Rhema. The revelation word. A-ha moments – they happen every day. Simple statements filled with deep insights which cause one to take pause and reflect.
So it was that a colleague and I were chatting, at the coffee machine. Discussing the vagaries of life and its imminent changes. I said to him, something about ‘ hoping for the best but planning for the worst case’, to which he responded ‘ Truth is, it’s not the worst case scenario that’s the problem, it’s the unexpected.’ The one event you didn’t, couldn’t plan for….that’s the issue.
And it’s true.
I mean take thick mist on a bright Spring morning – how unexpected is that? Beautiful but in my tropical mind…unexpected.
I have had my recent share of those – some captured in this post and others….will reveal themselves in the future.
However, when I first saw Penny of Jeroxie’s IIP cake pops party, I signed up immediately. I knew exactly what I was going to make…..a sneaky chocolately cake pop, riding on the coat tails of Easter eggs, lamingtons and ‘chocolate’ scotch eggs. I worked myself into a frenzy that I forgot the essentials like – lollipop sticks, frosting for the cake, and other ‘long-lead’ items which I could have thought of much sooner.
Unexpected tale #1- No Lollipop Sticks
But a tale with a happy ending, as I had no hope in finding lollipop sticks on a Sunday in the Netherlands. A rummage in my kitchen cupboards revealed lollies. Pretty lollies which were promptly separated from their carriers. Apparently problem solved.
Unexpected tale #2- Gigantic cake pops…..are too heavy, for afore-mentioned sticks!
My assembly of the cake pops was easy. Centres of Cadbury’s chocolate crème eggs, perfect for Easter formed the core. A cushion of cake crumbs and marshmallow fluff surrounded it and the finish was chocolate glaze and a crust of desiccated coconut.
Would you believe that the sticks could not, would not find a place to stick and stay. All attempts to set them daintily and name them lollies, failed….miserably. Need I say that the sticks have been set aside for another day.
Unexpected tale #3- Sugar overdose
Have you ever tried marshmallow fluff? It is spreadable marshmallows….with a thick, shiny consistency that resembles whipped eggs whites, and a texture that makes it the perfect glue. However my cake was sweet. As was the lamington glaze. And the sweetened desiccated coconut.
The multiplier effect was very noticeable in the finished product – even a plain, strong black coffee would have had a tough time. A great concept though but one which has gone back to the design board. Next time, I’ll use a different sort of chocolate centre, use proper frosting and make the chocolate coating out of melted chocolate and not a mixture of icing sugar and cocoa.
Unexpected tale #4- Deleted cake pop photos
But of all these, it was the final unexpected tale that has me wondering. Because in a fit or orderliness while transferring my photos from my SD card to Flickr ahead of a weekend in Paris that resulted in me selecting the photos of the cake pops….and then hitting delete before I could say ‘A’.
If I didn’t know about the downsides of multi-tasking already, I’d have learned the lesson again…. I panicked, ran straight to Google and downloaded ‘free’ photo recovery software. Except when it was time to recover the photos which I could see….it brought up a bill of under $40. At which point I paused and went to bed.
Because that would be a waste of money. What if I thought those were some of the best photos I’ve taken. Does that justify spending that amount…..just to show the world again ‘ some nice food photos’.
In the end, I didn’t use the software, struggled to take some decent photos before nightfall on Thursday night and then got on a plane Friday morning. Have you ever wiped out photos for a post?
Bringing me to my last and final unexpected tale .
Unexpected tale #5 – My camera is finally dead
Just leaving the Trocadero, and feeling sated from a lovely lunch of goats cheese on a potato cake, my camera took its last gasps….and died. I’ll be honest, I have no idea what I’m going to do!!!!!!!!!
To tell the truth, this wasn’t totally unexpected as my camera has been giving me signs for the last few months. It is times like this I am thankful for the hundreds of photos in my archives….yet unposted!
How pleasant the unexpected can be though………………namely, green clouds…when playing with colour swaps and accents on my camera. Doesn’t it look as though the lady on the horse is riding to the Eiffel tower?
See other delightful egg/lamington themed posts
If you’d like to make your own Cadbury chocolate eggs, see Not Without Salt’s delightful post and tutorial on the very subject
Celia of Fig Jam and Lime Cordial, a chocolatier extraordinaire shows you how to make your own easter egg shells
If you’d like to know more about Chocolate Scotch eggs, look no further
Haalo of Cook Almost Anything is into shaped lamingtons….see her ‘Egyptian-style’ pyramid lamingtons
Thank you Penny for being a great hostess. Please see what other popsters brought to the party…..
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Oh dear, RIP camera! But that does mean a new camera on the horizon, yes?
I also love (biasedly, of course) that although halfway around the world, there always seems to be little elements of Australian-ness in your cooking – be it recipes from Masterchef Australia or cake-pops based around lamingtons!
