Valentines gingerbread!

It took a lot of effort to get this crumbly mess into dough!!

I doubled the mixture to make lots for work, but apparently doubling the mixture means you have a HUGE amount of gingerbread and it takes you all day to do!!

Relieve this stress by going mad with chocolate drizzling!!

Then eat a few of the extras you made!

Yum yum

Yum Yum

Hi all, not really much to blog about at the moment. I have had a few things going on recently and work has been super busy, so seem to be spending most of my time there!

Anyways I have managed to fit in a little bit of time watching the baking made easy programme on bbc1 - anyone else seen it? I really want to make the cookies and cream fudge brownies

Don't they look yummy! I may try them this weekend, I wont be eating them which will be the difficult bit but I am sure I can find some testers

birthday bouquet

Here is the cake me and my sister made for my mum this year!

I am currently visiting yorkie and it is very snowy!!! There has been lots of car pushing, wet feet and a couple of falls (my own fault I was trying to kick the snow at him and fell over - twice!

ps don't forget to visit my sisters blog for blogvent I will be doing some guest posts soon

Birthday tea party!

It was my friend Rhi's birthday this week and she wanted to have a little tea party with her friends before we all went out for the night. Off to Sainsbury's we went for a few supplies and back we came to make sandwiches and cake!!

Bonfire night

Some firework inspired cupcakes!

Frankenstein cupcakes

After making my halloween goodies for the pumpkin patch swap I have caught the halloween bug and have been thinking up edible halloween treats! Here is my first practice!

Frankenstein mint choc chip cupcakes! Displayed on my car boot find bat wing plates. I found these a few months ago and knew they would be perfect for halloween!

Calzone

I have lots of things to blog about, this is just the first thing!!

I made calzones and they were yummy!!

More cake anyone?

It was a year of me being a team leader at work so I made cakes (any excuse for cake!!) I set it all out like a little tea party!! Then in the afternoon I got a wonderful surprise - flowers!! :) A big smile on my face!

Afternoon tea anyone?

2 days of baking and the afternoon tea was ready!!!

A little bit of bunting run up this morning (7.30 actually - I was a little bit excited so couldn't sleep)

Mini scones with jam and cream.

Chocolate brownies with white chocolate chips, on my very new cake stand!

Almond macaroons with chocolate drizzle and chocolate shapes

Cucumber sandwiches of course, mozzarella and tomato tarts and some not home-made pork pie

Citrus cupcakes

And finally meringues and shortbread. Most of it on lovely car boot plates on crocheted place mats!!

And of course I needed a new outfit for the occasion - a perfect floral skirt for £3 did the job!!

I have it all again (actually much more) for everyone at work tomorrow - I hope they like!

Gifts and experimental cupcakes!

Wednesday I had a present from my mum, my sister and my brother!! Above is some chocolate moulds my brother got for me. My sister got me a big bag of lovely fabric, I can't show you any pictures as I'm using some of it for gifts and swaps!!

Onto the experiments!! I used a standard vanilla recipe and then dived it into three. The first I added chocolate chips and some peanut butter. The second chocolate spread and peppermint flavouring and some more chocolate chips and the last one was almond flavouring and a teaspoon of jam!

Above is what my mum got for me - a silver cake plate!!

I have tried an almond cake - I think it would be even better with cherry jam but it was good!! When I have tried the others I will let you know what they were like.

A few more cakes!

A few cakes that I made for the work buffet!!!

Cake

Just a few cake pictures for you. I am a little bit happy with them - can you tell!!

Look what arrived for me .....(it may be seaside related!!)

I was very excited last night when I got home I had a little red slip popped through the letter box - a parcel waiting for me!! I was so excited I woke up early this morning and arrived at the post office just before 8am to collect my parcel!! Look at all the parcels - beautifully wrapped a swap from Jill , thank you :)

Some very yummy treats!

The most beautiful notebook, with a lovely cross stitch on the front (I promise I will take better pictures in the daytime with some decent light!) The first thing I do when I get to a beach is run to the sea to have a little paddle!! Also some bunting - we have both sent bunting, great minds hey!!

A fish ice cube tray and a lovely felt fish - I am going to find him the perfect little home!! I think that the ice cube tray will also be perfect for making little chocolate fishes!!

Look at it all!! I love love love love it all - opening it all up it felt like my birthday. This is my first swap and what a fantastic experience it has been. I have loved thinking of ideas of what to get and make and then getting the crafting going and then to receive a lovely parcel as well, I am one very happy girl!! I think I could become addicted to them very easily!!

After all the excitement in the morning I went into town and managed to pick up some wicker baskets and some lovely bedspreads, ready to be recycled into bunting and blankets I think! Then I came home and did a little baking!

This is my 3rd attempt at meringues this week - the other 2 didn't work. Completely forgot to take a picture of the when they were done, but they were successful!

Then a new recipe for a victoria sandwich had to be tested!! It worked perfectly with fresh cream and jam in the middle - now you may all know I am trying to be good and so my diet couldn't quite stretch to all that lovely cake so I took it to my parents - slight mishap in the car with the top sponge not wanting to sit on the bottom one any more!! All was ok though and I manage to piece it back together!!

Finally I used some of the mixture to make some cupcakes - have recently bought the cupcake boxes and really wanted to road test them!!

blackberry tart

Step one - go swimming at the local school pool with your sister and nephews, get very warm pushing the buggy up hill and spot blackberries! Decide on the way back to pick them! (btw swimming was very very very fun)
Step 2 return to sisters house and get the pastry ready, wash the blackberries, and some pears and sugar, sneak a little bit of dark chocolate in.

Step 3 - bake
Step 4 - eat

Alternatively if you would like the proper recipe, head over to my sisters blog - Clobelle