Making a running shoe cake!

Yes while in NZ we had the first of the 40ths for this year. A great party was put on at Shakespeare Park in Whangaparoa with lovely food and many friends and family attending. Thanks to everyone who made it such a great day.

It took a whole day but the following Birthday cake was finally produced. Inspired by pictures of what others had done on th internet the cake became 3D rather thn 2D!


Step 1 - Cakes
Bake several chocolate mud cakes. We used 2 large baking dishes to give us enough. Annabel Langbein's chocolate mud cake recipe with coffee in it works well.

Step 2 - Making the pattern
Take one clean and new running shoe and using tin foil and baking paper draw around it and press the design into the foil to make a pattern. Cut these out.

Step 3 - Building the cake
Layer the cakes on top of each other to give enough height. Stick each layer together with icing.

Step 4 - Cutting the shape
Using the cut out templates carve the shape of the shoe into the cake.

Step 5 - Putting on the first layer of icing
Roll white icing large enough to cover the whole cake. Use plenty of icing sugar on your rolling surface to stop it sticking. Soften a little raspberry or apricot jam in the microwave and using a pastry brush brush a thin layer all over the cake to help the icing stick. Pick up the icing by rolling it over the rolling pin and in a swift motion, with your tongue held right, put the icing onto the cake. This is the most nerve wracking bit! Try and get the icing in place first go as repositioning is near impossible especially once you have sticky jam on the back! Use your hands to gently mould the icing into shape. It will blend and stretch a little bit to help you. Trim excess icing off around the base with a sharp knife.

Step 6 - Decorating
If you want the shoe to have a mesh canvas design then use something like florists netting or normal net to press the design into the first layer of icing. After this use your patterns to cut out the other shoe decorations from rolled coloured icing. Use egg white to stick these patterns onto the cake. Roll a long piece of icing thinly to make a shoe lace.

Step 7- Unveil your creation and enjoy the look on peoples faces!

Christmas 2010

6 months have gone by for this year already and its not for want of something to say its that we have too much! Sorry for the silence. Will update you now on the last little while.

So back to Christmas. A while ago but still great memories of family and friends during our time home in NZ. Had a lovely time down Wellington way and this year even managed a few days staying at our beach house at Waitarere. Enjoyed fish and chips on the beach at Paraparaumu with Mum and Dad from Dads favourite place "Fed Up"!

Also spent some great days up north with fantastic NZ weather and plenty of delicious food and drink. Tried a new cocktail made with iced tea, Jack Daniels, Cointreau and mint leaves. Very lovely. Also went to Kawau Island for the day and I won the competition for the most photos taken of the copper mine from all angles around the.island. Are you surprised?! We also visited the sculptures at Brick bay which were interesting indeed.

One of my Christmas presents this year, following on from my taster on a jet ski in Samoa, was a 30 minute jet ski ride at Whangaparaoa. Adam dared to ride on the back and even though I tried a couple of times to loose him, he was still there clinging on for grim death at the end! Eat our spray man we zoomed and it was such an adrenaline ride. Spray in our faces the works. Still need to perfect the turn, as didnt quite believe what I was being told about the jet ski being impossible to tip over and that it would always pop back upright like a Weeble that wobbles but wont fall down!

Check our Flickr for the photos.

Referencing technique

Check out the referencing on this photo that appeared in the Samoa Observer on Wednesday 16th February 2011 on page 7!! You are currently reading the aforementioned now famous in Samoa - blog!!

A Graduation Gift

A little something for Elenoa from NZ and Samoa...

Che Hoo Jet Ski!!

Tafatafa beach zooming up and down - SANTA I WANT ONE OF THESE!!!!

2010 Draws to a Close...

...But it's not over and out just yet! No sireeeee. Infact it's still very much hanging in there. Although there are now hardly any students on USP Campus the end of year maddness persists as we prepare for Graduation which is this coming Friday. It is going to be a happy and sad time this year. Very happy for all those students who have come to the end of their studies and achieved great things, this includes my Library Assistant Betty and many Agricultural students including Elenoa. A little sad to see so many head back home to their islands in the pacific after spending hours together here at Alafua. This is just the beginning though and not the end!!

So having returned from NZ and the Koha conference back in November, a week later than planned having got very sick in NZ due to the FREEZING cold weather!!!!! It was not long before I was back on the plane heading to a USP Library Retreat in Fiji. A couple more over night flights and many hours driving either in a beat up bumpy old taxi or an even more beat up, shakey, rattly and draughty school bus I got to the Laucala Library and then round to the Intercontinental Resort on the Coral Coast where the retreat was being held. Wow what a resort!! I was awestruck. Massive is the only word for it. Never seen anything like it before. Huge 2 story apartments, golf course, amazing food, pacific service (hmmmm nough said) and a little bit of work and brainstorming was done around taking photos of the resort!!!!! Even think I might have to take Adam back there some time. The weather was rubbish so unfortunately I didn't don the bikini and go for a swim.

The moment I arrived back in Samoa I got 4 hours sleep before heading to Tafatafa beach to join the Hyundai Netball Club Christmas party. Great time was being had by all. I turned up just in time for a swim in the rain, BBQ lunch which everyone else had prepared for me (I did butter some bread!) a game of Survivor, a game of Touch Rugby and then the prize giving. Won a set of rabbits ears to help me "hear" when I'm umpiring and a trophy for Defence!!! Adam also scooped a prize for his contribution to manning the sausage sizzle this season. It was a fun time and a beautiful beach to be at.

This weekend we hosted Elenoa's Mum and Sister from Fiji who have come over for her graduation this week. They are staying in the other house on our property. Adam prepared lovely food for a BBQ dinner and I made a Pavalova so we introduced them to a bit of Kiwi! We had to battle a split pipe leaking water in their house but in true pacific style everyone took it well in their stride. Had a couple of extra "campers" stay in our spare room but that's what it's all about.

Around all of this there also seem to have been a few nights out at the local night spots lately. Many things to celebrate especially as there are many people passing exams and graduating at the moment.

We are also tackling our project for this "quiet" period in the library and are doing some major renovations which Adam drew up and made the plans for. Adam the demolition man has managed to pull down one internal wall in the library which has opened up a lot more space (he couldn't wait to get that crow bar out!!). The shelves have all been moved and the books arranged in a different layout. We are preparing for a bit of money coming our way when we will install bay end panels to our shelving to allow us to display materials and to brighten the place up. We are also alterating our study carrels to turn some of them into smaller study desks that the students can work around. This is the beginning of us trying to provide a more "learning commons" environment however we have a wee way to go before we fully achieve this. Not enough funding this time round to move the counter and build a new computer desk to house more PCs. Maybe in 2011.......

So there are many photos of all this going up on our Flickr site. Check them out. There are also a few of Sei Pua Day which is the Samoan Daffodil Day raising money for the Cancer Society. Of course here it's all about Frangipanis!!

Maybe see you in NZ over Christmas and for someone's Birthday party ............

USP Girls Netball Trophy

Talofa Everyone

An article about the Alafua USP Girls netball team is currently on the USP website with a photo of the trophy. Check it out here http://www.usp.ac.fj/news/story.php?id=681. We recently had an end of season netball party. Had to cancel the trip to the beach as it has been raining and raining here lately so we went to our Multipurpose centre on campus, played pool and table tennis and enjoyed some cake and icecream. Certificates were presented to members of the team for best and most improved players etc.