Hi all, I have seriously been neglecting my blogging duties....I feel really naughty! Anyway I'm back and have lots to report....
I've been very busy with my running lately, been trying to keep it up and go out at least three times a week. I've only been out twice this week, however, I am going to stay with my sister and her husband this weekend, and they have started doing Park Run's, which happen every Saturday morning in their local park, they happen all over the country and around the world, so it is a massive thing, therefore I am going to be doing my first ever 5k offical run on Saturday. It's all free and you get given a time and a place after you've completed the run. I'm actually quite excited to do it, I'm just praying that the weather will be nice!!! On a more tastier note...It was my lovely Dad's birthday last weekend and I thought it would be nice to make his favourite cake, which is Carrot Cake. So here it is....
I was really impressed with myself as it was the first time I had ever made a proper cake, I have made fairy cakes, cupcakes and cookies so much however never a big cake!All my friends thought this was rather strange and I suppose it is, however I managed to make it without any hitches and the verdict from my family and friends was that it was delicious...(I didn't have any as I dont like carrot cake)!!! So here's the recipe... (to be honest, I actually made it up a little, so these measurements are definatley correct) Cake 200g Grated Carrot 175g Self Raising Flour 1 tsp Cinnamon 25 g Chopped walnuts 175g Soft Brown Sugar 1 tsp baking powder 2 eggs Icing 200g Full fat soft cheese Icing sugar- approx 4 tablespoons (add dependant on taste) A few drops of Vanilla extract
Hi everyone, I thought I would post on this lovely snowy day, as lots of you may be at home in the warmth if you have kind bosses!! Well today I have already had a snow ball fight and helped build a snowman with the children at work all before 9am!It was fab!Now waiting to see if I have to go back later! I am loving the snow, however I am very disappointed as it means running club will not happen tonight, however we did have running club on Monday and Wednesday, hopefully the snow stops and we can get out over the weekend! As alot of you may be at home with your children if they are off school, I thought I would finally post the lovely recipes from xmas, (that I didnt get round to putting on)... so you can recreate some lovely treats at home....
Chocolate Bark
This recipe was first created by my mum, as she was browsing the internet one day for some easy chocolate treats to make for a little family gathering. It is so simple yet so amazingly delicious....
Ingredients
200g Milk Chocolate (amount of choc is dependent on size of tray and desired thickness
100g White Chocolate
Toffee Popcorn
Malteasers (both the malteasers and popcorn dont need to be measured, you can use as much or as little as you like, its all dependent on the amount of chocolate and size of tray)
Other optional ingreds may be mini marshmallows, hazelnuts, rolos
Silicone Tray (you can use a normal tray and just cover it with baking parchment)
Method
Melt the two kinds of chocolate in separate bowls
Get your tray and spread out the desired amount of popcorn and malteasers around the tray (and anything else you'd like)
then pour around the melted milk chocolate over and in between the malteasers and popcorn, and spread around if needed
next, get the white chocolate, and layer that over the top, using a spoon or knife move the white chocolate around creating a marbles effect.
It is now done, and all you need to do is place it in the fridge to set and it will be ready to enjoy
Once it is set, it just breaks into chunks (like bark-hence the name)
Chocolate Tree Chocolate Lollies The second recipe is another gorgeous Christmas treat, which I made and created for Christmas presents for some family members like I did with my Mini Christmas Cakes...I present Christmas Tree chocolate lollies...
They were actually made using a choc lolly making kit from 'Morrisons', which my friend actually came across back in November. After doing them once with some friends, I then thought what a fab idea they would be to give as xmas presents. Once made I then wrapped them with cellophane and ribbon.
Ingredients (It did came as a ready made kit, however you could buy everything separately)
200g Milk Chocolate
approx 50g cornflakes
Icing/or white choc
decorations
sticks
paper cone moulds (you get 6 in pack)
Method
Melt the milk chocolate in a bowl, and then mix in the cornflakes
spoon into the paper moulds, along with a stick in each and then rest them in mugs or cups and put in fridge to set.
once they have set, take out and then cut off the paper and then stand up in cardboard holder (as part of kit)
Decorate with icing and decorations and leave to set.
