Tuesday 9 April 2013

Birthday and a new obsession

I really do mean to write more frequently but life just seems to get in the way!!

So what have I been up to?  More baking and the bread making is going very well but there are limited photos as I've been doing the same basic loaves in Sexy Pauls book...

....a gratuitous pic of the man himself just because it's my blog and I can :P


This is a cob loaf I made for my family over Easter.  I also made another one using beer - IPA - instead of water which I stupidly forgot to take a picture of but it looked very much like this one!! lol!!  It tasted it ok but not sure I'd be in a hurry to make it again.  


I have this morning ordered Sexy Paul's new Bread book and a baguette tray  after my baguettes ended up like crispy pancakes!!  I also desperately need a mixer if my family or kind generous strangers are reading!!! Am so in love with the Kitchen Aids but it's probably just as well that I can't afford one as I really don't know what colour I would pick?!??

I'm feeling very inspired on the bread front with my new purchases and Paul's Bread programme last night was all about sourdough which looked amazing so that's my next project....although I've also got Gino DiCampo's Italian Baking Book and the GBBO book out of the library and there are some amazing loaves in there so I'm overwhelmed with ideas!!  The biggest problem is that I'm trying to lose weight - incredibly badly (who put that chocolate finger in my mouth?!?!) - so I am trying to limit my baking somewhat.

I have made these healthy low fat meals in the past few weeks - Healthy Ham, Egg and Chips which is lovely.  Just cubed potatoes cooked in a small amount of oil, then add mushrooms and when nearly done add in some tomatoes and crack some eggs in the pan.  Serve with Ham and some beans - lovely :)


Homemade pizza - I can't eat dairy so really should be thin as a rake!  But I'm not but my pizza's are much healthier than if they were covered in cheese - and I much prefer them to Dominoes although my husband doesn't - maybe he's the reason I'm not as thin as a rake!


Other random bakes - Hot Cross Buns - Paul Hollywood's of course!! 


Cheese and Spinach Muffins - BLW cookbook - My little man helped with these ...although his help mostly involved putting the flour on the floor :s


And Mother's Day makes - chocolate cupcakes....


And from the little man - decorated biscuits.


As well as having Easter we've had a very big celebration in our house - my little man's 2nd Birthday and as it coincided with the Easter Holidays I thought I would do an Easter themed cake based on one I had seen on pinterest.




I started by sculpting a rabbits bum from fondant icing - there's a sentence you don't say everyday!!  I don't know how anyone works with this stuff as it's horrible and I really don't have the patience for it but managed the bum! 


I then sandwiched four sponge cakes together with chocolate buttercream icing - two chocolate and two plain. 


I cut a little rabbit warren out of the base for the rabbit to disappear into 


And then covered it all in chocolate buttercream icing 


I then covered the outside of the cake in chocolate fingers and set the rabbits bum in the warren and covered the top with chocolate eggs, chicks and a number 2 candle.





The finished cake 



The inside of the cake



My little nephew was totally amused by the rabbit and the chocolate on the cake and here is the birthday boy blowing out the candle (excuse the mess - two toddlers inside on a birthday weekend can only end one way!!)


And talking of my little man - he's been busy too.....

Lots of drawing 


 And some painting too 


This is our Easter bunny 


And here is my very precious handmade Mothers Day Card <3



And what about my new obsession (seriously I can not get addicted to anything else!!) ....well that would be crochet :) 


Had a go at making granny squares and turns out they are quite fun to make and they grow so much quicker than knitting 






This is my dream make but I've had a go and its quite a bit more advanced than basic squares so have had a change of plan and will put this on the back burner whilst I hone my technique and finish some other projects too.


And talking of unfinished projects (see what I did there!) I have actually done some work on the play house - this is starting to be a mill stone around my neck but I will get there!!!  As I joked with someone it will probably be done by the time he's 18 and he will want to be on his X Box and I will be forcing him to play under the table!! hehe!!  No it will be done way by then ....progress so far.....

The Hungry Caterpillar Side with fruit counting pieces 





The caterpillar has ended up being too big to go on the play house so is now just a toy for Isaac to play with 


The season side with relevant season pieces 


The toadstools for.....


The front door! 



Now just to sew it all together.....Which I'm sure won't be as hard as I imagine and I need to just get on with it!!! lol!! Watch this space! 

No comments:

Post a Comment