15 years ago

15 years ago today we had our first baby.  Our baby boy is 15!  Where did that time go. J is now 6 foot tall and gorgeous on the inside and out.  He is a fun, gentle, kind and loving person and for that I am very grateful.  He is still a work in progress when it comes to picking up after himself and doing it now not later, but I am sure in time these things will come and my nagging will pay off.  Most probably in time for someone else to reap the rewards!

This morning I baked a birthday cake.  Gone are the days of Thomas the Tank Engine and pirate ship cakes.  We have a special chocolate cake recipe which has become the birthday cake of choice in our house, we call it the Chocolate Fish Cake.  The first time I tried this cake I bought it at the local church cake stall and it was yummy.  Luckily a firend of mine knew the person who baked it and I was fortunate to get the recipe.  I am sorry I don't know the person's name because this cake is divine and easy to make.

WARNING this cake is not for the faint hearted or diet conscious!

Chocolate Fish Cake

125 g butter
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup homemade raspberry jam (if you don't have homemade try and get the next best thing in terms of store bought jam, here in NZ it is Anathoths for my money).
1 1/4 cups self raising flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 180 degrees celsius

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add jam. Mix well.
Sift flour and cocoa together.
Dissolve baking soda in warm milk.
Add alternately to creamed mixture with flour etc
Fold in choc chips
Sppon into a prepared cake time - 22 cm round or square cake tin, lined with baking paper.
Bake for about 50 - 60 minutes depending on size of tin.
Cool on cake cooler.
Ice with your preferred chocolate icing.  Decorate with chocolate fish, marshmallows etc.

EAT

15 minutes after J and a friend came home from school.