Thoughts from the Shower #10

I'm wondering how the subject of vaccinations has become so controversial given that for so long they were considered, without question, to be life saving.

Perhaps it's down to the involvement of pharmaceutical companies (many now so large that they are considered global, rather than national) - no-one is ever going to believe that they have our health and best interests at heart as long as they are looking at their profit margins.

Carrot Cake Confusion - Averted

Thank you to all of the people who shared recipes and advice with me, very much appreciated. 

I have made two practice cakes; the first one with vanilla cream cheese frosting and the second with half vanilla/half orange cream cheese frosting.

Here are a few photos of my first ever carrot cake:

I was very encouraged by June's reaction to this cake as she was very anti a cake with vegetables in and she asked for seconds :)

After the taste test tomorrow the cake/frosting combo with the most points (out of 10) will be the one I make for the competition this weekend.

Carrot Cake Confusion

Hello!

I'm in the middle of a meltdown. A few months ago June and December sent off entry forms for a local Horticultural Show's fun competition for kids and I thought, 'What fun! I shall have a go too', and ticked the homemade jam and carrot cake boxes for the not-for-fun adult competition.

Roll forward a few months and here I am in my kitchen, with an increasing sense of urgency, searching through recipe books and scanning pages brought to me by Google.

You see, I've got a confession to make. I have never, in my entire life, made a carrot cake.

Let that sink in for a few moments.

Yes, I - a total carrot cake novice - have chosen a competition to be the first time I make one. Argh.

Apparently carrot cake is a simple recipe. Or not. In my research over the last few weeks I have been told to, 'keep it simple' (meaning only carrots, cinnamon and walnuts); 'make it tropical' (meaning swap walnuts for pecans and add pineapple - and possibly rum); 'make it vegan' (the meaning of this so overheated my brain that I had to sit down. How can a cake that is meant to be smothered with cream cheese frosting become vegan?).

Also, carrot cake can be loaf shaped; single tier; two tier - or more. Top iced only. Split and filled and iced on top. Or split and filled and completely smothered in cream cheese frosting. Sometimes with sparklers on top, too.

Anyway, I think you can all see why my brain is in a whirl over this.

So, if any of you lovely people who read my blog have any recipes to recommend, preferably ones that you know taste great, please share with me by next Wednesday (5th October).

Please.