Food on paper

Ever wondered what all the food and drink you had consumed in the past week would look like drawn on paper?

Neither had I - until I saw a story in Frankie about an artist who has done just that. (Eight weeks worth, in fact.)

It looks like a lot of food in picture form. Even worse than if you have ever kept a food diary. There's was no point to me doing so, as I would forget to add snacks and deemed some things ''unworthy'' of inclusion. Like a handful of MMs. Surely that can't count?!

Anyway, check out what Dawn has done on her blog. It reminds me of that BBC reality TV show You Are What You Eat where nutritionist Gillian McKeith makes her subject keep a food diary then lays out everything they eat in the past week. Usually it's a table full of burgers and takeout - it always makes you feel sick.

www.hand-made-love.blogspot.com/2010/06/frankie-feature.html

A cake of EPIC proportions.

This year it wasn't just any old birthday for me - it was the horrifyingly significant 3-0. On the upside, the end of an era (in this case my 20s) meant the beginning of a new cakey love.

At my sister's suggestion I ordered a passionate brownie chocolate cake from Le Petite Gateau in Little Collins Street, Melbourne. There was some discussion over the phone as to whether I should order the 40cm x 40cm or the one smaller. As I didn't want a single person to miss out on cake - what a terrible fate - I erred on the safe and more expensive side of the larger cake.

When I suggested picking it up and taking it to the birthday party venue on a train and tram Simon from Le Petite laughed. Oh, how he laughed. ''It's too big'', he explained. ''We don't even have a cake box big enough - we are giving you a crate.''

So I arranged a car, but the closest park I could get was two blocks away. Someone from the shop had to help me carry it - we got a few looks. This is what it looked like (minus the crate):

Now while looks are well and good, everybody knows in the end it's only taste that matters. Boy did this cake taste good. On the bottom was a brownie layer that was full of little crunchie bits which reminded me of rice bubbles. Then there was a thin layer of zesty passionfruit jelly, a thick layer of creamy choc mousse and, finally, a chocolate ganache. Mmmmm. Amazing really - and if you are wondering: Yes, I did eat this entire piece. Even though I was wearing a tight dress.

So the 30-year-old did live happily ever after.

The End.