Marathon woman (well …kinda )

So I dropped off the face of blogworld for 6 months ….for 2 very good reasons ! Firstly I finally took the plunge and set up my own celebration cake business which I called Daisychain cakery ..which I love and am pleased to say has had a steady stream of business flowing through ….and secondly , I got a place in the London marathon so my life became swamped in cake and running …! Those of you who know me will know this body of mine is more befitting of a russian shotputter than a lean , mean running machine but I did it for charity, mate !!!! I crashed out at 17 miles with back & hip problems but I did raise over £1600 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust …woohooooo !!! So although bitterly disappointed with my traitorous body , I am amazingly chuffed and forever grateful for all the support I’ve received !!

So anyway , the marathon is over  , the business is growing , the sun is shining ( well not right now ..with it being almost 11pm ) ..and Juju is quite happy with her little lot in life …..

Maybe tomorrow I’ll treat you all to a recipe or two ….who knows ?? All I know is that the world is my lobster …tomorrow is another day and I’ve got a song in my heart x

See you very soon my lovelies xx

 

I’m back ..I’m coming back for good …

I’ve been away far too long …Life took a turn and my blogging mojo took to hibernation !! But I’m back …I’m coming back for good … I’ve so much to tell you !!  And so much cooking , eating and reviewing to do … 

But for now I’m putting the twins in the bath , I’m sorting out the packed lunches and I’m nursing a rotten cold !! ! I just wanted to say ..I’m coming back with all my news very very soon ….

Missed you all xxx 

 

 

Pavlova : Summers Final Fling …

Well Hello there …..

It’s been a while   ! It seems I took an impromptu blog break to coincide with the kids being off school .. but now they are back I really have no more excuses .. and a head full of blogs !!

Now the weather seems to have taken a turn .. the wintry winds and cold night chills have not crept upon us but have made a spectacular entrance with a huge “TA-DAAAAAAH” … so I decided to throw caution to the  wind and see the summer out in style by treating the men in my life to a great big fruit laden pavlova ! The summeriest (is that a word) of puddings  I could possibly think of … so with wanton abandon I whisked eggs and sugar with a drop of lemon juice … baked the glossy eggy beauty .. then filled it with sweetened whipped cream , strawberries , peaches , figs and kiwi fruit ..

A splendiferous confection of fruity loveliness !!

Take that you quickening Autumnal days  .. Yah Boo sucks to you big black rain clouds …..

If my summer is over .. then I’ll finish it in style !!!!!!

It’s good to be back folks … See you very soon

 

 

I’m a bee , a busy busy bee…..

…I’m as busy as a bee can be  !!!! I’ve not run away with the circus … I’ve not lost the ability to type … I’ve not even lost my blogging mojo .. I’ve just been rushed off my chunky little feet !!! This last month has been a whirlwind of CAKE !!! So I thought I’d pop on to reassure you all that I still love you all  .. and that I’ll be back with you very , very soon .. My last Huge cake marathon was yesterday so I know am aiming to claim back my life a little before the next cakeathon …..

So here’s a little look at what I’ve been up to … and I’ll see you really, really soon with tales of trials , tribulations , tears and hysteria in the kitchen and beyond ….

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Idealo Reads .. Holiday Wish List !!

Somehow I was chosen to be a part of the Idealo Reads Holiday Challenge … and have been asked to choose books upto the value of £25 to keep me entertained throughout the summer …..

My choices were ..

The Busy Girl’s Guide to Cake Decorating: The fast, simple way to impressive cakes and bakes

by Ruth Clemens (Paperback)

I have met with Ruth and think she has an amazing talent .. she is a busy mum of boys just like me and is an insiration to me in my frazzled moments … so i really wanted to get this book ! I love decorating cakes .. so getting a busy girls guide to help me can’t be a bad idea !!!!

 

My second choice was ..

The Hairy Bikers’ Big Book of Baking

by Hairy Bikers (Hardcover)

I love those great big bears of men .. the ir recipes are down to earth , homely and wholesome ! I love the style of their writing and can’t wait to sit down and havea good old gander through this …. gathering inspiration , ideas and lots of good home baking tips !

 

My final choice was ..

Any Way You Want Me by Lucy Diamond (Paperback) This is my nod to summertime chick lit … In the vain hope that inbetween kids , dog , cooking and cleaning I will get a few spare momnets to lose myself in pure rom com escapism !!!!   Here’s hoping !!!   Thank you to Idealo ! Go visit their fantastic site at ….http://www.idealo.co.uk/pcat/3935/cooking-dining.html see what they can help you find to make life that little bit smilier xx

 

Tots 100 Book Review : Saved by Cake – Marian Keyes

 

It’s been an extremely tough and challenging fortnight here in this wannabe’s life … Very sadly & tragically I lost  a dear friend -God rest her soul . A very sad  time . The people of my hometown have also faced the very tragic loss of 8 of it’s children … all gone to be angels . So a very , very sad people you will find here in Derby.

This week has seen me fall foul of my old adversary , depression. A condition I have lived with for almost 20 years . Thankfully I have an amazing support network and 3 very brilliant children to pull me though and bring me back into the light when the darkness tries to claim me . I will be forever grateful to all of those around me , everyday.

What on earth am I rattling on about ? I hear you cry .. Well .. a few weeks ago my partner in crime & wine , Helen from www.thecrazykitchen.co.uk recommended me to receive one of her favourite books The Hummingbird Bakery- Cake Days  as part of the Tots 100 book club in association with Tesco . Now I have chosen a book to review .. this being “Saved By Cake ” by Marian Keyes.

