Baking: Rugby Ball Cake

Sometimes things just don't go according to plan. We weep, we scream and we get over it.

I had an order for a birthday cake shaped as an actual size rugby ball, delivery on Friday. All went well, I was very nervous to shape the cake, but it went off better than anticipated- yay! I did very standard markings on the ball, attached the name and age and voila, the cake was complete! I put it in the fridge and left for the night. 

The next morning, I arrive to fetch the cake and it starts sweating, I start panicking, I was on duty at work and had no time to think straight. I delivered the cake, with the heaviest heart and knocked a whack off the price. The colour was running and the icing was wet through. It was a gloomy day and the rain was bucketing down, due to this the party had been moved to the next day. I calmed myself down and contacted the customer asking if I could get the cake back and fix my mess, she accepted my offer and I was relieved to say the least! 

Again I used my trusty chocolate beer box cake recipe and marshmallow fondant, lesson learnt, this fondant should not be refrigerated once molded! 

A Wealth of Health

Health is always a discussion, never agreed on. To me it is a happy feel good - successful!

I studied food, live for my next meal and can shove a cupcake into my mouth faster than a relationship fizzling with a mother-in-law. Thankfully I have never been overweight, I have good genes and I have always had the knowledge of dietary requirements. My upbringing consisted of a veggie patch at every home, and tears over a spoonful of spinach, there were very few moments of "I'm too lazy to cook good food for you kids."
Yes we had pizza nights and yes we were taken to Spur, but not on a regular basis, it was a treat and we knew that. There always has been sweets in my home, always available, but we did not like them enough to devour silly amounts, we knew better. Yes I loved coco pops for breakfast, I still do, but do they sustain me? No! Did they ever? No! 

Breakfast is my worst, I am just not hungry when I wake up. I don't eat eggs, I don't enjoy a fry up or the thought of starting your day on carb filled toast and sugar filled jam. I enjoy my food between 10am and 1pm, real food, I love leftovers!! I can kick on to dinner happily then, a cuppa tea here and there. I do not drink enough water, I should really have more (note to self). 

I have battled with stomach issues for a long time, really battled! Infection spread to my pancreas and I was in hospital bordering diabetes with Pancreatitus. All this happened to a health conscious person, why?! I was diagnosed with IBS and leading up to Crohns Disease, the specialist said there was something in my diet that affected me negatively. Being the nutter that I am, I cut out dairy, wheat, garlic, spices and all processed or manufactured foods and drinks. I kept this up for about 6 months, it was not easy as during that time I travelled to Australia and New Zealand staying with people that did not understand, I had raging attacks every now and then, but once I was home in my own kitchen it all started settling down and I started reintroducing foods. Except for the heartburn! I am big on homeopathy and had begun taking alkaline powders after big meals to neutralize the acid build up. I lived a much more comfortable life. 

I started hearing about Tim Noakes, LCHF and Banting, I was interested. I had always been firm on moderation, but this seemed structured and it seemed to have major benefits to lifestyle (minimizing cancer and diabetes, which play a huge part in my family). I read about it, I met people living by it and I started discussing it with my family, who gladly jumped on board. I am a huge fan, I have seen improvements to my energy levels and I have seen weight loss in my family, I now do not even require the alkaline powder. I kept saying that I would be flexible because weight is not a problem for me, but eating carbs now makes me uncomfortable, my heartburn returns and I feel lethargic. I will be honest, if I pig out it is purely on baked goods, I cannot resist a milk tart, I miss this the most and it is my regular cheat. No more sugar in tea, I now drink coffee - with cream too! I do not miss juices, I do not miss bread or pasta. 

As my meals began to convert so did my energy levels, I could never, nor wanted to, walk 12kms. I do not have afternoon naps, I am known as the snooze queen in my household and have always been known to nod off on any couch. 

I feel so alive, I have a flat stomach due to the lack of bloatedness, I even try my hand at yoga!

I preach food at every opportunity, this is not a diet for me, this is my lifestyle, I literally cannot go back to IBS, I cannot have sugar as there were numerous diabetics ahead of me, cancer is one of my biggest fears, I am the white girl lathering on layers of sun lotion on the beach, this too has been through the generations, so yes I am happy with it, I am at ease knowing the benefits and having read up a lot, I understand that our bodies have begun to resist all the starches and sugars. 

I have had bags of stress, I got sick, I had a cyst of my face!! I still face my stress daily, I am not emotionally stable, but my ailments have shoved off, which in itself is 1 less stress. 

I have my hair done 6 weekly, always! I have mini facials fortnightly. I buy clothes to suit my budget and I throw out the old and declutter my wardrobe regularly. I am a minimilast and I feel great this way! 

Health is about knowing when you feel good, being comfortable when you wear skinny jeans and having no shame because what you are doing and feeling is just right! 

Babies?

Treated like a fool and having people laugh in my face, tease me and slander my ideas when I have passion and focus for something that I believe in, have thought over and researched. Knocked down, defended the idea, had the debates and honestly felt as if I was "farting against the wind". All for a life.

I was born in South Africa for a purpose, I am a true South African and unbelievably proud of my roots. Was I put here to purely exist? Were the "whites" of my generation just left in a country to survive? Is it not in our capacity to diversify and love? Does helping and trying to make a dent in the good of the world only specify to your own race? Being "religious", "Christian", "church-going" - do these qualities not enter into all facets of life, your country, the world? As speaking to more people in all these years that I have felt this desire - I am continuously met with the blank look and "WHY?" The majority of whom I have believed to be "good" people, just do not get it, or rather show major defiance to my choice of future.

Was I bred to breed? Was my sole purpose to eat, sleep, work and die? Oh and populate an over populated earth? Is something that burns with goodness in my heart really so wrong on so many levels to so many people? Will I have friends on this earth should I choose not to breed, not to populate, go against the grain, make a difference in a tiny souls life, make a future for a being that was not offered the choice or privilege that we were offered granted.

Do not ask my why I want to  adopt a child. Just walk away, turn and remove yourself from my life if you cannot show me an ounce of your respect and support. Especially should it bother you of what race I would choose - Did you get a choice of your colour of family? Would I rather face the hardships of raising somebody else's child, or the hardship of bearing a child with Down Syndrome, would I rather face the hardships of having another argument with a narrow minded empty vessel that cannot share love and sees imperfections or pigment before considering the joyful possibilities for the life of myself and the child, regardless of it growing within my womb or within my heart...

I read a few blogs related to adoption, oh how my heart yearns to take babies into my home. I do not consider that I am single, that my budget is not flexible or that my home is not equipped, these children need a future and I am eager to begin. Today the Blessed Barrenness (not yet tagged, I need a bit more confidence in this blog...) tweeted about her option of a 3rd child, one of her daughters' sister, and the social worker needing to place her. My heart went THUMP, I want to take her! This however is not an option, I am not yet even in the system, but what do you do when there is a child without? Without a home, without a parent, without love...

I need this child, as much as he/she needs me.