more aussie than an outdated stereotype

I wish I'd known about this book on Australia Day! (And all those countless other days!) All that time I was sitting around thinking: "I wanna make a cake... I want it to be patriotic, but not obvious. I want it to say "Australia", but not in a modern, artistic, or indeed even obviously edible way...?" 

Behold!

Because I know y'all have always wanted to make an edible

...VICTA mower...

...Tuckerbox (Of course u cant eat the dog! Because that'd be weird.)...

...Akubra...

...Caravan! (I dont know how many times I've wanted to make a caravan cake...)...

...Meat pie with patriotic sauce! (Imagine! An edible meat pie!)...

...Billy (complete with gumleaf and soggy tea bag accessories)...

...Hills Hoist! (What? You can only eat the patch of lawn?! Disappointing!)...

...Weber-Que! (You call those sausages 'done'? That's not nearly enough charcoal for a true Aussie barbie! And where's the proverbial 'shrimp'?)...

But seriously, all joking aside, there are some cute Aussie animal cakes in this book - just look at this sweet little spearmint-leaf salt water croc!!! OMG he's ADORABLE!!! 

"C'mere! C'mere, you cute little...naaaw look at that: he's gnawing my leg off! Aww! Look he's doing a cheeky little death-roll and dragging me under the surface! Squee! Someone get the camera!!!"

wild and wilder

I've posted on the art of "Teapot Adornment" before, but this book brings it to a whole new level!

I mean, some of these are no longer recognisable as teapots!

However: As "Teapot camoflage" I reckon they'd be great! You could hide your teapot in:

A rockpool!

A bowl of coloured popcorn!

A medieval reenactment of a royal court!

But just incase those designs aren't wild enough for ya, there's always:

where do you read?

No house should be without a few really good places to read. Here are a few spots at my house.

Where's your favourite reading spot?

cosy incognito

Looks innocent, right? I mean, knitted tea cosies: Nothing new or shocking there.

However.

Just LOOK at these.

LOOK!

LOOOOK AAAT THEEEEMMM.

I think an alternative title to this book should be "How to make your teapot COMPLETELY UNRECOGNISABLE as a usable kitchen item".

 In fact, if your teapot is a fugutive, if like, it's spent 7 years tunnelling through a concrete cell with a plastic spork, pole-vaulted over the razor wire, dodged the spotlights, and is 'on the run from the fuzz, yo': Get this book.

preferred reading beverages

For me there's nothing that goes better with a good book than a cup of tea. But my choice of beverage does depend alot on the type of book I'm reading. For example:

- a glass of red wine with Chick lit
- sencha while reading Amy Tan or Banana Yoshimoto
- hot chocolate while reading in bed
- white wine while reading in the bath
- coffee while reading in a cafe
- Pimms while reading Jilly Cooper
- cola while reading in a park
- a pot of green tea while reading in our garden
- milk and bikkies while reading with my daughter

Do you change your refreshment depending on the book/situation?

confession

I have a thing for retro fire king luster ware. Specifically these cups. I only own 1, but I'm always looking for them in people's houses and second hand stores. My nan had a set of these. And I remember nan would make me a cup of weak tea in one with the saucers and the milk jug and we would sit down like ladies having tea. They always made me feel so grown up and elegant. I think I was 7.