Boston - Baseball and Mike's City Diner

*I am on holidays in the US for the next month.  I am blogging a little while we are away, so I have a travel diary - if you aren't interested in this (I totally understand!), 'regular programming' will resume at the start of June*


This morning we walked about fifteen minutes, through the most spectacularly blossom-lined residential brownstone streets, to Mike's City Diner.  We'd been craving a giant American breakfast, and this certainly hit the spot.  I ordered an 'Emergency Room' which includes two massive buttermilk pancakes with butter and syrup, plus a toasted chewy bagel and massive servings of cottage-fried potatoes, scrambled eggs and hand-cut ham off the bone.  Once it arrived, I never thought I'd be able to finish it, but it was incredibly delicious so I found the room.


Here is Tabitha with The Daddy, perusing the menu:

It always makes me laugh how much choice is on offer in the US!  How would you like your eggs?  Would you like white toast, rye, whole wheat or sourdough, English muffin, bagel or brioche with your order?  What sort of bagel - plain, onion, poppy, sesame, onion chive, or everything bagel?  Would you like milk or cream with your coffee?  And, as you see below, as well as regular sugar there is generally three other sweetener offerings - Equal, Sweet'n'Low or Splenda:

A peek at my enormous - and delicious - breakfast.  Those pancakes were easily 30cm across, and 2cm thick:

On our walk back, we noticed the strangest little hand-knit and crochet covers on the chain holders of regular old concrete posts in a park!

We did a little shopping after breakfast, clothes mostly, and sweet little leather pink butterfly sandals for Tabitha.  In the afternoon, we headed to the famous Fenway Park to watch a baseball game between the Red Sox and the Angels.  I am a Red Sox fan, since the first ever game I went to was a Sox game at Fenway back in 2004.  Fenway Park is the oldest baseball stadium in the United States, and has been beautifully preserved, without flashy upgrades.  It feels like you are strolling around a ballpark in a 1950s film.  Here we are when we were arriving:

Tabby in her infant-sized Red Sox cap.  I accidentally left my cap at home in Australia, and was devastated not to wear it today.  Perhaps that is why the Red Sox lost!

Doesn't Tabitha have crazy hair?!  I think I have some peanut in my teeth in this photo...

We had great seats - right by first base, nearly behind the Red Sox dugout, third row from the front.  It felt like we were sitting on the field!

The quintessential Fenway photo - the World Series wins in the background, a young man selling hot dogs from a box held aloft on his head.  "Hot dogs, get your Fenway franks here!"  "Icy cold American beer, who wants some?"  "Peanuts, peanuts, peanuts"  "Crackerjacks, I got Crackerjacks!"


Actually, I ate THREE hot dogs (with onions, mustard, ketchup and sweet relish), as well as a bag of peanuts and a bag of Crackerjacks.  I know, even after my coronary-inducing breakfast!

It really was a beautiful day to be at the game:

Early this evening, back at the hotel, we went downstairs to the hotel restaurant for dinner - I was pretty full, so just ordered a lobster roll.  Normally these are pretty small and light, but this one was enormous!  It had at least a whole lobster's worth of meat in it, including two massive claws.  Tabitha had to help me eat all the lobster - she adores shellfish like lobster, yabbies and prawns.  Here she is with a chunk of meat for each hand, and more in her mouth:

I am SO tired.  Jetlag is harder to shake when you have a baby who is up during the night, and who decided that 4am was morning time!  Tired, but we are having a brilliant time.

Plane Flight and Boston

Just a quick update!  On the morning we were due to fly out, Tabitha woke up with a husky voice and a cough.  The first nine hours of the trip to LA were okay, with a couple of one-hour naps, but then Tabby spiked a fever (39+ degrees) and started looking really poorly.  She vomited a couple of times (two changes of clothes for her, one for me!) just before we landed.

Here is Tabitha, earlier on in the flight, having fun in her bassinette - of course, she didn't actually sleep in it, but she enjoyed sitting right up high and looking at all the people!

We then had 6 hours in LAX - actually LAX was a breeze, through all the customs and queues in minutes, since they let parents with young children go in a special fast line.  But Tabby got worse - so hot, really listless and miserable and sobbing.  She ended up sleeping face-down on a blanket on the ground for a while, she was so exhausted but too hot to sleep against us.  Two more vomits at LAX, two more changes of clothes for her.  The flight to Boston was alright - she was so, so exhausted and ill that she just slept the whole way.  One more vomit - change of clothes for her, me and The Daddy.  We used EVERY item of clothing we packed in carry-on!!  Thank goodness I allowed 3 sets of PJs and 2 full outfits for her, plus changes for The Daddy and I.  Plus lots of muslins and bunny rugs - we used them all!

