Txt-a-cake

I had a little cake stall at work last week to raise a few dollars for Christchurch. I made these cute (and appropriately coloured) Elmo cupcakes and for those who couldn't bear to eat anything as cute as Elmo, I iced some with chocolate buttercream.

I had two payment options: cash could be left in the "honesty glass" or payment could be made directly to the Red Cross earthquake appeal by texting 4419 to make a $3 donation. Too convenient!

A few of our favourite things...

Miriam: I love corn on the cob, with salt, pepper and loads of butter. For slightly more elegant eating, I've been making this salad for lunch (I think Libby first introduced me to this) with corn kernels, avocado and tomatoes, topped with fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. A great combination of flavours and textures.

Becs: Daisy and I were glad to pack our bags on Friday and head to Wellington for the weekend, a trip (fortuitously) planned some months ago. We are loving our cosy room at Libby's house with blackout curtains, super-thick duvets and best of all no aftershocks. Sleep is a wonderful thing.

Libby: With Becs staying for a few days I was treated to some of her delicious porridge for breakfast. She uses special oats that haven't been rolled so the porridge has a consistency something like risotto. Sunday morning's porridge was served with pears, a sprinkle of dark muscavado sugar, lightly toasted walnuts and a wee drizzle of cream. It's the best porridge you'll ever eat and I'm not the only one who thinks so... see E23 of yesterday's Sunday Star Times to read more about our very own Unsung Food Hero!

A few of our favourite things...

Daisy enjoyed opening a parcel Aunty Libby sent via Royal Mail from London last week, which included this super cute Emma Bridgewater 'Polka Dot' melamine tea set. Admittedly the tissue paper intrigued her more than the actual tea set, but I am sure it will cater for many a tea party in years to come.

Becs: Perhaps needless to say my favourite thing this week would be our solid oak dining table, under which a large proportion of early Saturday morning was spent huddling, after the terrifying 7.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch. Non-quake-related, I am going through a nostalgic phase of using our old school toasted sandwich maker in lieu of the sandwich press that is more fashionable these days for making posher grilled sandwiches. Although a tendency to overfill can make clean-up a bit messy to say the least, I think the hassle is worth it.

Miriam: When I moved up from Wellington earlier this year, I packed a box full of IRD info, bank statements, insurance policies and general stuff I couldn't face dealing with and labelled it 'admin'. The admin box stayed sealed and tucked out of sight until a few days ago, when I had to face the dreaded task of completing my overdue tax return. What a lovely surprise when in amongst the dreary statements I discovered my old moleskin notebooks from my OE a few years back. I have delighted in reminiscing of my wee adventures around Europe. I was also pleased that one of the notebooks has hardly been written in, so I shall pop it in my handbag ready to record little tid-bits.

Libby: I have had many many favourite things in Paris this week - fresh baguettes from the boulangerie on the corner, breakfast pastries from Ble Sucre, macarons from Pierre Hermes and salted butter caramel ice cream from Berthillon... but this little tarte citron from Angelina stands out. Angelina is a delightful little tea house on Rue de Rivoli. It would have been lovely to have been seated and enjoyed the moment a little more but were weren't quite ready for afternoon tea so decided to choose a wee treat to take home and enjoy later on.