Once they had completely set and then wrapped them up and made them look pretty.
I hope you have enjoyed these two lovely treats, obviously the xmas tree kits wont be available anymore, however I'm sure there are different versions in the shops, or you could make your own.
Hi Everyone! Sorry I've been so busy these last few days, I have seriously been slacking with my blog writing...so finally its Sunday eve, so have got chance to update you all with what I've been up to... Well running club is going very well, myself and Becki went on a new route around where she lives on wed eve, and then myself and Chris did the first route on fri...and then last night, I gained some energy from somewhere and decided I would venture out, for the first time on my own. I said to myself, I'd only go out if I had my ipod, it then took me half an hour to then find my ipod which I eventually found-thank god!I was also excited about running alone, as it meant I could use my cool ear muff headphones that I was yet to use after getting them for my birthday last May!Check them out!
I really enjoyed my run alone, however this was only because I had my headphones....they are sooo ace...I love them...they keep your ears so warm and let you listen to your fav running tunes, my only criticism would be that they dont go loud enough!!However I would definatley recommend them to hard core runners!
Since running club began, I've been thinking of maybe setting myself a challenge to train for so that I dont give up and gives me something to work towards. I shall be consulting my fellow running club friends and see what they think.
Well its time for me to get my running stuff together again, as myself and Becki are off out again tomorrow night and doing route no.3!
Well last night, myself, my mum and Becki (running buddy), went for our weekly weigh in! The results weren't too bad, but I had gained, which was expected!I'd said to myself, I would start a fresh last week, but it was too hard still being off work, and lots of chocolate still around (plus all the baking...opps). So this is it now,we had our fresh start, with the new members talk for the whole group, and I am so determined!I even text my running partners after class, to see if they fancied a run tonight- so myself and Becki are facing the cold tonight and going on our second 'jog' of the week! When doing slimming world, the key is definatley all to do with planning, and having your cupboards and fridge stocked, in order to make some yummy meals. I have just done that, and been to get a little shop, so I can have a Syn free (except your healthy extra) full English breakfast. YES....I said 'Syn Free' Full English Breakfast , it is possible, and soooo yummy!The key to this, is using the magical Fry Light and by grilling most of your foods. So my breakfast is going to consist of A fried egg (in fry light), Grilled bacon (with all the fat taken off), Baked beans, 2 slices Hovis Nimble wholemeal bread (400g loaf) and Half a tin of chopped toms (cooked down with some garlic, chilli, s+p). Ohhh all this talk of food is making me feel hungry now so I'm off to make my yummy breakfast! If anyone feels inspired...check out the website-and find your nearest class!It's fab, you can eat lots and still lose weight...AMAZING! Slimming World-check it out! Happy Slimming! x UPDATE: Here's my Breakfast...all washed down with a green tea with lemon!YUM!
Hi all, I'm just taking a little time out from 'looking back at xmas' as I've got something new to report....I am soon to be going on my best friends Hen do to Tenerife in March, therefore I am on a mission to get a good bikini body in time. I understand that I am going to have to stop baking for this time, as the cookies are just too good to resist, and I am going to be focused on slimming world-plus lots of exercise!
Sooo, last night on facebook I noticed two of my friends were planning on going for a jog, so I stupidly said that I would join them, however surprisingly I quite enjoyed it, we didnt jog for the whole time, but did it in intervals, so part jog, part brisk walk!As there was three of is it was so much more enjoyable, as we could chat, and support each other throughout.
We have now decided we shall make it a weekly thing, and maybe twice a week depending on how we get on. I'm really happy, as it means getting fit without paying for classes or the gym, which then I can save for my holiday!
Hi all, so up next are easy pom poms, which can be made for so many uses....
Pom Pom Baubles...
I decided mine would be for xmas decs, as I had made two of them red and white, and the one that is mostly white also has bits of gold in the wool. The other one was just a really good one I'd made while in work one day. I hang these from my curtain poles, as they are too big to go on the Christmas tree.
Below is a video I've found for you, to show you exactly how to make your pom pom.