We arrived at our incredibly lovely hotel - The Lenox - at around 10pm local time.  Concierge gave Tabitha a cute lamb stuffed toy, we ordered some room service comfort food - mac'n'cheese and a turkey club with fries - and all went to bed.  Tabitha ended up sleeping in our bed because she felt ill - it is so nice co-sleeping in a giant king bed!  We woke early (around 5am) and at 6am enjoyed one of those peaceful early-morning neighbourhood walks, taking in the local area with only a few people around, eating bagels and coffee and doughnuts and chatting with friendly locals in the park.

Here are Tabitha and The Daddy in the nearby, and pretty, Public Gardens.  We saw lots of cute squirrels going about their business:

I'll try and update with a quick photo here and there as we go...

Royal Wedding

I'm no monarchist, but I was excited to watch the wedding.  To be honest, I just like weddings - I love seeing the flowers, the cake, the dress, the hair.  I enjoyed planning our own wedding so much, and hearing about all of the preparations for someone else's wedding brings back lots of lovely memories for me.

I had two friends over, Michelle and Amy, to watch the coverage leading up and the ceremony.  I prepared a light tea for us to eat - poached chicken sandwiches, egg and watercress sandwiches, meringue nests with cream and raspberries.  We also drank tea and Champagne.

I have refined my chicken sandwich recipe over the years, based on experience, research, and conversations with caterers and chefs.  Everyone likes different things in a chicken sandwich, but for me, this is It:

Poach chicken breasts in barely shivering light chicken stock, with a bay leaf.  When just cooked through, remove to cool.  Finely chop the meat (roughly 5mm cubes).  Mix through with plenty of whole egg mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, crunchy flaked salt, chopped chives and a little white pepper.  You can also add some finely sliced celery or chopped blanched almonds or walnuts, if you like some crunch.  Taste as you go along, but in general, I use more lemon juice and salt than you'd think.  Sometimes I add a tiny bit of Dijon mustard, but not normally.

Spread quite generously onto buttered white bread, and cut into triangles or fingers.

The egg and watercress sandwiches are easy - boil some eggs until they are nearly hardboiled (but before they get dry).  To do this, sit a few eggs in plenty of cold water, and bring to boil.  Once boiled, turn the heat off straight away, leave to sit, covered, for ten minutes, then rinse well in cold water.  Once the eggs are cooled, peel them, chop them, then mash with whole egg mayonnaise, salt, a little pepper, and possibly a little seeded mustard.  On buttered white bread, spread a reasonably thick layer of the egg mixture, top with some rinsed fresh watercress, then cut the sandwiches into triangles or fingers.

Meringues are an excellent way to use up egg whites if, like me, you always have loads of them in the freezer from making custard and custard-based desserts.  Top each meringue with plenty of whipped cream (with a little vanilla caster sugar) and some fresh, slightly overripe raspberries.

Now, the actual wedding?  Loved the trees in the Abbey, the waist and hips and back of the dress.  Didn't love the lace top of the dress - I thought the lace was too heavy, too coarse.  I love plain and simple, like Princess Mary's amazing gown, but Mary's dress let the veil, jewels and flowers stand out.  Kate's seemed like an interpretation of Princess Grace - I would have been so much more excited by an original gown.  Never mind, I'm sure she adored her gown and that's all that matters!  I like her halo tiara - so pretty and delicate.

I do hope that William and Kate will 'make it'.  I think they will.  They've been together for a long time, and they both seem quite sensible.  I love the footage of the couple leaving in the open topped carriage - with the horses trotting so quickly, Kate looked so beautiful, like she was gliding along through the air.

Finally - the Abbey is just gorgeous.  I visited Westminster Abbey when I was eight years old, I remember it so clearly - the worn steps, the cool stone, the dark shadowy corners.  A beautiful building.

Packing for Overseas

In one week, we are leaving for a one-month long holiday in the US.  We are spending a week in Boston, two weeks in New York, 2 nights in Lancaster County, PA (Amish Country), and 5 days in Washington, DC.

