Apple Tree Mountain Cakes

Hello all, it's another lovely day here in the garden city! After my last cake post I knew I had to make some kind of cakey goodness, but instead of making a colourfully layered cake, I decided to do something a bit different - a mountain. Find the recipe to my delicious apple cake and the 'how-to' after the jump!

Coloured Cake

Just a little post this morning - as I've had cake on the brain, and may do some baking this afternoon to satisfy my craving.

You may have already seen this rainbow cake over on Martha Stewart

It is very pretty, but all that food colouring makes it look a bit sickly at the same time... personally I'm keen to try make this wee number over at Raspberri Cupcakes - remember purple cake day? It could be good for that!

And I'm always keen for red velvet cake - I made some in cupcake form a while back.

Also I'd really like to try making a Battenburg cake soon.

What coloured cakes do you enjoy? What about marble?

Just before I go, here's a great way to serve strawberries that is a little bit more impressive than the traditional chocolate dunk.

x

Hole in won

Hello again lovely readers - time for another little update on the holiday front!

The rain has stopped now, but the weather still not very swimmable so Charlie and I, being secret mini-golf fans, headed down to the Kaiteriteri local and bought a round. 

All was going well on the green and I was leading the way - however a few unfortunate 7's (max) Charlie came crawling back...

It was neck and neck - but the 18th and final hole was the decider - the most difficult of the course.

Try as I might I was far over par (and may or may not have begun pounding the green with my club). When I lost my ball in the rough it was all over. 

Charlie took a shot - a perfect hole in one and had the game under his thumb (the hole that last year  took us both about 20 shots to get). The tally up called Charlie the victor on the day.

The final score 62/67 - close indeed! But to the loser went the spoils - a real fruit ice cream to cheer me up! (these ice creams are the region's speciality)

I would call myself quite the mini golf fan - we have played all the courses in Christchurch (that I know of) and a few others around the south island. I would love to one day go on a mini-golf tour and visit courses nation/worldwide. This lead me to researching a few courses for you...

 Pirate's Cove Christchurch - nice course, but the waterfall wasn't going when we went.

Caddyshack City Queenstown - The sets are great on this course. They are really interactive - the gondola going up the mountain is my favourite hole - and on the last hole you get a lollypop - a plus for any golf course!

This course in Napier looks pretty swish!

 A colourful looking course in Beijing, China.

I've read good reviews about Mayday Golf in South Carolina, USA. I imagine most mini-golf courses in the States would be awesome. They are great at the theme park thing.

I doubt this course exists anymore, but the picture looked rad. It almost looks like she is playing a giant Hungry Hungry Hippos game doesn't it?

But out of all the courses I've read about - Disney's Fantasia Gardens in Florida looks like a course I would really like to visit. Don't the sets look really artistic? 

Pix  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

What courses do you like? Are their any sport tours you'd like to go on? I know the White Stripes used to like visiting bowling alleys when they toured. 

That's all for now on the mini-golf front.  x

Let's go fly a kite + link party!

Happy New Year everybody - hope you all had/are having a fabulous start to the year!
My resolutions are usually always the same = make more, achieve more, and try to be happy.
Last year I remember I especially wanted to write more. I wrote a fair amount, yet didn't really finish anything per se - however I think I came up with lots of great new story ideas which is positive! This year I think I will try to focus on drawing more, writing music, finding inspiration and blogging about it, and maybe try sew more clothes. What are your resolutions/goals if any!?

I have been up in Golden Bay for NY's. Last night Charlie and I watched a decent amount of fireworks being let off from a boat in the Kaiteriteri bay - I was impressed how decent a show it really was for such a small place. And there were of course the obligatory gaggle of tough guys that stripped down and went for a midnight skinny-dip in front of the firework-watching crowd.
It has mostly been raining here, but today was a cracker - so we visited friends Vimun and Dan in the nearby town of Mot, and went to play in the park.

They had a beautiful kite they had picked up on their Honeymoon in Bali last year. It is like a colourful boat - which floats through the sea of sky overhead, and I couldn't resist sharing it with you. Their little dogs Chubs and Chi-Chi came along for a runaround with us. Kylie and Ivor joined later - bringing their giant frisbee with them. All and all a great start to the year. What did you get up to?

I think another of my goals will be to get my Google Reader down to under 100. It has been at 1000+ for too long. I swear it's more like 10,000+. Le sigh. But without further ado - the link party...

What do you think of Adobe houses? Would you ever consider living in one?
Who would've thought cow poo could make such cool lamps?
Funny cross stitch
We should have more buildings like this.
Have any of you seen this film? Should I add it to my watch list?
Cute gif illustration
For some reason this picture gives me the urge to eat marshmallows.
Why don't stores sell panda sushi?
So many self-takes. But so cute!
Too funny for words...
I would if this tiny record player works?
I like it all.
Yes please.
Nice fabric prints
These might do nothing - but I think I'd like one.
Frenchy bag - oh la la
and last but not least - something that ought to make you smile.



Good night all! x