The Great British Bake off

Incase any of you lovely people are interested and don't already know, BBC2 is running a show at the moment on Tuesday nights at 8pm. It's called 'The Great British bake off'.
Ten contestants are competing to be crowned ' best amateur baker '.
Tonight is the third episode with only six baking competitors left, focusing mainly on bread making in kent.

The judges are Mary Berry ( she has some yummy cakes) and Paul  (mad about bread) Hollywood.
If you have an interest in baking it teaches you a thing or two......That you're not as good as you thought. It's quite sad seeing the deflated faces of the contestants, but such is life!! Many a time I have made what I hoped to be a delicious cake and it turns out to be a disaster!!

Through watching the show, I have found out that I must be mixing my ingredients for too long as I often get a peak in the middle of my sponges!!...... Next time I will try to get a flat top, although I would rather blame my oven and not my skills!!

Anyway tonight I will sit back and relax with some apple and blackberry crumble ( I'm still allowed a little treat every now and again) and watch how to make bread... Not that I'll ever make any!!

Ooooh also whilst out at the weekend in waterstones I saw a few lovely books. One was 'Life is Sweet' by Hope and Greenwood. It's filled with old fashioned sweet recipes including sherbet lemon marshmellows, rhubbarb and custard crumble cups and morning coffee cups.... Looks like one to add to the wish list!

Along with 'The hummingbird bakery cookbook'

 which has  lovely recipes for...

vanilla cupcakes

banana and chocolate cupcakes

red velvet cupcakes



Oh Boy I do like to torture myself with what I can't have!!

A naughty treat...but not for me!

August is the month for birthdays in our family, well four of them! So it's always auntie Sarah's little task ( and I love doing it) to make cake for the little ones, which at the moment is hard seeing as I cannot eat any of it!!

But I have made myself proud and last night I watched everyone else eating their slice of victoria sponge cake with butter cream frosting, strawberry jam and fresh strawberries, whilst I sat there with my cuppa tea and a slice of....nothing!!

9 weeks to go and hopefully I can eat as much cake as I like....

Making little fairy cakes like these for the little one's takes me back to my younger years. 

Birthday parties with jelly and ice cream...

Does anyone know how to stop strawberries from making all your sponge wet.

I have given up putting sliced strawberries inside my cakes because they always drip down and make the sponge wet!!

Emma Bridgewater

We were given Emma Bridgewater vouchers last year as a wedding gift and it has taken me this long to decide what to have.
 As you can see from my choices, my hubby had no say in the matter!!
I only have girly bits in the kitchen cupboard so I thought these added a touch of femininity around the house. There are so many patterns and styles to choose from, you could spend a fortune!
 Don't you just love vouchers!!

Pink Hearts biscuit tin- mine!

Pink Heat tea tray- mine!

Pink Hearts oven gloves - mine!

Pink Hearts Brolly- mine! 

I thought this would cheer me up on a gloomy day.

Below are some lovelies from the' Spot' range. It's not cheap, but it sure is lovely!

Cake stand.

One Gallon Teapot!

Cake tins.

Friend of Flowers. 

Sweet Delights

Whilst I have not been writing, I have still been scouring the net for inspiration....I am eating healthily at the moment ( my body is a temple for the baby)!! So I am really craving sweets and cakes....more so than normal! If I can't eat it, I may as well admire it. Here are a few pictures from a couple of party designers.

These dessert tables are by Amy Atlas ... wouldn't you just love her job!?! The colours are just divine, I know where I'd be standing all night if I was at a party with those gorgeous goodies lined up for the taking!!

The treats below are by Naomi, from 'Hello Naomi'. She has two companies on the go....The one mentioned previously 'Hello Naomi', where she designs and makes cakes to order and 'Scissors. paper.cake ' where Naomi and her colleague design your party with style. She also has her photos on Flickr.

Pod

There is something very satisfying about  finding a new shop or website where you can treat yourself to some goodies? This is my new find  'Pod' and they have some really lovely bits on offer. I loved this cardboard cake stand because we really don't have room in our flat for any more cake stands, but this little number must flat pack... Any ol' excuse!!

Truly Scrumptious food flags

Truly scumptious Dollies

Truly scrumptious mini paper cake plates

Truly scrumptious cake toppers

There are lots of lovely bits and bobs for you to gaze at...enjoy!!

Company Bake off

A good few months back, my work colleague decided we should have a company bake off to see whose skills were up to scratch, oh and just a good excuse to scoff cake each week at work.
This was my attempt...a carrot and banana cake, recipe by the lovely Annie Bell. She often has recipes in the Daily Mails 'You' magazine on a Sunday, but you can also buy this lovely book..... which is on my wish list!
As I don't have the book I am not sure if this recipe is included, but not to worry you can retrieve it from here.

Unfortunately today I was told that I have gestational Diabetes, so I won't be trying any cakes between now and the little bundle being born! I'm not keen on the idea of having a large baby, which can be caused by this type of diabetes so carrot sticks and baby corn it is then :)
If anyone has any information on it, it would be grately received as I feel a little lost at the moment.
I can't eat cake,but i can make myself suffer by looking at it!!!!

Annie Bell

 Annie Bell

My little bundle of joy!

Hello friends! That's if I still have any!!
I know it's been a very long time since our paths crossed in the land of blog!
I have a very exciting reason....... I am going to be a mummy in November!!!
Along with the joys there has been 8 weeks of morning sickness...oh boy! And anyone out there who already knows the ropes...tiredness, emotioms and no time to blog due to trying to get the flat sorted for our new arrival.
 I am loving every moment of carrying our special little bundle and now hopefully  I can get back on track with my blog before our little one enters the world .
I have missed not writing on here...but I just didn't have the get up and go. Getting to work.... working and then the journey home leaves me with little energy other than contemplating what to do next, crochet, felts, baking...... no nothing, I'll just lay here a little longer and do that stuff tomorrow!!
It sure is hard work growing a little person, but so rewarding watching my tummy grow week by week, wondering what our little  baby is going to look like, behave like! I am just so excited.

Enough of that I found this wonderful photo and wanted to share it with you, my kicks haven't reached this stage yet.....

Image from livewxradar.com

This just amazes me!!

Anyway it's nice to be back.xx