We are flying Melbourne to LA, then LA to Boston, with around 5 hours in LA airport.  We will catch a train from Boston to NYC.  We are hiring a large car in NYC, to drive to PA, then on to DC.  We are flying out of DC to LA, then on to Melbourne directly.

We chose to fly Melbourne - LA and return, with no stops in NZ/Asia.  While there is certainly an argument for breaking up the flight, and allowing a young toddler some time to roam around an airport, we elected to do the direct flight, trying to just get it out of the way!  By flying direct, we will arrive at our hotel in Boston just over 24 hours after leaving Melbourne.  That's right, 24 hours of non-stop travel.

I will write another blog post, this week, on the actual air travel element.

How much luggage are you allowed?  A lot!  In fact, flying to and from the United States, you are permitted to travel with far more luggage than you could easily manage with a baby in tow, I think.  Each adult is permitted two suitcases, a carry-on, and a ladies handbag.  The baby is allowed one piece of luggage, such as a car seat or a pram or a travel cot.

In total, this gives our family:

• 4 suitcases, up to 23kg each
• 2 international sized carryons, up to 7kg each
• Our Bugaboo Cameleon in its large hard travel case
• A large nappy bag / handbag.

Now, I don't know about you, but I think we would struggle to cart that much luggage around (plus a baby) - and of course, our luggage needs to fit into taxis, and the car we are hiring.

With this in mind, we are taking one large suitcase, one medium suitcase, a large international carry-on, a carry-on toiletries case, our Bugaboo, and a large nappy bag.  Our small Phil&Teds travel cot fits within our large suitcase, or we could check it in separately.  This should be ample to take what we need on the way over.  If we need more space coming home (shopping!!), I will use spacebags to condense our clothing, and will purchase one or two cheap, soft duffle bags to fill with soft items (clothing, grobags, bunny rugs etc) which can be checked in as luggage.

For our clothing, we needed to consider the weather.  In Boston, the weather is likely to see maximums of 18 - 23 degrees, so we will need closed shoes and light coats.  Scarves, beanies and gloves should be sufficient to keep us warm in the mornings and evenings, if there is frost.  In New York, the weather is likely to be pleasant, with daily maximums of low 20s.  In DC, the weather could easily creep into the 30s - so a couple of light dresses, shorts, tshirts and sandals will do.

If we are confident the weather in NY and DC will be warm, we may decide to send home, via slow post, our heavier clothing, coats and shoes.

We will not need dressy clothing such as heels, elegant dresses or suits, as we won't be dining anywhere fancy, nor will we be attending shows or musicals (sad, I know, but we have done these things before, and we are not comfortable leaving Tabitha with a babysitter we don't know).

Travelling to a developed country like the US is, of course, much easier than travelling to many parts of the world.  We don't need to pack too obsessively, since anything we may need to buy - shampoo, bandaids, bathing suits, razors, toothpaste - will not only be readily available, it is also likely to much CHEAPER than if we bought it at home!

There are some things, however, which I strongly recommend packing.  We are planning on using some disposable nappies while travelling, since I'm not confident about the availability of secure washing facilities.  I know Huggies work for us, and I know that many brands out there are rubbish, leaking, with dodgy closure tabs and strange fits.  Because of this, I am taking enough nappies for our use, rather than risking having to try out unknown brands.

The other things I would recommend packing enough of are items which your baby or child is 'used to', and may have trouble adapting to - you really want to minimise the stress factors when travelling!  I would include artificial baby milks, bottles and teats, dummies, pain relief medication, and also skin products like shampoos, soaps and lotions, particularly if your baby has allergies or sensitive skin.

Of course, if you practice Baby Led Weaning, you will not need to take along special baby foods, however if your baby is used to eating cereals and purees, you might like to take along your normal brand - those suckable organic tube squeeze things seem to be popular, and I imagine they would be relatively easy for travel (though not as easy as feeding your baby normal food, I think, though I admit I am biased!).

To assist with settling into a sleep routine once you reach your destination (with jet-lag, new surroundings, change in climate and all that), I recommend packing a number of sleep aids.  We have included a number of 'sleep triggers' into Tabitha's bedtime over the past few weeks, and will continue to use these on arrival, to help her adapt.  This includes:

• A scented travel candle in a relaxing fragrance.  Hopefully this will signal 'bedtime' to Tabby, and will also help to camouflage all of the strange and new hotel smells.
  
