Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Upside-down plum cake.
















We rugged up, put our boots on and set off down the hill.
She and I.
We carried a bucket we had high hopes of filling.
We tried to identify the different animal poo we came across on the way.
She liked to use a stick to flick the poo off the path.
I preferred to step over it.
She played sword fights with sticks and hanging vines.
She made funny karate noises.
She always won.
We found our purple plummed trees.
The fruit was not always ripe but we picked it anyway because the birds were enjoying it too.
She loved to chuck the bird eaten plums as far as she could.
She picked the low fruit and I picked the high.
She liked me to pass her my plums so she could put them in the bucket herself.
When she had finished picking the plums she could reach, she pointed the tippy toe ones out to me.
We danced from tree to tree and filled our bucket.
We walked up the hill home.
I carried the bucket and she carried a branch with some plums on it.
She called it her magic wand.
She turned me into a frog and a princess and a baby and a dinosaur.
At home, in the kitchen together, we cut up some plums.
We weighed out 800grams.
And we made this cake.
It is delicious.
The perfect mix of sweet and sour.
We believe that if you use great ingredients and bake with love, that sweet treats are good.
That a piece of cake can rival a friend's packet of branded chips in a lunch box.
That a piece of cake can fill a tired school afternoon with love and comfort.
That a slice with tea after lunch, can make the farmer boys' afternoon all the more sweet.
That the girl and the mama will feel proud every time someone has a piece of their cake and tells them how good it is.
That the mama who is struggling with being a school mama, will feel like she did something good.

Sweet Wednesday to you.
xx

44 comments:

  1. Could she be any more adorable?? I miss being able to dress my daughter up in cool gear like this.

    Hope you're having a great day Kate!

    Rach x

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  2. I agree with Rach, she is just gorgeous. The cake looked pretty gorgeous too!
    Goodluck with finding the rhythm of being a school mum again, while maintaining the holiday feel.

    cheers Kate

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  3. Thats a lovely story, and the cake looks delish!

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  4. Gosh, Miss Pepper is growing so fast.

    Yum. Yum. Yum. It is quite disheartening how many kids get commercially packed food in their school lunches. I hope that someday my kids will appreciate the home cooking that I try to give them as often as I can.

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  5. I sent the kids off to school today with a slice each of your yogurt cake, which made me feel good too.......last year the girl child's teacher would do a count of how many packets (of crap) each child had in their lunchbox for the day. the highest was (consistently) 7 (from one particular child who was also one of the most disruptive in the afternoons) Im with you Kate- if its made at home with love and you know whats in it- its good :)
    hope you find your rhythm soon.......

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  6. I baked yesterday so I too could give the kids something yummy for afternoon tea and something yummy for school. And I was trying to make myself feel about all the nagging/ranting I do just to get them on the school bus.

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  7. And I bet she is missing her big sisters too X

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  8. Oh, now I'm longing for plum season!

    I think you and Miss Pepper did good, nothing beats Mama and daughter made cake to sweeten any day :D

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  9. Lovely! I have a box of plums and I think I will give this recipe a go this arvo :)

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  10. Gorgeous! Cake is always the best way to show your little tribe that you love them. Cake from homegrown fruit is even better! xx

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  11. What a cutie, she could be the Sugar Plum Fairy with that gorgeous hat on!!

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  12. Yum yum! What delightful photos!
    As a teacher I'm SOOOO pleased to see/hear you're filling those lunchboxes with amazing homecooked treats and not the terrible junk I would see kids eating anytime from 8am onwards! Yuck!

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  13. What a gorgeous way to spend time with your little girl. It's moments like those that can hopefully sustain you in amongst the school mum thing that can be so hard.
    Your cake looks gorgeous and there is nothing better for kids to open up their lunchbox to good wholesome homemade food. I love seeing my family when they bite into fresh homemade bread, banana cake or whatever thing I've made. The appreciation is in their eyes. My little ones are big ones now, 21 and 18 but they still love homemade the best.
    Take care,
    Anne xx

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  14. THANKS so much! I'm overwhelmed with plums right now! I'm doing this tonight!

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  15. Oh how stunning Kate! The words, the images (love how Ms Pepper coordinates with the purple plums), and the CAKE! Scrumptious. Enjoy! xx

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  16. beautiful post, cake looks yummmmm

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  17. Homemade food definitely rocks over pre-packaged lunchbox snacks! Just wanted to say how much I love the way you write, and you are so right - homemade snacks definitely sweeten the day.

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  18. Thanx again for sweet post
    I am missing my schoolgirlies too, holidays gone to fast and routine is stifling.
    Cake gorgeous again! Blackberries now plums, yummo, you have inspired me again to cook some loving goodness.
    Yes, cook with loving consciousness and it is transferred in the food to the recipients

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  19. Your cooking and motivation is putting me to shame!!...yummo tho! x

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  20. Nom nom nom nom... I think I need to do some more baking... Thankfully our groceries are being delivered tomorrow and blueberries were on sale. I'm thinking blueberry scones. :)

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  21. So beautiful. Cake is such tangible joy and love.

    What variety of plums do you grow? I really want to plant a tree or two.

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  22. You two did great
    And I bet it tastes amazing

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  23. Great post and the cake looks delicious.

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  24. Gorgeous photos and oh how I envy your warm clothes! We are so hot here in Perth and I can't wait for autumn and winter to arrive.

    I've recently been making an Upside-Down Plum Cake from a Women's Weekly cookbook and they barely last more than a day or two! So yummy. Making one tomorrow actually to take to a BBQ for dessert.

    PS You've inspired me to try crocheting. Started my first class last night with Granny Funk and I can see how addictive it can get even though mine looked like a dogs breakfast...I'm sure I'll get better with practice. The crochet hook will not defeat me LOL!

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  25. Lovely lovely inspiring lovely!! And LOVE her little cardi/vest/hoodie :)
    Thanks for sharing :)
    Lauren

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  26. Thanks for showing me what to do with my big bag of farmers-market-bought plums sitting in the fridge. Looks delish.

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  27. Oh my goodness! It looks so amazing, and some seriously cute photos too!
    Sophie x

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  28. Those are lovely photos. Her outfit is so cute. Makes me happy. :)

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  29. SNAP - we made an upside down plum cake the other nigh. SNAP again ... struggling with this school five days a week things. So hard to be organised and out the door on time and then organised to pick up to... so much structure!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!

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  31. ooh... to be able to pick fresh plums, here in Cheshire UK we have had snow this week and temperatures are freezing. Though the thought of hot plum crumble makes me feel cosy - unfortunately the plums will be from the supermarket and not freshly picked - lucky you xx Fleur

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  32. Eeeeek! That looks sooooo good. Lovely pics!

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  33. Can you just tell me why you see to be in cool weather when I thought it was midsummer down under... I keep wondering this every time I see your pictures.

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  34. Rugged up? Geez! None of that going on here- but this mama who is struggling to be a school mama might just head out the back, pick some of those very same (or abit similar!) plums and get stuck into making that cake, and it will be ready for 4 oclock when the bus turns up. I wont have a fun little helper with me though, or, actually, my camera to take lovely photos

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  35. I spent a morning at my son's prep class this week and at morning tea the lunchboxes were opened up and one particular kid had packets of stuff only, no sandwich, no fruit, and you know what I just realised - there was no love in that lunchbox. An important ingredient I think. Your cake looks delicious, even if I am not so partial to plums, I'm sure you could make it with peaches too, just a thought. Happy eating!

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  36. you are ace.and i really wish i could have a piece.

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  39. Oh My gosh! That pic of her with her face in the plums, gorgeous!

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Kate XX

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