Ciao Amore Ciao: A Very Special First Birthday Party

It was two weeks late, but yesterday we finally hosted M's 1st birthday party. Nearly 30 people tottered down to our little terraced house and we enjoyed a few hours of the afternoon sun that we'd been praying for, for the last wet and miserable week.

L and I put on a large spread including poached wild salmon, courgette, tomato and rice tart, and my famous sausage plait - recipe to follow - as well as the traditional cheeses, salad, dips and crisps. We also put together a little brown paper, raffia-tied party bag for each of our guests, young and old, with traditional toys. I especially loved the little wooden pull back mice that I got for the other babies who celebrated with us.

M was thoroughly spoilt by everyone with some truley beautiful gifts.

I do wish one of my close friends would have a baby - I love going baby gift shopping!

Needless to say, I was pretty busy cooking towards the end of the week and the highlight was, as always is for me, the cake.

M has a few words now, but our favourite is 'aat'. Which is her way of saying cat, but she uses it to refer to all other animals. I have found myself replying 'Yes, M, that's a cat', when in fact it is a very large, hairy dog.

I am so pleased my baby is a going to be a cat person, she already enjoys poking our cat, Connie, at every available opportunity.

I had big plans for her first birthday cake, but midweek I decided I would give myself a treat by chopping the top of my finger off with my largest, sharpest knife, rendering me useless for fancy baking projects. My plans scuppered, I decided on a plain maderia cake, iced with white fondant and simply decorated with a cat and ball of wool. Both M and you will have to wait until next year for to see what I had planned.