• Music for Dreaming CD played overnight - the sounds will, again, hopefully signify bedtime, and having gentle music on overnight is also good for canceling out hotel / street noises.
  
• Badger Night-Night Balm is a marvelous product.  All natural, filled with beautiful natural sleep and relaxation oils such as lavender, chamomile and sandalwood, I rub a little of this on Tabitha (wrists, neck, forehead, chest, soles of feet).  Not only does it help her relax and sleep, but the scent has formed a nice olfactory association with sleep for her.
  
• The rest of her bedtime routine - putting on a clean nappy, clean pyjamas, evening breastfeed, reading a couple of short books, then zipping her up in her Grobag - will remain the same when we are overseas.

There are several herbal gentle sleep remedies for babies and children on the market, which we may try (depending on how Tabby goes).  In the hotel, as with anywhere, it is best to have a calm, quiet sleep environment (NO television on within an hour or so of bedtime, enough quiet time in the room before bed) and to keep the room fairly cool (around 18 degrees is ideal for sleep) and with some fresh air if possible.  

On the airplane, I will fill her water bottle with cool chamomile tea for her to drink, instead of water, which will hopefully help her stay relaxed and calm on the flight.  Of course, breastmilk is perfect for helping your baby to sleep - it contains natural hormones designed to put baby to sleep, and indeed to put mum to sleep as well!  So a nice long breastfeed, somewhere dark and quiet, with skin-on-skin contact is ideal for just before bed when you are all adjusting to a new timezone and sleep environment.

I will also be taking a small tube of Vegemite (never travel without it!) and several packets of Australian stickers.  When traveling, I think it's nice to have little Australian souvenirs on hand to give to any children you meet - this applies even if you don't have children of your own.  I like sheets of fuzzy Australian animal stickers.

Finally, it is of utmost importance to consider your travel documents.  Of course you must take your passport, photo ID (license), credit cards, tickets and other travel documents.  In addition, take copies of your insurance details, and any applicable telephone numbers such as your airline, the airports you are travelling through, and your local embassies (in case of trouble or lost passports).

You should also take photocopies of every document (store them separately to the originals, and leave a full copy of all of your items at home with someone you trust, such as a family member).  Take spare colour passport photographs of every member of your family, including babies.  As awful as it is to consider, if your child goes missing, you will want an up-to-date, clear photograph of them.

I like to create a comprehensive travel document - sort of an extended itinerary - which includes all details I could possibly need:

• The name, address and contact number of each hotel.  The dates we are staying there.  The time of checkin and checkout.  Any details such as room requests made or breakfast package inclusions.  Our booking numbers.
  
• A list of nearby amenities to each hotel - the closest supermarket, chemist and park.
  
• All flight details, including frequent flier numbers, flight numbers, seat allocation requests, special meal requests and records of request dates, time of each flight arrival and departure (in both local time and the time zone we left from e.g. body clock time).
  
• Car hire and train travel details, including booking numbers, times etc.
  
• Travel insurance policy details, inclusions and contact numbers
  
• International contact numbers including foreign embassies.
  
• Other information such as passport numbers, international travel visa or visa waiver numbers.

I take several copies of this - one for home, one to keep in each suitcase, one to keep in my handbag. I also email a copy to myself, so I can access it from anywhere in the world.

For your wallet, I recommend making a card (the same size as a credit card, in heavy weight cardboard) which includes all the details you will need when filling out forms such as immigration paperwork - each family member's passport number, issue date and expiry date, the address at which you will be staying, dates of arrival and departure.  This will save lots of time and rummaging when you suddenly need these details.  Add a few handy numbers such as your insurance policy, embassy and hotels.

We arrive at our hotel in Boston in the evening.  The next morning, I will be walking to the nearest supermarket (Shaw's in the Prudential Centre, a three minute walk from our hotel) to buy fresh fruit, bread, butter, nut spread, museli and milk.  This way, no matter how tired or ratty we get, we know we have healthy food available in our room in case we hit a wall suddenly, later in the day.

Now...  The packing lists.  I have divided this into Checked Baggage and Carry On Baggage.  Note:  I have not included The Daddy's items.  Off the top of my head, I predict the list will be:  jeans, jeans, half a dozen tshirts and light shirts, shorts, a couple of jumpers, a coat, scarf and beanie, sneakers, thongs, a book, razor/toothbrush/deoderant, sunglasses, phone, wallet.

