A Mothers Day off and a yoghurt cake

Master J insits that EVERY day is Mothers Day! "Mums are SOOOO lucky!" he says "They can do whatever they want, whenever they want and they NEVER have any rules!!!!!"

Wouldn't it just be AWESOME if that was true??  What would you do if you could do Whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted??

Photo designed by Miss H xx

I really had the loveliest day on Sunday.  Mr D and the kids gave me the BEST present a mum could want........ A DAY OFF!!!  As much as I love my three little munchkins (to the moon and back), a day of blissful silence can never be underestimated.

It all started with a lie in.  I have NO idea how Mr D managed to keep the kids from waking me up, but I didn't hear anything until war broke out between Master J and Miss H about who had got dressed the quickest, and when I looked at the time it was 8:37!!!!!  A few years ago that would still have seemed  like the middle of the night not a Sunday morning, but these day anything later than 6:30 is heaven.

I came downstairs and Miss threw her arms around me and shouted "Happy Mothers Day Mummy! but don't forget you already had your presents!!!!!"  They had both been too excited coming home from Kindy and school on Thursday with all their beautiful home made gifts that I had no choice but to open them there and then!!!  "I know sweetie" I told her, "I haven't forgotten and I still l LOVE them"  She responded with a big beaming smile, so she was happy!  "You haven't got your present from Daddy yet" she told me....."He's got you a REAL coffee.  One from the shop and not from the kitchen!

Mr D had actually organised with another dad friend of his to take ALL six kids between them out for the day so that us mums could REALLY do whatever we wanted.

Once they had left I didn't quite know what to do with myself!  Where to start.......should I go for a walk, read my book, write a blog, go to the mall, go to the gym?????????  I actually found it really hard not to do all the boring household stuff, but I make a conscious effort not too and it was amazing how great it felt to just relax and not feel guilty about it.

I did however do some baking, which I find kind of therapeutic, so it fitted perfectly into my Day off activities.  I found the recipe for this raspberry yoghurt cake on the internet somewhere (a while ago now) and I copied into 'Word' so that I wouldn't loose it, and I foolishly didn't take note of the source.  So if you're reading this and it's your recipe - THANK YOU it was delicious!! xx

Orange, Raspberry and Yoghurt Cake

Ingredients

400g plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
250g unsalted butter (room temperature)
300g raw sugar
juice of 1/2 orange
1 tsp almond extract
Peel from half and orange
3 eggs
240g greek yoghurt
250g fresh or frozen rasberries

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a 10 inch cake tin or large loaf tin with baking paper.

• Place the orange peel into the thermomix and whizz on speed 9 for 30 seconds.  Scrape down the sides and whizz for a further 10 seconds on speed 9.  Set aside in a separate bowl.
• Add the butter and sugar to the thermomix bowl and mix for 40 seconds on speed 7.  Scrape down the sides.
• Add the peel, almond extract and the orange juice and beat for 20 seconds on speed 7.  (Tip: squeeze the orange onto the thermomix lid with the MC in place.  That way any pips or pulp will not fall into the mixture).

• Add the eggs one at a time.  Beat each one in for 10 seconds on speed 7 before adding the next one.
• Add the yoghurt and mix into for 5 seconds on speed 3-4.

• Add the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder and salt) and mix in on speed 5-6 for 1 minute or until well combined.  Scrape down the sides.
• Add the raspberries and mix in on reverse speed plus 3 for 20 seconds or until well combined.

• Pour into your lined tin and bake for around an hour.  Check with a knife or a skewer and if it comes out clean, then it's ready.
• Dust with some icing sugar and serve with fresh cream (or ice cream).

ENJOY!!!

I hope you all had a wonderful Mothers Day too and I'm just going to take this opportunity (because I can) to tell the world that my family rocks!!