Q: Are store bought cakes really, truly tastier than homemade?
A: Well dear, that REALLY depends on your recipe and your ability! If you want to impress with an ultra high cream and jam sponge, try this one from my old friend, Betty or Ida’s tangy Lemon Loaf:

Bettys' Sponge 3 large or 4 small eggs, separated ¾ cup sugar ¾ cup corn flour 1 Tablespoon custard powder 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar ½ teaspoon soda Whipped cream Jam Icing sugar/ Magic sprinkles for dusting In a mixing bowl beat the egg whites until they reach the soft peak stage. In another bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar, and beat well. Combine all the dry ingredients, and slowly sift into the egg and sugar mixture. Lastly fold in the beaten egg whites, and pour into two 20cm well greased cake tins, and bake at 190C for 20 minutes or until cakes spring bake when lightly touched. Leave in the tins for 5 minutes before turning out on a wire rack. Sandwich together with jam and cream, and dust with icing sugar and a few magic sprinkles.

Ida always manages to impress with her ideas to use up the lemons.

Idas’ Lemon Loaf 125g butter ¾ cup sugar 2 cups self raising flour ¼ teaspoon salt ½ cup milk ¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional) Glaze: 1/3 cup lemon juice ¼ cup sugar Cream butter, sugar and lemon rind in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and beat well .Sift flour and salt and add in alternately with milk .Mix in walnuts, and then pour into a greased 22cm loaf tin. Bake at 180 c for 45- 50 minutes or until the cake springs bake when lightly touched. Make the glaze by mixing together the sugar and lemon juice, and bring to the boil. Pour it over the cake, give it a good drink, then leave in the tin until cold.

Q: My kids are really fussy eaters, but I’d still like them to do some cooking. What can I do?
A: Satisfying a fussy eater is hard going. Speaking from experience, most people will eventually eat broccoli after the age of 18, so stress less. In the meantime get the kids stuck into making something they wouldn’t want to eat but really great to stick your hands into, some of my cousin Mary- Louise’s’ Gloop.

Mary-Louises’ Gloop Lux Flakes Boiling water In a basin add boiling water to ½ packet of lux flakes. Beat with electric beater until lux flakes have dissolved. Leave to set overnight. This is great fun to use outside with spoons and containers and maybe some extra cold water.

Q: I am having a lot of trouble getting my lolly pop tree to flower. Is this due to climate change, and can I do something more to encourage this?
A: Well darling, the days of freely flowering Lolly Pop trees are well and truly over. Droughts and genetic engineering have breed out these pretty, but teeth rotting flowers. Fortunately, shop bought lolly pops are readily available, and even the sharpest of 4 year olds would not be able to distinguish from the real thing. Try this trick from my cousin Maureen:

Maureens’ Lolly Pop Tree Trick A shrub or tree in your garden or pot A bag of lolly pops String Tie some lolly pops with string to the branches of the tree or shrub, and then tell the kids the lolly pop tree has flowered! They will be amused and amazed.

Q:I was in New Zealand recently for a holiday, and heard a lot of people banging on about the Kumara.What is, where can I get some, and what can I do with it?
A: You poor thing!You would be VERY confused.A kumara is what Australians call sweet potato , sold in all fruit and vegetable shops.Bev has a good recipe for a Kumara Bake - perfect for this time of year, and also keeps the dinner party guests guessing just what they are eating.......

Bev's Kill the Kumara Peel 1kg Kumara, boil in salted water until cooked then mash.Add 2 beaten eggs, and 1 cup crushed pineapple (drained).Place this in a casserole dish.In a pot melt 50 grams butter, and pour this over 1 cup crushed Weet-Bix or Corn Flakes.Add a cup of grated cheese, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and a pinch of nutmeg. Place on top of the Kumara, and bake 30 minutes in a 160 c oven. While scratching in Bev's recipe book, I came upon this yumming warm salad with kumara and bacon...... Orange Kumara Salad Peel 1 kg kumara, and boil in salted water until tender.Drain, cool slightly and cut into cubes.Fry 3 rashers bacon roughly chopped until very crisp with one finely chopped onion. Turn off the heat, and add fresh orange juice from 2 oranges to deglaze the pan.pour over the kumara, add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Toss through chopped parsley and chives and serve.

Q: Why do I always have one black sock left when I’ve sorted the washing?
A: I am sorry to say this is an age old problem. Experiments have been conducted by which 2 only socks have been washed in the machine, and only one sock comes out! It’s a mystery. I do know that it helps if you wash a full load of laundry (and it is better for the environment anyway) that way if there is a whole lot of stuff in the machine, they have less chance to escape.
Good luck.

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