Checked Baggage:

• Bugaboo Cameleon pram in its travel case
• Phil&Teds Traveller portable cot

Baby Items

• 2 pairs of warm weather PJs, 2 pairs of cool weather PJs
• 4 muslins
• 2 bunny rugs
• 1 large lightweight muslin for shade / sleeping cover for pram
• Fitted sheets for portacot
• 2 Grobags – 1 TOG and 2.5 TOG
• Room / bath thermometor
• Lamby (sleep toy)
• Vatanai wrap
• Ergo
• 6 bibs
• HandySitt portable high chair
• A few books and toys
• Travel candle
• Music for Dreaming CD

Nappy Items

• 150 nappies
• 500 wipes
• 150 scented nappy disposal sacks
• Barrier cream
• Lightweight waterproof change pad

Tabitha’s Clothing (allowing for washing every few days)

• Bathers and swim nappies
• Sun hat
• Soft beanie
• 4 singlets
• 2 cardigans
• Coat with hood
• Shoes
• 4 pairs of socks
• 4 pairs of pants
• 4 tops
• Tracksuit

My Clothing (allowing for washing every few days, and shopping as we go.  No heels or fancy outfits required, since we won’t go anywhere without baby)

• Woollen coat
• Jeans
• 4 Spring-weight tops
• 4 stretchy camisoles (I wear these under everything, good for some coverage when lifting top for breastfeeding)
• 2 cardigans
• Leather short jacket
• 2 t-shirts
• 2 skirts
• 2 pairs of black leggings
• 2 casual dresses to wear with leggings
• Socks and underwear
• Footware – Thongs, sneakers, ballet flats
• Bathers
• PJ pants / tracksuit pants
• A few silk scarves
• Sun hat

Toiletries Bag

• Medicines – Panadol, baby Panadol suppositories, Antihistamines, multi vitamins, Ventolin, bandaids, Soov burn and bite cream, antiseptic cream, ear thermometer, small pair of scissors, light crepe bandage, sterile gauze.
• Travel Hairdryer
• Hairbrush and hair ties
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Nail polish and file, and handcream
• Basic makeup (tinted moisturiser, mascara, eyeshadow/blush cream, lipgloss)
• Breastpads
• Eye drops
• Deoderant
• Lunette
• Baby nail clippers
• Baby shampoo and wash
• Facial care – cleanser, exfoliant, moisturiser, eye cream, hydrating mask
• Sunscreen
• Toothbrush and paste
• Razor
• Body lotion

Miscellaneous Items:

• Ear plugs
• Small handbag
• Glasses and sunglasses
• Electrics (phone charger, adapter, laptop and charger, camera and charger, compact camera and charger)
• Boston Pocket Umbrella
• A couple of books
• Knitting / crochet (small projects like socks, beanies etc.)
• Vegimite
• Aussie souvenirs for kids – koala stickers etc.
• US approved padlocks
• Maps / guidebooks
• PHOTOCOPIES of passports, licences, credit cards and travel documents.  Leave a photocopy at home too.

 Tabitha Carry On

• 12 Nappies
• 80 wipes (everyone says to guess how many wipes you might need, and double it)
• 12 scented nappy sacks
• 2 wet bags for soiled clothes, muslins, bibs etc.
• 6 breastpads
• 6 bibs
• 4 muslins
• 1 large muslin
• 2 bunny rugs
• 4 – 5 snack meals (sandwiches etc) and baby food
• Water bottle containing cool chamomile tea for Tabitha (most airlines will allow you to bring aboard a ‘reasonable quantity’ of food and drink for a baby.  I will bring organic chamomile teabags in case.)
• 1 TOG Grobag
• 2 – 3 pairs pyjamas / tracksuit
• 1 additional travel outfit including socks and singlets
• Ergo
• Small toys and books
• Lamby sleep toy
• Dummies (even though she hasn’t used one since around 4 months, they might be worth a try if things get desperate)
  

