Flower decorated cake

3/4 cup margarine or butter *

1 cup sugar vanilla flavoured *

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup milk

Beat margarine or butter with sugar until smooth. Then add eggs one at a time and beat well.

Mix the flour with baking powder separately and add it to the mixture, alternating with the milk.

Pour the cake mixture into a buttered lined 8" pan.

Bake at 350F in a preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove the cake from the pan and leave it to cool.

* I use margarine often as it is cheaper, if you use butter for healthy reasons then it is the same amount. If the butter is salted don't add salt, if it is unsalted add 1/4 tsp salt.

* I use sugar that is infused with vanilla; by leaving vanilla beans inside a jar of sugar; over time it will have a perfume of vanilla.

I do not use vanilla essence, if you are using regular sugar add 1 tsp vanilla essence.

The recipe for the cake is from a friend; it is easy and delicious to make. I made 2 cakes in a 10" pan and layered it as I wanted some height.

The flowers are made with royal icing. I used buttercream icing to cover and decorate the border of the cake.

This cake goes to bakefest.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2011 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Gladiolus after the rain

Bright orange Gladiolus planted in the Spring bloom in the end of July and in August. This picture was taken after the rain. This perennial has many flowers in one stalk. Some parts of Gladiolus plant are poisonous if ingested some species may cause skin irritation and allergies.

Roses

Roses are not only beautiful for decorative purposes such as potpourri but they have lots of benefits. Rose water has beautiful aroma it is used in cooking as well as perfume around the house. It is used as a soother and cleanser for the body especially face.

Peonies and their fragrance

Originally uploaded by Torview

A long awaited beauty of Summer, I love to cut them and put them in a vase. This year the rain made their stay short.
These peonies are from Summer 2009, a few can fill a vase and make the table bright.

Bearded iris

Iris

This variety of iris is special to me, as they were the flowers on my wedding day.

Picture taken in evening sunlight.

Picture taken during mid afternoon.

Lily of the valley

Sweet scented flowers that spread fast in Spring and early Summer.

Pressed flowers

Pressed flower activities done with my daughter.

Mounted on construction paper.

Mounted on watercolour paper.

Ferns and hostas

Hosta Lancifolia have flowers on stalks from late spring to late summer.

Fern are beautiful to decorate with flowers in a vase and for landscaping in shady areas.

Allium

Looks like a puffed ball and has lots of purple flowers within it.

Bleeding heart flowers and lilacs

Bleeding hearts are followed by the beautiful fragrance of lilacs.

Wonders of Tulips

Originally uploaded by Torview

Tulips appear in the end of April beginning of May. There are so many types and colours. It is beautiful when it is closed or in the mid afternoon when it is open. They are just as pretty on their own, as a couple or in a bunch.
We bought a package of imported tulip bulbs from Switzerland and planted some on the ground and on pots during Autumn. We had some beautiful blooms in spring.

These flowers are from the Summer of 2009, we bought different type of tulips. They were assorted in colour and size. The shape of the flowers were more like roses.

Maashallah we have a variety of Tulips this year and we took some beautiful pictures of these flowers around parks in Toronto, check out our flickr photostream.

Hyacinth

A stem with lots of flowers and beautiful jasmine smell that arrive in April. We first bought the Hyacinth for the birth of our daughter. The first year we planted hyacinth in the garden we had lots of bloom, the second year there were some and this year we found that they have comeback smaller in size.

Grape hyacinth

Grape hyacinth is also known as muscari and is a member of the lily family. These flowers are native to the Mediterranean and Asia Minor. This flower is new to our garden this April. They are pretty flowers that have blue purple petals with white tips and are shaped like a grape.

Mini iris

Dwarf wild Iris has a few names iris reticulata, rock garden iris or miniature iris. It blooms late Winter early Spring and it bloomed along crocus in shades of blue and purple. It is a large iris shaped flower on a short stem.

The first Spring bloom Crocus

Crocus is a sign of Spring, the appearance of the flower brings joy to anyone who sees it Maashallah.

Crocus
Originally uploaded by Torview

Baklava and flowers

The flowers in the pictures were done at a craft workshop by my daughter during the holidays. It is made with clay, play dough homemade. Make the dough into a ball while it is pliable then press silk flowers and decorate with colourful ribbons and thread.

Baklava

1 pound nuts finely chopped

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 pound phyllo

1 pound butter melted and warm

syrup

3 cup sugar

2 cup water

1 stick cinnamon

1/2 tsp lemon juice

2 to 3 tbsp honey

Combine all ingredients except honey and boil for 20 minutes till it is a pourable syrup consistency, remove from heat and add honey.

Combine nuts, sugar and spices. Place 6 phyllo sheets in a buttered 13 x 9 inch baking pan, brush each sheet with butter. Sprinkle a thin layer of nut mixture over the phyllo. Cover with 4 buttered phyllo sheets. Continue altering phyllo, butter and nut mixture until all nuts are used. Top with 8 buttered phyllo sheets. Cut into diamonds or squares.

Bake at 325F for 30 minutes, lower oven to 300F and bake 30 minutes until golden brown. Pour warm syrup over hot baklava. Let stand for several hours or overnight. Store in air-tight container in a cool place, it will keep for several weeks.

I like using cashews because it is our favourite nut, can use any type of nuts in this recipe. The syrup can be adjusted I usually use only half the syrup recipe, cook till the sugar dissolves.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Torviewtoronto © 2010 unless mentioned. Please Ask First

Vanilla flower, bean and birthday cake

This was a picture of a flower in the hanging basket during the Summer, it smelled like vanilla and looks a little like the flower. I bought some vanilla beans as I don't like using vanilla extract.

I used this vanilla first for the cake I baked for my husband's birthday.

Butter cake with chocolate butter cream icing.

Buttercream icing

1 cup icing sugar

1/2 cup margarine

cocoa powder

vanilla

milk

Natural remedies

These hibiscus flowers are from our garden. The red hibiscus flower found mostly in tropical countries are used for medicinal purposes. This flower is known as chembarathy poo in tamil and rathmal in sinhala. It is well known in the Middle east, Mexico, Jamaica and many countries as a relaxing juice with benefits.

Health benefits

For blood pressure, cholesterol, bacterial infections of the respiratory tract, vitamin c, relieves muscle cramps, spasms, menstrual cramps, stomach cramps, indigestion, stomach upset, good appetite, weight loss if drunk after a meal to reduce the body's absorption of carbohydrates. They make Ayurvedic medicines for children and adults to clear rashes in the body.

Fabric painting

I like doing fabric painting, I painted some pillow cases to match the bed sheets. The idea for the colours were from my daughter; she was using orange and pink to do some painting and she was happy when I borrowed her idea. I had lots of fun and the children enjoyed watching, while my hubby was taking care of them.

Thinking back theses paintings remind me of the marigold we planted as an annual theme the Summer I painted these pillow cases.