The Queen of Tarts, She Made Some Hearts all on a Summers Eve

On Wednesay night I decided to bake some heart shaped tarts found in the Feb edition of Notebook (mag) for the girls for Valentines Day. Decided to double the mixture - always a challenge when you make something for the first time as the pastry had to be rolled out to 3mil thick. Thought of the average double biscuit and thought 1/8 of an inch should be right, but what to use for a rolling pin! Pioneering spirit to the fore, used the lime bottle (that goes with the gin LOL)wiped with flour and that did the trick. Cleared the table and used my plastic chopping boards to roll out mixture on. To keep in theme - I had Alice playing on the laptop, (Alice Cooper that is)as I began baking! I had purchased heart shaped cutters the week before and did a batch of bottoms of said tarts with a batch of tops in the oven at the same time which seemed to work. Getting the top of the tart with the small cut out bit missing was a bit tricky until I worked out that I put them all on the tray the same size and cut out the smaller heart then taking it out meant the top stayed better in shape. I have taken a photo but am not sure how to upload it!!!! I got about 36 tarts made all up and called it a night around 11pm.

THURSDAY 14, VALENTINES DAY AND MY BIRTHDAY.!!
I had received a card and parcel in the mail the day before so put them on the end of the bed so I could open them as soon as I woke up LOL - just like Christmas when we were kids. Thus began my day, a funny card and a lovely tshirt with a pounamo design on it wrapped in Pukeko paper - perfect! I had also received to mags from my sister and a drawing from a niece which I had previously opened but not read so a quick scan and up to finish off the hearts! Just as I got going, I received a call from a friend in Sydney which was great way to start the day. Now the tricky bit of the whole heart,tart performance - drizzling them with melted choc. Recipie said use plastic bag, hmmm, pioneering spirit to the fore again, found one the right size in the telstra phone box and snipped the corner off. Has anyone ever held a plastic bag with HOT melted choc before??? Not easy, and of course the hole may have been a tad big so did some very arty type squiggles on top of the cut out bits and left them on the table under the overhead fan to set the choc. Stage 2 of this performance was the jam inside the hearts. After putting a jar of raspberry jam in a pot and warming it up with a small amount of water added I had to STRAIN the mixture to remove the pips - I kid you not. I then wiped the bottom of the heart/tart with jam, placed the choc drizzled bit on top and then.... the piece de resistance, spooned extra jam into the middle of heart shaped gap in the middle of the now complete heart,tart.
Just as I was completing my masterpieces, I had visitors for morning tea - my colleague, her husband and the daughter of another couple on staff. They came bearing gifts!!! I received scented candles from my colleague and family, bottles of room perfume (like Les floralies) from the other couple, a box of chocolates and two kitchen handtowels from the two office ladies. I was blown away to say the least. We had some of the hearts for morning tea and they were pronounced a success. Everyone cracked up as I took photos of said baking but hope at some stage to learn how to put pictures on this blog.

The rest of the day was just as good. I shot up to school to check my emails (thanks for all of those) and to send off a couple to folk who had birthdays on the same day and then home again to get phonecalls from Mum, No 2 son and wife, girlfriend from NZ and Sister. I had taken some surplus tarts up to school and gave them out to various staff who were around for Valentines Day. I received more well wishes as my birthday was announced on the notice board for all to see LOL.

The night ended with a Commissioning Mass for all the staff for 2008 and all of us new staff received a scroll with a prayer on it. I had bought a cake and the Hearts up for the girls for supper and received many hugs and Happy Birthdays from them and then went down and had a coffe with those who had been to the service (staff and neighbours). Weekly Mass is atteded by quite a few neighbours, some are former pupils and their families. I met one lady (her husband had been a pupil here) and her grand daughter and have been invited to visit any time I like. Gotta love the country spirit out here.
I wandered home about 9.30pm after having had a wonderful day and reflected on the fact that folk here had gone out of their way to make my day special because I was so far away from family, friends and home. We may have to revisit this day again as I am told there are still some things to come in the mail LOL. And so another year passes/begins and I for one would never have predicted an outback birthday for 2008! And breaking news from No 1 son (they are only 1 & 2 because of birth order LOL)is that No 1 Grandson has lost his first tooth!! (Six birthdays ago my present was the news of the impending birth of same grandson).
Thank you to those who made my day special.
Love Lynn