Baby Showers and Cocktails

Saturday was an event-filled day.

Husband and I began with a quick breakfast and grocery shopping at the markets.

I then trundled over to Aunt J's house to help prepare food for the baby shower she was hosting for her daughter in law and niece that afternoon.

Can I just say, I am so totally chef-a-licious. I helped prepare platters of delightful desserts, such as canoli (I totally whipped the custard stuff), caramel tarts (I totally put the caramelised condensed milk in the little baked butternut snaps), mini-cornucopias (I totally whipped the cream - me and electric mixers go way back), filled profiteroles (again, the cream was all my doing), and just generally faffed about in the kitchen making platters look yummy and trying not to lick my fingers.

Was a fun morning, and I couldn't wait to get back that afternoon to try everything we'd prepared.

Thanks to my excellent whipping skills, oh and I suppose effort on everyone else's behalf as well (but mostly my whipping skills) the afternoon went off really well. The food was eaten and relished, fingers were licked and tummy's were full (mostly of food, but also babies).

There was more estrogen in the house that afternoon than there has ever been (being a family of mostly boys) and you could almost hear the house sigh in relief! heh heh.

Everyone was asked to share a piece of advice for the two mums-to-be (mine had no empirical evidence to support it, having an un-used uterus) which was a really nice idea, and one I think I'll pinch for Fitzy's baby shower in October.

What I love most of all about any "secret women's business" event (such as bridal showers, kitchen teas, and now baby showers) is that really it is just an excuse for groups of women to start drinking champers before 5pm. I Love It. But this event wasn't just serving ordinary champers. This was champers mixed with vodka and lemon sorbet.... It was deliciously potent, and altogether too easy to drink. By far the yummiest champagne cocktail I've had since discovering the Hippo Smash (champers, peach schnapps, vodka and a sugar cube).

Following the baby shower husband and I prepped our house to entertain people I am not related to. Yes, we had a date with people we didn't know before moving here! Ordinarily preparing the house for guests would probably be a bit of a stressful event (as I take after my mother), but we were able to get the house and nibbles ready without a hitch.

Now, I can either attribute this to my new found Domestic Goddess skills (I'm trying not to laugh disbelievingly at myself as I right this), or to the fact that I was floating around in a champagne cocktail haze...

Our 'date' went fabulously, the people were really nice and friendly, and I got to drink more champagne. Now, I can either attribute the success of the evening to my new found Domestic Goddess skills, or...