Death by baking

First of all, I promise that this will be the last photo of my baking exploits/the last housewife-y post for a while before all of my...1.5 readers nod off for good. But for the moment, can I just moan a bit about how sore my back and shoulders are from kneading the dough(s) and how tired my legs are from standing in the Pampered Princess's (PP) palatial kitchen from 1 to 9 p.m.? How on earth can people do that for a living? I wish I could say that this was the end of this season's baking but PP forced all the egg-whites (from 13 eggs no less) that were left over from our egg-yolk-only doughs on me so I will have to make something merangue-ish (suggestions welcome!) this weekend. Plus I need to bake 3 more kinds of cookies, having already bought the ingredients in my overeagerness. Don't ask.

Note on the Pampered Princess: HRH is not really a princess, she just has the demeanour and hauteur of one. I've known her for 13 years now as she graced the same school the Mermaid and I went to with her attendance. With PP's hubby being very gainfully employed indeed, she decided there was no pressing need to finish her university degree and she also quit her rather lucrative part-time job to become a full-time lady of leisure. PP holds court in a penthouse the terrace of which is as big as my entire flat and wraps her La Mer -caressed skin almost exclusively in Prada rags. She can be quite snobbish at times, but she's also a good and loyal friend hence we still get on despite the rather different (shopping)leagues we operate in. Yesterday, she was dressed for the occasion: immaculate white blouse, dangly diamond ear rings and a pucci-print skirt. I mean, you never know when the Fashion Police will make an unannounced call, baking session or not.

Did I announce yesterday I wasn't going to make any purchases? Erm. Well, I reasoned that with a no-detour-allowed direct route to PP and a bakathon that would last until well after all shops are closed I wouldn't get a chance to spend any money. Little did I know. PP doesn't own half as many kitchen utensils as I do, probably because she wants to keep her Italian designer kitchen clutter-free (not a bad idea actually) and I therefore bring some gadgets such as my digital scales when we have our annual baking session. This time, she didn't mention a pastry brush and I assumed she had in the meantime acquired one. Not so. I volunteered to go the supermarket round the corner to buy one. Her local BILLA happens to be right next to an Asian supermarket. Which by coincidence (?) had a sign outside shouting "15% off EVERYTHING!". Need I say more? Several gorgeous items of pottery (all of them presents. probably) and a tin of wasabi-coated peas later I re-joined PP...

Before I forget it: FCN sent me an interesting link to the longlisted passages for the Bad Sex in Fiction award.

Lunch-break purchases: The dvd of a German film I really liked when I saw on the big screen, Good Bye Lenin (for €6,99) and a paperback, Everyone worth Knowing. A girl needs a bit of trash every now and then.