Tip #362

Apologies for my Monday blogging break, but believe me when I say it was desperately needed. I spent it mostly in solitude reading, cooking and fixing our damn modem router. All that "home" stuff we didn't get time to do over the weekend because Pete and I were up early Saturday morning travelling to Toowoomba, with Nana and Pa in tow, to spend time with my sister, her husband and their baby (she's a dream!) and to celebrate my Mum's birthday with the rest of the family (11+!). I cooked a dinner (and two desserts) to honour Mum, and while it was fun it was also exhausting. However I did manage to nab another golden Nana tip...

As I was frantically trying to ice the chocolate birthday cake for that night, with whole family gathered around me talking loudly, my Nana spotted me and calmly said, "Why don't you get a glass of warm water?"

I looked up at her gruff. I don't know why... perhaps because I'm stubborn and was thinking "I know all there is to know about cooking by now"... Whenever I'm with my family that young child mentality comes back, "Don't tell me what to do!" I thought.

But then bam! Her magic trick saved the day. I could spread my pre-prepared chocolate icing (which had frozen solid in the fridge) like butter just by dipping the butter knife in warm water. I was able to glide the cocoa goodness easily and into nice patterns, too. It worked a dream... Thank you, Nana. These little tips save me from meltdown (mental and physical).

Would love to hear yours...

PS - It was my Nana's chocolate cake recipe, and it turned out beautifully. I'll share it soon.