And, as life goes, we can only ever hope for the best despite our clumsy, human, fallible planning =)
Mademoiselle D, this means a new camera….but……..a lot of hard thinking needs to be done still! And I love Australia – I’ll have to declare my intentions soon!
Oh no!! I am so sorry to hear about your dead camera. It’s twin will be sad to hear the news. You are such a persistent lady, your cake pop story had me in suspense the whole way. I’ve only made cake pops a couple of times, but only ever the very simple basic, plain cake ones. Can’t wait to see your next take on the cake pops, I’m sure they’ll be incredible imaginative as these were.
Thanks Shaz, I did think of you and your camera…..
I am mourning the passing of your camera, but thoroughly enjoyed the last photos it helped you capture….and how sad about your egg cakes. Bet the kids loved the sweet little sugar bombs. – S
Steve, the kids declined anything but the tiniest bites…..sometimes I’m perplexed at how they make their food choices!
Looks like you have taken a journey with some twists and turns. I have almost deleted photos. I worry often that my camera will die. and have taken many cooking paths where I discover that I have missing ingredients. It’s all life, and it happens.
Velva
P.S. At least you place your photos on Flicker…me? I am still storing them on my computer, another anxiety. 🙂
Perfectly said Velva – C’est la vie!
Oh dear, now that’s a scary thought having photos lost & cameras die. But on the other hand Lamington pops sound wonderful Oz. I’ve never played around & made pops before either, inspiring stuff 🙂
I love the idea of cake pops for Easter! This is one I am definitely going to try.
And you MUST get a new camera! It wouldn’t be the same without your wonderful pictures!
Thanks Anna – cameras just get up and die…..I’m believing for a miracle!
Jenny, appreciate it. I can’t do without photography so a camera’s definitely in the offing!
So sorry about your camera…I am sure that these pops were delicious…
Well, dear Oz, even if they didn’t turn out quite right, I can imagine all the leftover bits were marvelous to snack on. 🙂 So sorry about your camera! Mine broke last year and I felt lost without it. I hope you find a solution soon. I love your pictures. 🙂
Oh yes I have. An entire post deleted, even with the precautionary warnings. Sometimes what we have imagined in our minds just don’t work..your poor lolls. Have you thought about what kind of new camera you are going to get? Might be time to reward yourself with an upgrade?
Thanks Norma, Krista, Rhonda.
Rhonda, :-). We’re twins in more ways than one!
I’ve got some catching up to do, but that cake pop looks over the top. I’ve missed your writing and your wonderful perspective on life. I hope you get a new camera soon. You have my sympathy as mine recently went kaput and I felt like I lost a body part.
Sorry for not having visited in a while, life took a good but very busy turn
Aah well, it’s a good opportunity to buy a new camera! 😉 Thanks for the shout-out!
So sorry to hear about your camera! Hope you get it fixed or another one soon. These look great and I think fit the spirit of cake pops even if they’re not actually on a stick ;).
I think that if I ever had a problem that I couldn’t quite nut out a suitable solution to, I might just have to email you for some help. You’re a problem solver, that’s for sure, even down to knowing when you really just need to get to bed and sort things out in the morning 🙂
I totally LOVE your idea, couldn’t approve more of the lamington theme! Hey, they may not be lamington pops and they might send you straight to the dentist, but they do look lovely 😀
Wow what a fabulous idea – lamington pops – but I think the egg inside might just have been the kicker – my 30g cakepops felt really heavy for their (proper lollipop) sticks – seems a lot of us had issues with these little devils in one way or the other 😉
I am filing your idea(s) away for future reference… Wondering if a choc icing mixed with plain cake and filled with jam might do the trick?
Oh and I adore your pics of Paris, how wonderful that your camera died in Paris (not that it died but that it gave up in the City of LIghts) I just got a new camera less than 24 hours before I took my pops photos and it was challenging to say the least getting decent shots (on my front porch in the wind and rain LOL!)
I like how you found a bright side after all the “unexpected” mishaps! I do love that last photo of the Eiffel Tower with the green clouds and the lady on the horse with a mission. I desperately need a new camera too, mine is acting up…giving me the signs…good to know it might just die on me. That way I can be prepared 😀
It is a really brilliant idea but most of us had problems with over size balls and stick not working. Despite it’s downs, the photo looked really good. Babe – time to get yourself a good camera and take more awesome photos!
Thanks Penny, I still learnt a lot about cake pops so thanks for the party
Lyndsey – true – lady on a mission!
Mardi, oh yes, it gave up the ghost in La villed de lumiére! Enjoy your new camera.
Conor – thanks for the vote of confidence. How great to think of myself as a problem solver…..
Xiaolu – thanks.
Celia, I’m inspired to try my hand at tempering chocolate!