Alien Cakes!

"I'm making cakes!" I announced this afternoon to my kids' backs as they hammered that box-thing that keeps them glued to the TV screen for far too long. I only 'make cakes' about once a year, so I thought this rare event might entice them into the kitchen for a change. My 12-year-old turned his head quickly and, with a worried look on his face, asked what I was making exactly. He had one of his classmates round and I recognized his expression at once - it meant:

"Oh no, what weird English dish are you going to embarrass me with this time?"!

I was only making plain old scones, but I suppose they are strange to unaccustomed Italian kids, and my bi-lingual son often has issues with his multi-cultural life, unwilling, like most youngsters, to be different from everyone else.

Our Italian guest accepted a scone, bit into it and nodded approvingly. "Buono!" (I think he was a little surprised). My son smiled at me in relief and they proceeded to clear the plate.

The trials and tribulations of being an English mother in Italy!

(the photo is borrowed from cookbook.co.za - I was too slow off the mark to get a snap of mine. And they didn't look this good, anyway).