow in it.  And then I had a little interest in it.  And then I was home more than Murray was so it made sense that I looked after it.  And then it was pretty much my patch.  In that garden we managed to grow rhubarb and kale (two very hardy crops).  Which is not really a lot.  But to me it felt like a success as:
a) We'd grown something that didn't die
b) We'd grown things we could actually eat in our own back yard.

Once we bought our house here in Sunnyvale, we decided all bets were off.  Whilst the inside of our house remained as is until recently, I started remodeling our gardens as soon as we got here.  I got rid of the flax and lilies (and cockroaches) to make way for herb gardens.  And Murray, with help from his Dad, put in some raised beds along the sunniest fence line for veges.  We were all set to get stuck in and 'grow our own'.

But with unexpected surgery followed immediately by pregnancy, then more surgery, then a baby then another (unexpected) pregnancy and baby we've struggled to put in as much energy as we'd have liked.  Nevertheless, doing little bits here and there over the past 3 1/2 years has started to pay off.

When we arrived there was an orange tree.  Now our property boasts a nectarine, a pear, a mini-feijoa, guavas and a pomegranate tree.  The trees were gifts besides the feijoa which we planted over Etta's whenua***, the guavas which were 'rehomed' from the bach and the macadamias that were 'rehomed' from that-spot-up-the-road.  While these are not all fruiting (yet) we enjoyed our first pear and nectarine bounty this past Summer.  And Etta's tree has its first few feijoas poised in readiness for picking some time in the next month.

In fact, I was recently curious as to how many edibles our small section homed so I counted them.  At last count it was 30 different herbs, plants and trees**** (including lavender, aloe-vera and puha - all of which are edible).  All of which, bar the orange tree, we have planted ourselves.

So how has my thumb slowly changed from brown to green you ask?  The truth is it hasn't.  My basic principle when it comes to gardening is if it doesn't work, try something else.  We have planted a great many things that have not survived: carrots, broccoli, beetroot have all succumbed in our garden (mostly due to diligent, evil cats).  And my first attempt at growing stuff in the greenhouse was thwarted by my inability to remember to actually water the plants.  So everything that grows well at our place either does so because it's hardy or it's interesting enough for me to pay attention to it.  I recently set an alarm for watering in the greenhouse that goes off every morning so I can't forget to water in there (hopefully I will build a habit and remember on my own).  This is the only reason anything is alive in there besides slugs, snails and skinks.

Another basic principle I have is that, like painting, gardens need a decent primer.  So starting out with decent soil means right off the bat you are more likely to succeed.  Putting in raised beds really helped with that.  It meant regardless on the soil quality at our house, we could (almost immediately) plant a successful garden.  Composting our food and plant waste helps feed and maintain the health of our garden.  And throwing our coffee grinds into the mix doesn't hurt it either (and helps justify Murray's weekend coffee benders).

We're not big on chemicals and pesticides (and I'm a tight-arse) so we try to manage disease and bugs through organic fixes like home made sprays, companion planting and plant rotation - none of which are difficult things to do after a little practice at which solutions work for you and your garden.

And now, after our first bumper Summer harvest, I'm totally in love with it.  I even decided to make up an annual planner for our section so that we can eat more from our garden year round:

While I initially started gardening entirely for practical reasons, of late I have started growing more plants that just make me happy.  Artichokes are edible, but they are also flower into the most glorious bee traps.  Pattypan squash are called pattypan squash!  Not only do they have the cutest name in the world, but they have to be one of the prettiest vegetables out!  Cape gooseberries remind me of picking them as a child at the house of a friend of the family and peeling off the papers for a tart treat.  There is such magic and colour and life in a garden.  I'm only just discovering this now.

The most beautiful artichoke flower with bees

Cape gooseberry in its cage

Parsley seed stars

Baby Patty pan squash

Etta with one of our favorite garden pals

 A small haul of cherry tomatoes

And the best part of all of this is I get to share this with my family.  In the meals I make, and the learning and play outside in and among that vibrant colour and life.  And not just our kids, but with our broader family and community.  It's an opportunity for me to share resources with those in need.  An opportunity to share plants when our gardens runneth over in reseeded babies.  An opportunity to feel pride and joy in the simplest thing.  And it's all in our own back yard.

* chickens for eggs, fishing (for fish), fruit trees - contained and wild, going mushrooming, berry picking, hunting for deer and pigs, working for payment in 'half a beast' (half of a butchered cow - which kept a family in meat for a long time).

** And flour and clay.  I just don't like it.  I can't really explain it but it makes me feel pretty icky.  If I make you scones or gingerbread just know I must really care about you cos I have to breadcrumb the butter into the flour which means touching the flour which is horrid.  And I can actually throw clay - it's something I can naturally do.  But I really can't cope with the feeling of the clay on my hands, so I gave up on ceramics (yes yes, I'm a weirdo.  Whatever).

*** Abby had a tree too.  A mandarin tree.  But Murray accidentally mowed over it... Come Spring she will have a new tree - one of the Macadamia's currently thriving in our greenhouse.  Which will be housed in something bright to deter from any future mowing...

**** dill, rosemary, borage, thyme (x2) oregano, basil (2), fennel, nasturtium, parsley (x2), mint, courgette (x2), silverbeet, kale, spinach, tomatoes, potatoes, artichoke, strawberries, gooseberries, rhubarb, orange, pear, mini feijoa, nectarine, pomegranate, guava, macadamia, aloe vera, lavender (x2), puha