My Carry On

• Tickets and travel documents, including master itinerary
• Passports
• Wallet with local currency (including plenty of $1 bills, as you will need to begin tipping well before you unpack).
• Glasses and sunglasses
• Pen
• iPhone
• Tissues
• 2-3 pairs socks
• Chinatown beaded slippers (I hate going to the bathroom on planes in socks, these are perfect for padding around with swollen feet).
• Neck pillow
• Pashmina / light blanket
• Silk eye mask
• Ear plugs
• Hairbrush and ties
• Multi vitamins
• Small camera
• Book
• Full change of clothes and underwear
• Medicines (antihistamines, panadol, baby panadol)
• Noise canceling headphones
• Snacks (fresh fruit and vegetables, cut up.  Muesli bars)
• Toothbrush
• Clear plastic bags, less than one litre per adult, containing (each less than 100ml):

o   Cleanser

o   Moisturiser

o   Moisture mask

o   Eye cream

o   Toothpaste

o   Rosewater spray

o   Mascara

o   Hand sanitiser gel

o   Tinted moisturizer

o   Deoderant

o   Lip balm

o   Hand cream

o   Eye drops

o   Barrier cream for nappies

o   Sleepy balm

o   Rescue Remedy

Anzacs

Do you like fat, chunky Anzac biscuits, or flat, chewy ones?  I like the fat sort, but The Daddy prefers the flat kind, and since he is the one eating most of the biscuits, I generally bake these ones.

This is a dead easy recipe, and makes 24 or so large, flat, chewy cookies.

Anzac Biscuits

Combine together, in a bowl, 1 cup of plain flour, 1 cup of rolled oats (NOT instant/quick cook), 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of dessicated coconut.

In a medium saucepan, melt together 125g butter with 2 tablespoons (60g) golden syrup.  When melted, mix together 1 teaspoon of bicarb soda with 2 tablespoons of boiling water, then pour into the melted butter/syrup.  It will all foam up.

Pour foamy mixture into the dry ingredients, stir well to combine, then place round balls (each a tablespoonful) on a tray lined with baking paper.  Allow 5cm each side for spreading.

Bake at 150 degrees for around 20 minutes, or until golden.  The cookies will firm up as they cool - let them sit on the tray for a few minutes, out of the oven, then cool them on a wire rack.

Remember - as with almost all cookies, if you find they are not cooked enough for your liking once they are cool, you can put them back in the oven for a few minutes.  This also works for cookies that go a little soft after a couple of days.

I took these to my Godfather's house, and a double batch was nearly polished off by eight of us.  They are certainly quite addictive.  I personally like eating the mixture before it's cooked - so buttery!  Tabitha tried a little mixture too, and grinned at me.

Baked Cheesecake

This is a simple cheesecake, no fancy flavourings or decorations, but it is excellent.  The texture is smooth and silky, like a baked custard or silken tofu.  There are several important factors in getting a lovely silken cheesecake:

• You must not overbeat the ingredients - if you whip in air, it will collapse as it cools.  Ideally, prepare the filling in a food processor with the double blade attachment, which does not whip up the mixture, as opposed to a traditional beater or standing mixer.

• Overbaking will cause the top to crack.  Be patient, don't have your heat too high, and once the top starts to brown, keep checking regularly.

• The best baked cheesecakes are cooked in a water bath, like a baked custard.  This ensures the cake is protected from strong heat, and can gently set through.

• A water bath also keeps the oven quite humid, which helps repair any small cracks in the top.

Here is my recipe, adapted from one given to me by my best friend Amy (which was originally cooked sans-water bath).

Crust:

1 cup of biscuit crumbs (Marie or similar)

1/4 cup of caster sugar

1/4 cup of melted butter

Combine the crust ingredients in a bowl, then press firmly (use the back of a glass) into the base of a round springform tin (24cm is the one I use).

Bake at 170 degrees for around ten minutes, or until lightly browned.

Filling:

750g cream cheese at room temperature (allow a couple of hours out of the fridge)

1 cup of light cream (this is pretty much the only time I will ever recommend using light anything.  Trust me.)

1.5 cups vanilla caster sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 tablespoons of self raising flour

2 large eggs

In a food processor, using the double blade attachment, beat the softened cream cheese with the sugar until completely smooth.

Add the light cream, vanilla, flour and eggs.  Blitz again until completely smooth. (Note - you can use a hand beater or standing mixer, but be careful not to overbeat, and once mixed, drop the bowl down, hard, a few times on the bench, to try and force out any large air bubbles).

Pour over the pre-baked base.

Wrap the tin in two layers of aluminium foil - you need to use extra-wide foil for this size springform.  It is vital that no water gets through the foil, as it will seep into the cake.  Sit the wrapped tin in a large baking tray, and pour in enough boiling water to come 2/3 up the side of the tin.  (See pictures below.  You can buy extra-wide foil at regular supermarkets).

