Happy Birthday to me!....Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cake

Such a fetching photo!

Last Sunday was my 45th birthday.

All I really wanted was a lie in...but it was a day with so much more.

I woke naturally at about 8:30 which was such a treat, no bleeping alarm going off at 4:50 as it normally does.

It wasn't long before Lauren was jumping in with me and Tony had appeared with a steaming mug of my favourite black coffee.

From New Zealand

Then it was time for the cards and presents. 


I didn't know what to expect, I hadn't had a list this year, I knew there were bits and bobs I wanted or needed but couldn't muster them into a list, so I'm lucky I got anything really.


I always open my cards first, lots of lovely ones, a brilliant one from my long lost friend Jill who lives in New Zealand now, it really made us laugh, it was the front cover of "Gourmet Magazine" and has lots of featurettes about us and the main picture was Lauren's Dragon Cake.


Also, a good one from my sister in law who loves to remind me she is 6 months younger than me! Thanks to Mum and Dad, Ma and Danda and Catherine and Paul for my presents.


The first present was very square and very heavy and if it hadn't have been for the little slip of the tongue over the dinner table from Lauren the previous evening then I'd have had no idea that it was a Pasta Maker! Something for me and Lauren to do together and a blog of the future, who knows.


The next present was a bit more puzzling, it was soft and rectangular and to my big surprise it was a gorgeous little Radley bag. Tony had remembered me moaning about my handbag when we went out a few weeks ago, I bought it for £3.50 from New Look years ago and it's definitely seen better days and I am very happy to replace it. I can't believe how well he did choosing it, it was just the right size for going out and he kept the box as he'd not been sure whether I would want a handle or a strap.

Cards and presents, lucky girl

The next treat was breakfast in bed, a bacon buttie!

Yummy Waitrose French Country Bread and thick smoky bacon
with tomato ketchup, of course!

We had planned to go camping the night before but the weather had called a halt to that and to be honest I was glad of my own bed and waking up in my own house.

We considered going to the Space Centre in Leicester with our friends, until we remembered that Andy Murray was playing in the Wimbledon Final, so we decided that Tony would make the cake and we would do a joint "Boxing Day-style buffet" and go over to our friends house for the day. That way we could relax, the kids could play together and we could eat, drink and be merry (in July!) and watch the tennis.

The buffet was enormous, we had both bought too much food, there was chicken, gammon, sausage rolls, a chicken and ham pie, garlic bread and rolls, pizza, crisps, coleslaw, scotch eggs, salad, boiled new potatoes - a table full.

Boxing day tea in July!

Once the buffet was over it was time for my amazing birthday cake. Tony had pulled out all the stops and made a Marble Cake, totally Marbled, he used the blog for a recipe and then made a marbled sponge, sandwiched with marbled butter cream and decorated with marbled chocolate.

Amazing Cake!

Cake and Candles, but not 45!

Helen's teapot

Unfortunately Andy Murray didn't win Wimbledon, but  we were all pleased for Federer nonetheless and best of all I had one of those birthdays that had the potential to pass by unnoticed but turned out to be one to remember....thanks to some good company and especially thanks to Tony and my cake and my handbag!

Watching the tennis!