Sunday, March 14, 2010

Birthdays and the YamDaisy Cafe

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAUDIA!

My idea of Community Cafes that provide delicious, everyday food will work has a community focus. The chef will get to know people, the IT system will help clarify health issues, food allergies and intolerances, and likes and dislikes as well. The people will get to know each other.

The Cafe can play a part in Community celebrations and surely these should include birthdays too! Claudia's birthday today has inspired this post that looks at the issues around Birthdays at the YamDaisy Cafe.

My idea of the YamDaisy Cafe is to provide homestyle cooking , and not the cakes and pastries that are part of the usual cafe fare. I want to maintain the distinction between the YD Cafe and other cafes in the area.
This is partly to keep a clear distinctions between the 'everyday' food of the YD Cafe, and the 'sometimes' of gorgeous cakes and tarts and such things. The other part is to build supportive relationships with other community businesses. Local cafes and restaurants might give food vouchers or special deals for YamDaisy customers..

But for some people and some situations, it might be really appropriate for Birthdays to be celebrated at the YamDaisy cafe. Here are some:

Pensioner Dan lives in a small bedsitter. His sister's family are coming down for his birthday. He can take them to the YamDaisy Cafe for lunch and celebration.

Marian is working nights, she is picking the kids up from school and having Lucy's 8th birthday tea at the YamDaisy Cafe.

The YamDaisy Chef promised vision impaired Jeff he would cook Lasagna according to his special favourite recipe on his birthday. And he will.

Mrs Tobin has invited three friends to her birthday. Two are diabetic and one has to eat dairy free. They are all pensioners, but the YamDaisy Cafe is the place where they can celebrate.

Everyone knows what a hard year Jen has had, but Lisa chatted to the YD Chef and since they know she will be having lunch at the cafe.... well quite a few other people will be popping in for lunch at the same time. And a big pink cake will be served too!

Can you think of more people who would have their best birthday at the YamDaisy Cafe?

I made Claudia the sort of cake that might work well at a YamDaisy Cafe Birthday Celebration. I wanted to make her a pink one! It is based on the Beetroot Walnut and Hazelnut Cake from Let Her Bake Cake. But I used Almonds and Vanilla for the nuts and spices. . The beetrroot colouring made such a pretty icing! And the beetroot itself made lovely squiggles through the cake mixture!

Claudia this post is dedicated to you. Best Wishes for a lovely year, and I am having a virtual piece of birthday cake with you, and a lovely cup of tea! 
Everyone else is welcome too. Enjoy the cake and do pop over to Claudia's blog and say Happy Birthday!




34 comments:

  1. That cake is just gorgeous! I love how simply you decorated it, with flowers and a single candle. Just beautiful.
    I really like your concept for birthdays at Yam Daisy Cafè!
    xo
    Dawn

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  2. Beautiful cake! Happy Birthday to Claudia. Can I put my order in ahead of time? My birthday is in August! ☺

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  3. Thank you soooooo much, my sweet friend ! God bless you ! I wish I could hug you now :D But from here I'm sending you hugs and kisses and the all the good feelings !

    By the way, last week, I dreamed I was teaching you how to prepare a banana compote, for the YamDaisy, like my mother used to cook when I was a child... So, at the end of my "cooking class" you said: " Ok, now I must go back to Australia :)" hahaha

    Through blogland I've met the most lovely friends I could ask God for :)

    Thank you !! God bless you !

    xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

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  4. Thats such a pretty cake. LOve it.

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  5. Joy, have you heard about the book

    Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache: The ultimate feel-good book of natural cakes that taste naughty by Harry Eastwood

    It is full of cakes made with vegetables! It has great reviews on Amazon. I am thinking of getting it as for a treat, these cakes sound much better for you with than the traditional style which are full of sugar and fat. And I could sneak vegetables into the kids without them knowing! I just thought I would mention it to you as you want something different from the cafes we are all used to.

    Love your ideas, by the way.

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  6. It really does look gorgeous. I love your examples of the customers you would like to have and the whole community feel of the cafe!! Cant wait!!! Hmm, I will just take a slice of the cake before I go!

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  7. That's so sweet of you! The cake looks delicious!

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  8. I am so pleased you think my cake is pretty!
    So pleased you loved it Claudia. I want that banana compote recipe!
    And Jutta I will look out for that book, it sounds great! I love that these vegetable containing cakes are so DELICIOUS!
    Dawn, Ruth and Jutta, thanks for the feedback too!

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  9. Joy, it's a BEAUTIFUL cake! So pretty and wholesome and lovely. It reflects the person who made it. Happy birthday to Claudia! And job well done, Joy!!

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  10. Gosh that cake looks lovely and girly. I would never think of using beetroot like this. I am sure that a birthday at the Yam Daisy cafe would be super!
    Lucy xx

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  11. Happy Birthday to Claudia! What a beautiful cake. I wish I could have a slice of that. :)

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  12. Joy, this is so beautiful. How did you get your cake so light in colour? This was exactly the effect I wanted with my own cake! Also the idea of using the beet juice is a good one - I will definitely do that next time instead of using food colouring.

    I love the idea of a YamDaisy Cafe birthday!

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  13. Hi Hilary. Thankyou, and thankyou again for the inspiration. I did have a vision of a pale cake with the beetroot speckling it. That is why I chose almonds and vanilla. But I still think I could make it paler. I have seen a recipe for a white cake from the US made with no yolks. I would love to see if it worked in that cake.
    A couple of tsp of boiling water on a tsp of grated beetroot made the colouring for the icing!

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  14. That cake is so feminine! Can you also make something like that for my b-day on April 30, Mama Joy? Thanks for always reading my blog.

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  15. I just came across your blog and I am so glad I did! This looks fabulous!

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  16. Your cake is almost as lovely as today's post. I'd be a regular at the cafe were it close by. Have a grand dat and keep up the good work.

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  17. The cake look beautiful!!!I have to go to Claudia's blog and say hi :)

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  18. There can be many who can use this idea Joy! And I'll visit Cloudia's blog soon!!

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  19. it´s too pretty to eat :) love your ideas!

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  20. your idea is great! the cake is beautiful and looks delicious! i already saw it on claudia's blog and i know that for her it was a wonderful surprise! you a great friend :)
    wish you a sweet sunday,
    justyna

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  21. That cake looks absoultely delicious! Happy birthday, Claudia!

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  22. That cake is beautiful, love the colour and the way you decorated it Joy.

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  23. Wonderful cake Joy! and if i ever make it all the way over to Aussie i will be sure to make a special trip to the yam daisy cafe :)

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  24. Happy Birthday to Claudia. Many many happy returns of the day. The cake looks delicious, yummy and mouth watering. Wonderful decoration and looks gorgeous.

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  25. Hi Joy!
    About the menu: do you need recipes, too? I'm lousy at writing recipes- I never count how much of each ingredient I add (with the exception of cakes etc). I can give you basic ingredients, though. Let me know and I'll see what I can do; maybe over the weekend.
    xo

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  26. What a gorgeous delicious cake, I would love a huge slice of this....just beautiful!

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  27. auguri Claudia and clap clap to you Yoy for the velvet looking cake and the atmosphera you can create for the people you care of

    madamada

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  28. What a pretty cake! You can never go wrong wtih Pink!

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