In this bright and vibrant book Marian gives us a candid account of her own nervous breakdown , her own descent into the depths of dark, dark depression . A very vivid account that struck a chord with me most intimately. her writing style has always delighted me and to read a piece writen by Marian about Marian was wonderful. Her hinesty and ability to make us see into her mind , to understand and appreciate the depths she fell to before starting the long , hard climb back to the surface was mindblowing. So truthful , so honest , so real Marian’s way of dealing with depression was /is to bake – bake anything , everything .. and lots of it !! You’ll be hard pressed not to smile at how she describes her mania ! Believe me .. just when you think you shouldn’t laugh .. a great big guffaw will escape !!  So in her avid passion for baking .. Saved by Cake was born ….

This book is full of real recipes , recipes from the heart , borrowed recipes from those she loves .. her own support network , recipes that have been stumbled across  and long loved recipes full of memories and happiness.

The book is broken down into chapters and she writes a little introduction to each one to explain why it’s there and what it means to her ( in fact she does this for virtually every recipe )

The chapters include

Classics

Cupcakes

Cheesecakes ( My husbands favourite chapter)

Liquid Cakes

Pastry

Meringues & Macaroons

Biscuits & Cookies

Fruit and Veg

Chocolate ( Well .. It would be rude not to …)

No pomp , no ceremony, no fiddly faffy unheard of ingredients . Just easily accessible good cooking to lighten the mind & soothe the soul !!

I decided to try out a few of the recipes and try something new .. so I made the Blokey Snickers Cheescake (YUM) , the Cola cake ( great if you like SWEET) and the cranberry macaroons .. although I had no cranberry sauce so they were in fact cranberryless macaroons …..!! I can honestly say , the recipes are easy to follow and the results … well .. take a look ….

All in all , a very enjoyable , not just another , cookbook – something for everyone! Bringing the important issue of taking care of your mental health into a forum whereby more people may try to understand – whilst eating really good cake !!!!!

I have recommended this book to fellow blogger & good friend Janine at www.chouxchouxbedoo.blogspot.co.uk to take up the Tots 100 book club baton !! Janine is a friend who I met through social networking and our mutual love of cake ! She will appreciate this book as she embarks on her brand new cake adventure  , realising her dreams .. opening her own coffee shop !!!  Go J Go !!! xxx

 

Silver Backed Grasshopper Cake

As some of you may or may not know .. I set up & run the Derby Clandestine Cake Club ! This is a club where we meet once every couple of months … and share cakes that we’ve baked at home ! It’s not just any old cakes though .. hell no … we bake big cakes .. cakes you need to slice into ! Is there a better feeling that delving the knife deep into a rich moist freshly bakes cake … then gobbling it all up ! We bake , share , chat and eat .. It’s all about the cake   You can find out more information here www.clandestinecakeclub.co.uk

This month I set the theme to Sparkle & Shine …. Everyone deserves their chance to shine .. and this was the perfect platform !! The cakes bougt along by other members were absolutely fabulous .. we had Strawberry & rose petal cake ( tasted like turkish delight .. absolutely gorgeous .. well done Tereni) , chocolate cake with caramel frosting , cosmopolitan cake , sachertorte (x 2) , blackout cake , strawberry & vanilla marble cake , Swedish Princesstarta , red velvet , coffee and walnut ( with immense shards of toffee … a topic of great joy and a focus for toffee shard pickers ) and then my simple offereing of The Silver Backed Grasshopper Cake ! Why silver backed? Well I had to make him shine …. there’s not much sparkle in a bright green cake !!!

All the cakes were absolutely gorgeous ….I only managed 3 small slices (and a couple of glasses of wine !!) .. but our champion caker is Leila who managed an impressive 9 slices … !! Yup .. Derby .. we have a contender !!!!

I decided to share my recipe with you all so you can all try this fantastic cake ..think Mint aero in cake form

SILVER BACKED GRASSHOPPER CAKE

250ml milk

1tbsp lemon juice

280g SR Flour

2 tbsp cocoa

1  tsp Bicarbonate of soda

100g butter

225g caster sugar

2 large eggs ( free range)

100g plain chocolate , melted

Frosting:

200g butter

250ml double cream

400g icing sugar

1 tsp peppermint extract (or 2 tsp creme de menthe for an alcoholic version)

Green food colouring ( I used Sugarflair Party Green)

Preheat your oven to 160 oC/ gas Mark 4.

Grease and line an 8″ round , deep cake tin.

Put the milk in a jug & add the lemon juice. Out aside for 15 mins. the milk will curdle (thats meant to happen   ! )

Put the flour , cocoa and Bicarb into a big bowl. Add in the butter caster sugar, eggs and milk. now Beat with a mixer until completely combined. Then add in the melted chocolate and stir .

Put the mixture into your tin and place in the oven for 1 hr 15 mins ! Check the cake is cooked with a skewer. then leave to cool in the tin for 20-30 mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool fully.

Meanwhile make the frostibng …Put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat until a smooth butter icing is achieved .. do not over beat though as the cream will stiffen the frosting. Add the colouring until you get the desired green effect.

Now slice the cake into 3 equal rounds ( I actually only sliced into 2 .. as I found the layers too thin) sandwich the layers together with the frosting and then smother the cake in the remaining frosting ! Decorate at will … I used Dr Oetker Silver shimmer spray .. and silver & gold balls & dragees ..

Now all thats left to do is stick the kettle on and .. ENJOY xx

Now I need to decide the theme of the next CCC … thinking caps on ….. get set .. go …….

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