Two Bad Birthday Cakes and a disappointing loaf of bread

I've just returned to my emails and I've noticed that a few of you have been asking about my birthday cake. Well, I do usually post about it each year so I thought I would post about this years cake too, even though its a few weeks late and doesn't have a happy ending!

Each year, my DDs get together to bake a cake for me and I'm so unaccustomed to even thinking about my cake that I simply didn't this year. And, with both my DDs away, my DH and I decided it would be best to go out for a piece of cake, which I thought was a great idea because it meant I wouldn't be snacking on leftover cake for the rest of the week (I have started the 5;2 diet and don't need the temptation). And I wanted a good sourdough bread too (as I haven't been baking at all lately) so we headed off to Healesville for what we wanted to be a good coffee and cake and some quality bread to bring home.

Unfortunately the cake range was suddenly very limited - my DH went for the eclair and I went for this pink cheesecake below. The first warning sign was that the coffee wasn't any good - you know that sinking feeling when you take your first sip? And the cakes were just OK, my DH only took 2 bites of his and I only finished half of mine. We walked around for a little bit and then decided to head home.

10 minutes later, on the way home, I felt suddenly ill. My DH was also feeling suddenly off colour and we both felt so sick, we had to stop at a petrol station to buy water and stop for a minute. We both felt dreadful. When we got home, I decided to make us both some toast with the bread which is usually so good. Except that it wasn't good at all, it wasn't sourdough or rye it was a plain, bleached flour loaf - which we don't eat.

Then, in the evening we had to cancel my birthday dinner reservations at my favorite restaurant because we were both feeling so ill.

So the tasteless cakes were a bad idea and the place I can usually rely on for good bread when I'm not baking, and cakes (when I am visiting) is now off my list. I dont know if the management has changed or if they have just dropped their standards, but I will not go back.

So my birthday cake post this year is not a happy one or even one I want to remember, but birthday wise I don't mind. I'm happy to be alive and feel incredibly blessed to be able to do what I enjoy and have the love and support of my family and that is the best birthday gift I could ever ask for - even if the day itself was awful.