THE UNINVITED GUEST - by Julia Schafer

It was wedding season at the Lodge, the staff all looked their best.

The Head Waiter is in a tie, his staff in neat black vest.

The room was strewn with flower wreaths, adorned with festive lights,

and as we watched the bride approach, she was a gorgeous sight,

But little did she know what had happened over night…

The day before a wedding is frantic to behold.

The staff run round like headless chooks and do just as they're told.

Chef is in the kitchen, chopping, poaching chicken breast.

To make the couple’s marriage feast better than his best.

In hopes that the important guests will all be most impressed.

The Lodge is decorated, the drinks on ice are cold,

And here arrives the wedding cake, a wonder to behold.

A triple layered fruit cake, iced in frosty white

To be adorned with fresh blooms in tomorrows morning light

So leave it on the bench top, it will be fine over night.

The morning of the wedding, I check details in the room

I walk around the table inspecting knife and fork and spoon

I go to move the wedding cake to a table for the cutting

A glance, a groan, a cry escapes, a piece of cake is missing!

And don't tell me that’s a bottom print where a possum has been sitting! 

Calls are made the staff are rallied, how can we fix the cake?

There is no time to start again, to mix and chop and bake

The wedding will be on soon, in just a few small hours

The bride’s mother soon to bring the big bouquet of flowers

She wont be happy about this mess, as the fault at best is ours.

A call to a cake decorator, she says she’ll have a go

Bring it forthwith and she will do her best to save the show

She cuts out the chewed portion and fills it with some icing

She smooths out the big “bum” print and then repairs the piping

I gingerly transport it back with slow and steady driving.

The wedding goes without a hitch, a romantic celebration.

And after vows and rings are swapped, a feast and a libation.

We toast the gorgeous bride, and her very handsome male.

I need to make confession to the woman in the veil.

I steal myself, approach the group and tell them all the tale.

They roar with laughter, toast us all and tell us not to worry.

They wont be rushing off to tell Sixty Minutes in a hurry.

Such a memorable wedding, and a wonderful country stay

The birds, the bush, the possums in the rafters all at play 

and what a tale that they will tell their future kids one day!

o o o

(The other moral of this story goes on for quite a bit

When eating dinner in the Lodge be careful where you sit

When possums play above your head and you have had a tipple

When you’ve ordered minestrone, with an olive oil drizzle

Diners please beware, don't ever drink the soup with ripples!)

KIDS, EAT YOUR VEGGIES!

Do you, like so many Mums have trouble getting your kiddie winks to eat their veggies?  I know, I know, it’s tough isn't it?  I remember when our son was little we would go out to a restaurant, trap him in his high chair and order him a side of steamed vegetables that he would seriously hoe into.  Then something happened, out of the blue, he developed his own little mind and all of a sudden started to order his dinner based on price in order of the most expensive dish if you please! Atlantic Salmon, Fillet Mignon, Barramundi etc, etc and we would shrug our shoulders and pay the bill, secretly happy that he was developing a sophisticated palate.  But when he started leaving his veggies on the plate that was the end of it.  “If you are going to order an adult meal then you must eat it, vegetables and all.” we would say.

Nowadays we don't have that sort of trouble, not since we discovered how yummy green smoothies can be and how easily we can incorporate at least two vege and two fruit into a drink we have at afternoon tea time.  

Also we have discovered the very best chocolate cake in the world which is loaded with beautiful beetroot puree.  I have made this cake for an adult friends birthday dinner and served it up to my husband’s Board of Directors.  The children across the street are putting in requests for me to make it again on the weekends, and our son has it in his lunchbox most days.  I recognise that it is just a chocolate cake after all, filled with butter and sugar and all sorts of other not so healthy ingredients (if not taken in moderation), but this is a seriously deliciously addictive cake with the benefit of containing vegetables!  

CHOCOLATE BEETROOT CAKE  from current issue of Earth Garden Magazine

Ingredients:

100gm dark chocolate

3 medium free range eggs

300gm brown sugar

180 gm butter

300gm cooked beetroot

1 tsp vanilla extract

30 gm cocoa powder

100 gm almond meal

100gm plain flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. To cook the beetroots wash thoroughly and place in a pot full of cold water.  Bring to the boil and cook until soft when poked with a knife. Cool, rub off skins, and then blend to make a puree.

2. Preheat oven to 180 C.  Grease and line your cake tin, either one square 20 x 20cm or 2 x 22cm tins.

3. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler and leave to cool to room temperature.  I use the microwave and heat for thirty seconds, give it a stir and another fifteen seconds and stir again.

4. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk together the eggs and sugar.

5. Slowly add the cooked beet puree, the melted chocolate and vanilla into the egg mixture.  Beat until just combined.

6. Sift the cocoa, flour, baking powder.  Add this the almond meal and salt to the beet batter.  Fold until just combined, do not over mix.  

7. Pour into the cake tins and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the cake just springs back if you touch it.  Leave to cool then ice if desired.  We just dust with icing sugar and serve like a brownie, with a dollop of double cream!  YUMMMMMM!

No trouble getting kids to eat this one.  Give it a try and let us know what you think.