Saying goodbye

This Berlin adventure is very quickly drawing to a close. With last minute sightseeing during the days and packing and cleaning in the evenings, I know that this time next week I will be back in Australia.

We have all learnt so much and have mixed feeling about next week. There is still so much we would love to see and do, but we also look forward to returning to family and friends who we have missed. We have found six months is a great amount of time to be away. It is long enough to feel like more than a holiday but I think once you head towards a year, it all seems a little daunting.

So it is time to say some goodbyes. My youngest has been going to a great school that happens to be right across the road from our apartment: straight out the front door, across the street, and up the stairs to school. I have been able to stand at the window and wave goodbye without getting out of my pjs!

I had grand plans a pavlova but having to supply plates and spoons for 20 or so children wasn't too appealing. For ease I decided to make some little meringue swirls which was a lot of fun. I also figured that most children probably really only want the crunchy sugary bit on a pav, not really the cream and fruit.

A batch of cupcakes is always a great backup too. This is a recipe that my Mum used to use when I was growing up. I love the simplicity of it.

Nanna's Cupcakes

125g melted butter
2 eggs
½ cup milk
¾ cup sugar
teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups of self raising flour

Beat eggs, milk, sugar vanilla and flour together and then mix in the melted butter.

Put heaped teaspoons if mixture in small paper patty cases or in a well greased metal patty/small muffin cake tin.  Bake in a moderate oven till golden, about 12 – 15 mins.

Well, off we go to say goodbye.

Take care