Monster Cake - Hulk?

My now 7 year old's birthday :) First cake choice was a racing car, ideally Formula 1 which I was completely stumped - its complex and I am not a crafter. Fortunately he jumped at this version of the Incredible Hulk - I know it looks nothing like the Hulk but for my lovely 7 year old, calling it a Monster Cake was fine, the beauty of childhood.......where the number of presents and wrapping matter more than the inside. Never spent more than £10-£15 on a present for the children, the DS's and Wii games haven't happened in our house as birthday or Christmas presents, well.....yet.
Back to the Cake, would not recommend Dr Oetker gel food colouring at all. Used many of their products loads of times, this was supposed to be better than the liquid and available from Sainsbury's so decided to give it a go. The result is a bowl of pastel green icing which looks very pretty but wont do for a monster cake. Plus I've put the whole tube of icing in, more than recommended. Will have to stick to the specialist colouring pastes I think. This time its good old Renshaw's coloured icing for a £ odd. Over and done with in half an hour (the green bit).
This is a simple square cake with a loaf cut diagonally at the corners. One of the simpler cakes I've done.
Now to sort out the weekend party and his school friends party. Going horse riding, hope its fun for the children.

Comfort food - aloo parathas

Rainy day, after my last post about Indian news, my mum, who is here for a bit, made some aloo parathas - a staple growing up in North India. With pickle and dahi - even more staple North Indian accompaniments.
Love the parathas and love that all three of our children consider them one of their favourite foods!
Now need to get them to eat it authentically - ie breaking off pieces and scooping up some dahi, rather than waiting for me to do it all :)

The death sentences.....and then Narendra Modi

So they've been sentenced to death - no pleasure or happiness, just this sense of waste, of their lives and Jyoti's.
Headlines under this is the appointment of Narendra Modi as the BJP's PM candidate......how much worse can this get.
Best to stay out of politics I think.....have a lovely weekend to look forward to, my children, and some experimental cooking......easier than the Indian news.

The Nirbhaya / Jyoti / Delhi rape case sentencing

So the sentencing is finally tomorrow. I've had these feelings of extreme anger when I think of the 3 year sentence given to the youngest and worst of the *&^$££&* lot. Spoken/written to my friends in the Delhi media who of course, feel the same like all of the horrific enormity of the situation - where are the new laws to prevent this happening, etc etc. It all boils down to the same story of the corruption prevalent at all levels, increasing the higher up the political ladder.
Apparently, there are much more similar cases the media have no permission to breathe about.
Then the Mumbai journalist rape case....its never going to end. I stopped reading the Indian news for a while after that in frustration. Which doesn't help at all.
More important than sentencing them to death tomorrow is making the public aware of the enormity of doing something like this - I think of that poor girl and feel sick - how many times I've passed the same road at night returning from work or a night out etc, many years ago - the difference was I was in a car, not walking.
A couple of my friends, one at NDTV and one at the Indian Express have written fantastic in depth blogs on this, upsetting to read but both eye-openers.
Thoughts in a muddle as is visible from this writing, but, I've given up, India's attitude to women is not going to change.

Garden blackberry pickings ........Mousse and Squash

 The never ending horrid thorny blackberries seem to be proliferating in the back garden. Decided to make the most of it and pluck and freeze - its kept the children busy for brief intervals.
This is blackberry mousse, made for Sunday pudding - whipped cream, whipped egg white and then mixed with boiled blackberries and sugar. Pronounced lovely so will hopefully make again.

 This is the leftover boiled blackberries and sugar strained into a jug.

This is the blackberry squash or cordial, as the recipes call it, tasted great if not as sweet as our usual squashes. H very happy with it and gave up his Sunday margarita to drink this!