Flowers are happy things.

Do you like the quote? It's P.G. Wodehouse. Inspired by your papa's blog that I finally stumbled across....
Here's me pretending I am with you in the Northern Hemisphere Spring.

HUllo, Alex! Would you frolic with me? Perhaps wwoof around and find our very own gloomy farm to mend?

"Wanna give violet more violence"

Mum and dad gave me this dress for my birthday. It's a total keeper-- lots of fabric, and good fabric; super soft and embossed. Granny approves (thank god!). She said "Oh, it's just like the dresses we used to wear!". Yuss. Kate and I went for a trip out to Amberley not long after the Big One, as they say. It was terribly nice. Reminded me of Christmas, although leaving quake-torn Christchurch felt like stepping into someone else's fiction.


Sweet.

Check Granny's sneaky face in the second one

Life has been good here, albeit strange. The peaches are out, everything is humming and the summer heat is iced fresh. Some rampant vegan bakers have moved in down the street from us... The first baking I brought them was a complete disaster. I have never had a ruder or more hilarious reception for any food gift. So it's this tofu lemon slice (mm mm I hear you say...) and they try it... The first girl says "Oh, the pastry is like running your fingernails down a chalkboard!". The guy makes a big show of not being able so speak having had a mouthful "It kind of dries your mouth out", and then politely inquires "Have you done much vegan baking before?". And later refers to the incident as "Very nice gesture... epic fail". The third looks slightly embarrassed at her uninhibited flatmates' responses and offers "... the lemon flavour is very nice". I recovered some time after and managed to claw my way back from the brink with this cake offering. I think it might be fool proof.


Lemon Coconut Cake

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup lemon uice
1/3 cup oil
2tbsp golden syrup

lemon syrup:
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
zest of a lemon

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Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add sugar and coconut. In another bowl add milk, lemon juice,
oil and golden syrup and mix until combined. Add liquid ingredients and mix until combined. Pour into a 20cm greased cake tin and bake for 20-30 minutes. For lemon syrup add lemon juice, zest and sugar to a pot and dissolve on a medium heat. Pour over cake while still warm.

edit 6-4-11: i added twice the coconut and a bit more milk to compensate. it was excellent.

also: added juiced pulp to syrup- yeow!

Go forth and ingratiate!

Lots of love,

Jessica Grace

P.s. I fear our readership is too smart and select for this to be relevant, but for anyone who has had the misfortune to not read Penelope Todd's reflection on this current point in time, please direct yourself here.

Kisses