Sue Fley reads Desperate Housewife in Holland blog

Imaginary friend Sue Fley read Desperate Housewife in Holland's blog and found out DHinHolland is obssessed with baking with flowers lately. 

Chocolate cake

I baked myself a chocolate cake to celebrate my own birthday.

I baked some cupcakes for the kids. But of course they still want to taste the chocolate cake.

This is a Cosmos Atrosanguineus or commonly knowned as the Chocamocha cosmos. It has a light vanillin scent like chocolate. But I don't think it is edible.

Good Living is an act of intelligence,

by which we choose things

which have an agreeable taste

rather than those which do not.

Brillat-Savarin

A chocolate in the mouth is worth two on the plate.

strawberry mousse

Lucinda (DH France ) is almost a horticulturalist growing vegetables and fruits organically in her homestead in France. She says in the summer she harvested 5 kilos of strawberries every few days. Today she posted how she enjoys her strawberry harvest.

• They had spent some time wandering desultorily thus, Tess eating in a half-pleased, half-reluctant state whatever d'Uberville offered her. When she could consume no more of the strawberries, he filled her little basket with them; and then the two passed round to the rose-trees, whence he gathered blossoms and gave her to put in her bosom. 
  She obeyed like one in a dream, and when she could affix no more, he himself tucked a bud or two into her hat and heaped her basket with others in prodigality of his bounty.
  
  
  
  
• Tess of the D'Urbervilles - 1891 Thomas Hardy
  
  
  
  
  
  

Recipe and photos courtesy of Lucinda (DH France)

Dahlias

Anis (DH Almere Buiten) asked me if I could bake some cupcakes for her daughter's birthday. The theme is up to me. So I chose Dahlias as I am waiting for my dahlias to grow. 

I planted some orange dahlias and yellow ones last year. I hope they grow this summer again.

I have to say thank you to Anis for asking me to bake these. At least she dares to buy this from me. I have to say thank you to Aranka (DH next door/ my neighbour) who dropped by and helped me.

While waiting  for Dahlias to grow in the garden, I was busy planting some Dahlias on cupcakes.

Post Mother's Day

Sometimes my kids make me laugh (other times they make me jump up the roof). We went to Eiffel Tower in Paris recently.

It was forever a long queue going up to the top of the tower. We waited more than 2 hours to get up there.

While waiting I asked my kids if they would come up with a tower, what kind of tower would it be?

My daughter wants a tower which is kids friendly with swings or playground and of course some seats up there.

My son wouldn't want to have any queues no more, just shoot everyone up the tower! Of course, there is a cafe to chill out. To get down? Easy just get down with a parachute!

On Mother's Day I get to enjoy breakfast in bed prepared by my kids despite all the commotion I heard  downstair in the kitchen. They know how excited I was when I found the first ever four leaves clover early April. They decided to get me a clover seeds to plant with a nice four leaf clover pot, some chili peppers seeds ( mum loves spicy food ), a homemade purse, a candle and some nice drawings. And of course they can't wait to plant it too.

With this plant the Oxalis Deppei, my kids think I am going to be so lucky. I feel so lucky to have my thoughtful kids!

Mint for Mel G

Mel G told me she bought some bought a mint plant recently and asked if she could grow them outside and whether it could withstand cold climate.

According to Wikipedia,  Mint(Mentha) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae.

Mint is aromatic. Mint prefer and thrive in cool moist spots in partial shades. Mine in the full sun! They are fast growing and multiply each year spreading through its runners. They are perennials meaning they do come back.

Instead of buying, you could actually pluck one out of your friends' or family's or even your neighbours' garden. All you need to do is, just pop them in the water. I did mine in little bottles like these. Of course the water colouring is optional. I just want to brighten up my colourless bottles.

Just after a few days, look at how fast the roots grow. It is that simple and free.