Tearoom 25 - Benvenute a Venezia!

[thumbwitch]

YOu find us this time in a glorious palazzo in Venice, near to St. Mark's square, and on the water. With gondolas and vaporetti in abundance to transport us around to the various sights etc.

The palazzo itself of course has marble floors and fabulous murano chandeliers but aside of that we have the usual distressed chintz comfy sofas, assorted animals, bishops in their corner, priesthole for emergencies and a single solitary aspidistra in a bomb-proof glass cage to protect it from the ravages of a certain Canadian.

All are welcome - drop by for a cuppa, a glass of something stronger and a chat and relax in the safe and kind surroundings here.

Cin cin!

Girl has Air Buddies and Snow Buddies. They are sooo awful they're funny.

He won't need to cut up his food ....

Never 'eard of it... sorry...

We are very much into Pete's Dragon at the moment... but it might be too scary for sensitive boy... Ages ago we discovered an old French film called 'The Red Balloon' which has almost no talking and is about a boy who befriends a red balloon.

Does he like the very peaceful waybaloo (sp?) Milk was into it last summer. I like it too. My cousins children (and my cousin - so his wife tells me) are addicted to Grandpa in my Pocket - I think it is none scary stuff.

Serp, Wriggle's adorable!

Watching really bizarre program on tv but television upstairs gets limited channels since media center went crazy on it. MrScout due to be very late tonight so cocktailed up, injected and in bed with my computer. Toddler sleeping peacefully and looking angelic in his little man pajamas, cuddling his Bunny.

Are wedding fruit cakes and Christmas fruit cakes made of the same recipe?

Yes. Christmas and wedding cake traditionally is the same thing with different decorations.

I wonder how much wedding cakes differ from country to country?

French wedding cakes (also used for big birthdays, christenings etc)is this:

www.otleypatisserie.co.uk/images/croquembouchebg/croq1.jpg

I love a bit of fruit cake, me... so alas the French wedding cake is nothing but a tower of disappointment to my English eyes!

Mind you... when I say traditionally... I think what I actually mean is since Victorian times!!! Which in the grand scheme of things wasn't really that long ago!

The Red Balloon is one of my favourite stories. Haven't thought about it for years.

I think I'm suppose to be sleeping...

Tea I looked at the homepage for the bakery because it is not too far distant. £425 for a wedding cake!!!!!!
Our wedding didn't cost that much (OK it was 11 years ago..... so prices have increased a bit, but crikey)

Night all

Depends on which history you're talking about, Tea.

I want to try my hand at making a Christmas cake this year (can make a mean Christmas pudding) -- any idea when I should start?

If you're Bloke, on about 22 December!

yep, looks so far to be a pretty crumby film. DH will hate it.... BOy will find the dog catcher terrifying...

My word that pile of profitoroles looks good, but a wedding cake?? really?

Wriggle's Christening cake was like that, Tea. I assumed it was just SIL's funny idea. I did like it, though. (SIL organised and hosted Wriggle's christening as part of My Very Cunning Plan not to have the whole French family over here.)

- how unmaud like to be soooo sexist!!!!

YET... to be fair...

If it was upto Beer he would make it on the 25th and forget about the fruit making it entirely out of steak

Tee - look it up on youtube - you can watch the whole film. It always makes Milk and I nearly cry and jump up and down at the end. It is CHARMING!!! (Although be warned that the nasty boys do pop the balloon! [scary]) What is funny is French people don't know it very well. I have intoduced it to a few French friends who have LOVED it.

My mother makes her Christmas cake the first week of September without fail. Leaves lots of time for 'soaking' apparently.

The only time I made one it was more of a Christmas flapjack. I make a good Christmas pudding though.

Tea - In what way am I being sexist? Bloke makes our Christmas cake every year but, in true business school just in time mode, makes it on about 22 December (although he tells me it was about 1 December last year). We like breaking the gender stereotypes in our house!

I love your profile page unserp! Wriggle makes me want to become a serial butterfly kisser!!!

What are German wedding cakes like? Do you know?

Maud - I mis-read... thought is said "a bloke" hense my shock!

Talking about weddings and values... (nice link) what are all your plans for the Royal wedding...?

I shall be working. sparky on a festival site. Will probably avoid watching it on the big screen but will happily hoover up any red white and blue cake on offer. I would rather be at home and go to teh village street party...

I am an oddity, I didn't have a wedding cake. Had fairly recently been to a wedding where they had a stunning chocolate tower effort, just like this one but without the red flowers, and I was horrified at how much of it was wasted. It was glorious cake but so much was not eaten! (do have a look at some of the other cakes on that site if you're a cakeophile - they're gorgeous!)

Sooooo - I decided not to bother. Instead, We did little favour chests and I put 5 mini cakes in each one - a chocolate rum truffle, a fairy cake, an iced sliced fruit cake with 3 silver balls, and I can't remember the other two! All home-made with GF flour (Dove's farm) except the fruit cake which I bought from Tesco and marzipanned and iced myself. I would have made it myself but wasn't organised enough to do it ahead of time so had to buy. Guests got their cake (and there was a lot less wastage! but admittedly it was mostly the fruit cake so in the end I was glad I hadn't wasted too much time and effort on it) but we didn't have anything to cut into - and the wedding venue provided us with an engraved cake cutter as part of their package! In the end, we bought a pavlova, just to do the cake-cutting ceremony with the knife. Thinking about it, one of the 5 might have just been a Belgian truffle (also bought then) but I still can't remember the last one!

AhA! it was a fruit jelly! remembered. Phew.

I went to a reception here that their cake was layers of cheese and their topper were two mice in bridal clothes. It was brilliant! Guests could go up as they wanted for cheese and crackers all night.

I'm asking no questions about FineLad and his lady friends. I know all the young ladies in question anyway and (in the case of this one) I went to school with her mum so that'll make for an interesting next school reunion lunch I'm sure.

Oh you just wait, you lot. A few years' time it'll be you

Wedding cake? Standard 3 tier iced fruity one. But the silly staff cut up the wrong bit for the guests. Ooops.

I'm bl&dy tired and I've got to put in a full day today as there's no cover thanks to holidays etc. Pass me the extra-strong Venetian coffee someone, please.