Carefully transfer the tray to the oven, and bake at 180 degrees for 60 - 90 minutes.  This really depends on your oven - you are looking for the cake to be lightly set (that is, you can gently touch the middle and it is firm), and the top should be pale golden.

Once cooked, turn the oven off and open the door.  After ten minutes, remove the cake and sit it (in its tin) on a cooling rack.  Once cool, transfer it to a plate and store, covered, in the refrigerator.

Serve in slices with some fresh berries.

Easter and a Picnic

Tabitha is so small - of course she doesn't know what Easter is, nor does she eat chocolate yet (save the odd bite of chocolate cake once or twice).  For her, the best part of Easter is having a long weekend - more days to spend with mummy AND daddy!

I am not really a chocolate or lolly eater (I used to give my lolly bags from birthday parties to my mother when I came home), so we don't go in for the all-out chocolate festivities here.  When I was small, I used to receive one 'big' egg (in reality, only the size of my hand), and several small eggs, hidden around the house, which were to be shared with my parents and any guests.  I always felt that this was plenty - in fact, mum used to have to throw out most of the previous year's eggs each March, in preparation for the coming Easter!  Like I said, not a big chocolate or lolly eater.

Tabitha did receive a small chocolate bunny on a stick this morning - she can have a little go with that after dinner, and I'm sure The Daddy will happily finish off the rest.  The Daddy received a nice gold bunny and egg.  For me, three little caramel-filled bunnies.  In the past, The Daddy has bought me enormous bunnies from Koko Black - I love them, but I have never managed to eat more than the ears.

This morning, we all sat and had breakfast together - hot cross buns and some nice tea:

Last night (Easter Eve?), we went to dinner at our friends' house.  They have two gorgeous little twin girls - it was lovely watching Tabitha play with the 'big girls' (the twins and my sister).

Here are the Big Girls eating their dinner - did you ever see three cuter little bunnies?

Tabitha ate her dinner at the table with the grown ups - some delicious chicken and mushroom risotto, garlic bread, green salad and cheesecake.

Today, for lunch, I packed up a picnic (roast chicken rolls, cheesecake, Thai chicken balls and some potato croquettes - nothing fancy, as my dad says, 'let's not try to recreate a restaurant in a park') and we went into the Royal Botanical Gardens to have a picnic lunch with my parents, sister, Grandfather, aunt Annette and her boyfriend Jaicome.

It was the most glorious day for a picnic!  Bright blue skies, lots of sunshine, no wind - we chose a spot on a grassy bank, overlooking the sparkling lake and with a lovely view of Melbourne's city skyline.

My sister had these fabulous little bunny ears - they are on two hair clips, so cute:

It was nice to lay around in the sunshine, enjoy a glass of Champagne, and cuddle Tabitha in her funny little apricot velvet tracksuit - it makes her feel like a cuddly teddy bear.

This is how I like to make roast chicken rolls:  roast a free range chicken with some sage, onion, bacon and breadcrumb or rice stuffing.  Shred the meat, and shred pieces of the crispy skin.  Butter a large, soft roll, then spread generously one one side with green tomato pickles and seeded mustard, and on the other side with whole egg mayonnaise and mashed avocado.  Pile on chicken meat, some of the stuffing, some pieces of crispy, salty skin, and finish with a slice of cheese.

My sister is a fabulous babysitter / playmate for Tabitha - the two of them crawled and played all over the grass for hours.  Tabby managed to get quite the momentum, crawling down hill!

Tabitha really had a brilliant day - surrounded by family, free range on soft grass as far as her eyes could see, she was free to really roam around and play without fear of getting into danger.

We managed to pin my sister's bunny ear clips onto my grandfather.  He took it with good humor.

When we got home, Tabitha went down for her afternoon nap, and The Daddy, myself, and both cats, Pudding and Possum, all went to bed for a sleep too!

I hope that everyone had a nice relaxing Easter weekend.  Here in Australia, we are lucky to have a five day long weekend - Good Friday, Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday (which is also Anzac Day) and then the Anzac Day public holiday on Tuesday.

Tomorrow, I will post the recipe for my cheesecake.  It is a baked cheesecake, and is incredibly silky and smooth, as it is cooked for a long time, at moderate heat, in a waterbath.