Mice?

..... er, actually, no.  A black lab who munched her way through half my cake!

I have cut off the half that could be salvaged for us to eat*, thank goodness it wasn't meant for anyone else.  I could have killed the little bugger, but we did have to laugh as she's never done anything like this before.

This recipe, is a Whole Orange Spice Cake from Mary Berry's New Aga Cookbook  and, first of all involves boiling up an orange for an hour or so until it is soft, letting it cool, then whizzing it up and adding the rest of the ingredients, baking it etc.  So, prolonged, you might say.  So, when a blimmin' dog goes behind your back and gets busy with it ... Luckily, the bit we've tasted is delicious, and a black lab, called Cally, thinks so, too grr!

We shouldn't actually be eating cake as we're so fat at the moment, so she might be doing us a bit of a favour, anyway.  We were meant to be joining Weight Watchers last week, but had arranged for friends to come for dinner.  And, this week due to our neighbour's son's tragic death, I have been asked to step in at the last minute to cook for a shooting party up for the weekend.  Hence, the baking.  And, next week is 'Rural' night on Thursday (we're doing a pudding club evening, of all things!)  So, we'll have a re-think.  I don't want to do it from home as I've tried these before and gotten nowhere.  Well, these things are sometimes meant to be and the best thing to do is just to go with the flow sometimes, isn't it?

* I know not very hygienic, but it's our home, our dog and OUR CAKE!  She is not usually allowed anywhere near any cooking I do so please don't report me.  Oh dear, it does sound awful, doesn't it?