Top Tips for making your own pom poms-
To make a really full and thick pom pom, you need to keep winding the wool, until you get something that looks like a doughnut, or until you cant fit the wool through the hole anymore.
To change the size of your pom pom, simply change the size of your circle of card!
Customise and revamp an old wolly bobble hat, by removing the poms poms and attaching the new ones with a needle and cotton.
Make them into little people by adding googley eyes, and sticking some arms and legs to the pom pom.
Create animals using certain colours, and again attaching other bits and bobs to it.
They can make pretty decorations for your home, e.g. on door handles.
Customise a boring pair of slippers, a scarf, or gloves by adding poms poms
Christmas baubles (make size dependent on size of tree)
I hope this helps anyone out there who isn't quite sure of how to make one or what to do with it...they are wonderful things and also so therapeutic when making them, its just so nice to sit in front of the TV and wrap the wool around.
Had a few days off, as been looking back at first two posts and adding and changing things...so now I thought I'd show you what I got up to over the Christmas period. As I was taking all my decorations down, I thought, I have lots of bits and bobs I've made so would love to share them... so first we have...
Mini Christmas Cakes
Mini Christmas Cakes....your all thinking...how?why?..well these cute little things were made and created at a night at seniors (I will probably mention seniors alot...so as I talked about in my first blog, I am member of the senior section of Girlguiding) One of my good friends Alyson, is an amazing baker and she had made these before and so we decided to hold a night back in Nov 2012, where Alyson gave us step by step instructions on firstly how to make the Christmas cakes. (and Thankyou Ally, for giving me the exact measurements of the recipe, and also another thankyou to Chris, for letting me use some of her pics of the process of making the cakes) Stage 1- Collect regular size tuna tins-and clean throughly!Very odd I know but perfect for the job!Line the base with two circles of baking parchment, and also around the edge of the tin. This recipe makes 2 mini cakes!
Stage 2- Cream together 40g butter/marg and 40g soft brown sugar until a very light,pale colour-as below, next add one beaten egg-a little at a time (to stop it curdling), then a little at a time-fold in 50g SR flour (sieved), then fold in 100g of mixed fruit and 20g glace cherries (chopped up small).
Finally add in approx 1tsp Black Treacle, and a little orange juice...and thats the cake part made!few!
It should look something like this (before).... After- Ally was so kind and took all our cakes home to bake! Temp- 130c for
1 and a half hrs-2 hrs
Ally chose to feed our cakes with some rum....as you can see pictured!!!
A week later, we got to decorate our cute little mini xmas cakes, Again Ally was the leader and showed us how to do so.....
First, you need to get a chunk of marzipan, and rolling it out carefully using icing sugar, to stop it from sticking, to create a circle shape, and so there is enough marzipan for it to tuck around the base of the cake. Before placing it over the cake, you need to brush the cake with orange juice. Once you've placed the marzipan over, you need to tuck around the base, and smooth it all around, you can then trim the edges off.
As you see in the third picture, you then repeat this process but using royal icing this time. It is very simple, just remember to brush the marzipan layer with orange juice, and smooth the edges to give it the best finish.
As a base, we used beer mats covered with foil, they are just the right size for these cakes, and look extra special.
This picture to the left, shows the beautiful sugar craft in the form of some holly that we created for our mini cakes... this was the turn of another friend Soph, as she attends sugar craft classes, and so she showed us how to this. We used white sugar paste and then coloured it ourselves using the colour paste. The most important tip I can give even though I'm not an expert would be to make sure your hands are cold, as I found if there too warm the paste just goes all sticky and horrible.
Here's a little youtube video I've found to give you a helping hand....
Finishing touches..... so after we left seniors, I decided to make my cakes look even better, and I wanted to give them as little Christmas gifts to some family. I did this by using cellophane, some lovely ribbon I picked up and, then I created home-made gift tags using some mini Christmas cards.
I was so happy with the finished product, and thought they looked so lovely. I'm pleased to say that those who received my gifts were really surprised that I'd made them and were really happy with their Mini Christmas Cakes.
