Dotty About...Foodies Festivals

I have just got back from the new Foodies Festival which took place at Tatton Park this weekend. I went along with Leah of Leah's Pantry and we made dozens of cupcakes for people to buy. Next time we are going to focus our minds on cake pops too, but as we only started making the cupcakes at 20.00 last night, we were all caked out by midnight! Still a good day had by all.



If you are looking for a great day out, I thoroughly recommend a visit to Leah's Pantry as THE place to go. She has a variety of courses on offer including the Cupcakes Galore day, Canape's and Cake Pop courses and Demo and Dine (where she will put a menu together for you, show you how to cook it and then serve it to you for your lunch or dinner. A great romantic treat or Ladies lunch).

Dotty About...Black and White Wedding Cakes

Here are just a few ideas for cake decoration if you are thinking about a black and white theme...


From Donna Makes Cakes



From Temanten



From Wedding and Cakes



From Design Wedding


From Bridal Black and White



From Google Image Search



From Pink Cake Box


From She Bakes Cakes

Dotty About...Black and White Weddings

Some of the most striking weddings are with a black and white colour theme.

One of my brides last year did an amazing job with black and white and just a hint of bright pink! Amazing photo's by Andy Corke

Dotty About...Rock

The Bride and Groom of Friday's wedding, had the best centre pieces. As a very cool Harley Davidson riding couple, they took Rock to a whole new level:



I am not exactly sure which company they used for their rock lolly-pops, but they did say it's based in Blackpool. I have found the following site if you would like personalised rock for your wedding: Coronation Rock Company

Dotty About...Lemons at weddings

Some top tips for using lemons at weddings:

1) Lemon cakes for favours - Here's something I am going to try next week, from a brilliant design blog - A Subtle Revelry



2) Lemons as decorations



3) Real lemonade for a refreshing reception drink - What about this for a recipe: Limoncello & Mint Lemonade (found on Noble Pig)

Add some sugar to some freshly squeezed lemon in a pyrex or sturdy vessel. Pour over a little hot water to melt the sugar into the lemon juice. When cool, add some mint leaves and squish with a pestle.

Pour into a glamorous glass (preferably with a lemon-sugared rim). Add some soda water, then top up with limoncello. Pop a slice of lemon on the rim of the glass (and a pink straw depending on the glass)and Taa Daa, a very classy, clever and eye-catching wedding cocktail!

Dotty About...Lemons

My top 5 lemon recipe's

1) My Grandma's Magic Lemon Pudding - It really is magic. You make it as a sponge mix, then the egg white separates itself, forming a meringue base with a sponge top. It is so yummy and easy to make that it's my number 1!




2) Lemon Meringue Cake - Nigella Lawson - Oh My Gosh! if you haven't tried it yet, well, quite frankly you haven't lived. A particular favourite of a certain lemon cake lover round here who shall be known as Mr M.



3) Lemon Drizzle Cake - Annie Bell - unfortunately, Annie Bell doesn't seem to have her own website but she has done a series of these fantastic books. This particular book, Gorgeous Cakes, is one of my favourites, and contains the recipe for the infamous battenburg that was the surprise top tier on my sister's wedding cake.



4) Lemon & Poppy Seed Cupcakes - My own mixed up recipe using the Lemon cupcake recipe from the Annie Bell book but adding poppy seeds. They happen to be my favourite seeds, and I am partial to the old lemon and poppy seed muffins in Costa Coffee, although they don't seem to want to reveal their recipe to me...how rude! ;-) - I feel a Dotty About... coming on! That will be challenging.




5) Lemon Curd - well we couldn't have a top 10 lemon recipe list without admitting the old faithful. My taste buds go banana's when they see a beautiful golden sponge cake with lemon curd and cream ooozing out the sides...Mmmmm (sorry, a Nigella moment, forgive me!) Here is a lovely simple recipe for lemon curd from Nigel Slater as featured in the Guardian.

Dotty About...Lemons

Lemons are quite possibly THE most refreshing fruits of all time. They are extremely versatile and it is very rare that you will find my house lacking lemons.

Dotty About...Mum

OK, so I was on twitter this afternoon, and I am very confused as everyone is wishing their Mum's Happy Mother's Day. Mothering Sunday in the UK was a few weeks ago now, but I am guessing from the way people are spelling Mum - Mom that it's Mothering Sunday in America today!

Happy Mother's Day American Mom's out there



Here's what I gave my Mum this year (sorry about the spelling!)

Dotty About...Polka Dots

Anyone who knows me well will know that I have a slight obsession with Polka Dots. They were a big theme at my own wedding and they are strongly represented in my house too, from my Emma Bridgewater mugs and plates to my sofa cushions. I can't explain my addiction, they just make me happy.



Bridesmaid dresses courtesy of Vivien of Holloway

Today I am mostly Dotty About...my new blog!

A big warming welcome to my new blog. My intention is to fill this blog with lots of pretty things that I am a little bit Dotty About, in particular weddings, crafts and baking.

If you are also a little bit dotty about something, I would love to hear from you. In the mean time, I hope that you will enjoy my blog which I intent to stuff full of inspirational pictures, but the chances of me not waffling on just a little bit, are a bit remote, so bear with me while I find my feet!

Love Catherine x