Fairy Cakes

Dear Cathy

Sunday last, was the School Summer Show. One little Latte entered a Fruit Kebab comprising English seasonal soft fruits, winning third prize in the category. Other entrants had included foreign fruits like bananas and melon, and one child had even used marshmallows! We were robbed.

The other little Latte entered a Seaside Picture, a collage of different materials that she worked very hard on without any help from me.
It was her own idea to use bubble-wrap for the sea, which I thought quite ingenious, but the judges palmed her off with a 'Well Done' sticker, favouring a decoupage picture which had clearly been made by the parents. Terribly unjust don't you think? And a cruel lesson in life.

I entered the category for 'Three Tea Time Fancies (three of the same e.g. cupcakes, biscuits etc). I knew I wouldn't produce my best work because I'd been at a little girl's fifth birthday party on the Saturday and I'd gone home rather the worse for wear. I couldn't help it, we were there all day in the garden, sun beating down on us and I had to drink plenty of Pimms to keep myself hydrated. I couldn't leave, because I was responsible for watching the children in the swimming pool, mind you, I couldn't see much after about four o'clock.

Anyway, I dragged myself out of bed at 7.30am on Sunday and threw together a batch of fairy cakes (p266). To give them a topical Wimbledon reference, I sliced off the tops, filled them with clotted cream and stuffed them with strawberries. I wasn't dissatisfied with the results as the cakes were lovely and moist and they really did look pretty, but I only made third place. Some of these judges do lack imagination. The first prize winner had put plain old buttercream on her cakes and the second prize winner was one of the children! I've never been so insulted. Still, I don't take it too seriously.

Did you follow Wimbledon this year? Such a shame that Andy Murray didn't make it through to the final, but as I said to Mr Latte, what can you expect from a man who can't even be bothered to shave in the morning?

Lots of love, Lucy. x

PS I can't help wondering what your neighbour is getting up to behind that new fence. Who lives there dear? In the interests of community safety (you know what Mr Cameron says about The Big Society) you might need to pop over there with a periscope and see what's going on.