Day 31

The Christmas lights are amazing along Regent Street.

This years theme is The Twelve Days of Christmas and

today being the seventh day - Seven Swans are swimming.

Happy New Year everyone and a prosperous 2013.

Day 30

Our annual trip to London during the Christmas break. 

This is my 2nd favourite store.

Day 29

Don't know why I try to dust Christmas Decorations,

perhaps it's the OCD in me!

Day 28

Hitting the sales hoping to find that elusive Pink Winter coat!

Day 27

Spent a wonderful evening looking at places to go and things to see.  Love to plan a trip!

Day 26

Sadly not a winner again this year.

Day 25

Looks like someone was on the nice list.  Merry Christmas Jack Xx

Day 24

I'm excited, are you?

Wishing all my family and friends a wonderful Christmas and hope

Santa brings you all you may wish and hope for. 

Jingle all the way

Lynetta Xx

Day 23

All that glitters may not be gold!.  Love the twinkle and sparkle this time of year.

Day 22

Comforting thought that my friends think of me.

Day 21

A lovely thought of not having to set the alarm for 2 weeks :-)

Week 45 - Mince Pies

This is the way I make my mince pies, and there is no changing me or them; they are small to be

popped straight into the mouth in one go - Nigella Christmas

Faff Factor = 8

Bake = 8

Keeping Up Appearances = 8

Total score = 24/30

First of the Christmas bake and I chose Mince Pies.  I won't lie to you I didn't make the mincemeat as I bought a really good quality jar the other week containing apple and sultana's but I did make the pastry. 

I love following a Nigella recipe, I love the way the book gives a word by word account of what she says on her programmes and I feel she is in my kitchen with me (don't laugh, please).

I also like the fact she gives an option of using a food processor (oh I wish) or a freestanding mixer (my Ken), I chose to use my hands and I was mighty pleased with the result.

Nothing much more to report on really, the pies came together nicely and the smell in my kitchen was all Christmassy so a win win for this little bake.

I'm counting down the number of bakes to finish this challenge.  I'll be honest with you again, I've lost the Mojo but I will not fail, I will not give up, I will conquer this quest and embrace my new oven to do the 7 bakes remaining.  Here's hoping the little time I have off over Christmas will give me some opportunity to succeed.

Love to all and Deck the Halls.

Lynetta

Day 20

All finished and wrapped to perfection.

Day 19

Judging the Christmas Cookie House competition for FS and Yrs 1&2. 

Day 18

I see Snowman noses.  What do you see?

Day 17

Every year we buy Jack a decoration for the tree. 

This year I found this personalised one and it's a money box too!

Day 16

Start of the Christmas baking

Day 15

Carol Singing in church - Loved the atmosphere and Boys Choir

Day 14

Watching the Nativity Play at school.

Day 13

Love receiving handmade Christmas cards

Day 12

-5 overnight created these wierd and wonderful frosty webs.  Spooky!

Day 11

Christingle Service at school

Week 44 - Flourless Chocolate Cake

For all those avioding wheat this cake is for you.  If you want to try this cake as a pudding serve it topped

with raspberries and a coulis - Fiona Cairns Bake and Decorate

Faff Factor = 7

Bake = 7

Keeping Up Appearances = 7

Total score = 21/30

mm, I'm reserving a little judgment on this cake. I don't quite know what to make of it.  My first attempt was rather poor as this was the first cake I cooked in my new oven, which by the way I am having a terrible time with trying to get the correct temperature for a constant length of time.  This is making my baking a little unpleasant at the moment, however I digress, back to the cake. It's kind of dense but light, heavy but not solid and very very sweet. I personally did not like the taste but once again the boys did.

This is the first flourless cake I have made and the technique to bring it all together was rather interesting.  You need to mix butter, chocolate and sugar over a pot of simmering water then add almonds and leave to cool.  Seperate the eggs and whisk up the whites with sugar. Beat in the yolks to chocolate mixture then offer the eggs and gently mix in.  I'm glad I gave it a go as I've not used this method before so another tick in the box.

I think this cake would make a great after dinner pudding with some spruced up cream or as suggested in the book some raspberries, as on it's own it is rather too chocolatey.

I am so far behind now with my challenge and I know it will roll into the new year but I'm not stressing about it, life and other things are taking my time at the moment but I will succeed, I'm not a quitter. 

I've a few things planned to bake over the christmas so hopefully I will be back to more regular updates and reports.

Keep smiling

Lynetta Xx

 

 

Day 10

First decoration for 2012

(will be changing the bow to a more upmarket one though)

Day 9

Winchester Christmas market

One of the few stalls selling Christmas decorations

Day 8

A hearty breakfast pre-Christmas shopping expedition...got to be done!

Day 7

Friday night drive through dinner.......McYucky's

Day 6

A little light bedtime reading to get myself prepared for the big day...

Day 5

Waiting patiently for these birthday bulbs to bloom

Day 4

Christmas Tree in Reading Oracle (Town Centre) all twinkly

Day 3

Having a friend who finds the time to bake you a birthday cake = Special

Day 2

Celebrating my 49th birthday.  A few of my little gifts :-)

December Daily 2012

In 2009 I played along with other scrapbookers posting a photo a day throughout December and last year I made a feeble attempt on here too.  I thought I would give it a more concerted effort this year to keep a record of what my life is like this month.  It will be just the photo with a little description, nothing too taxing so I hope I can suceed.

So without further a do, here is today's (yesterday's) photo.  My friend Sarah couldn't resist giving me this wonderful advent calendar as she knows I have an unhealthy obsession for Beach Huts.  I'm wondering if anyone who owns a hut decorates them like this for Christmas? I'm look forward to opening the doors everyday to see what they are like inside, how silly am I?

Toodle Pip

Lynetta Xx

Mini, Miranda and me!

After making the decision to get techy with it and spending hours deliberating I finally took the plunge and agreed to have an e-reader.  The next big decision was which one - Kindle Fire or mini iPad, and as you can see I went for the iPad, mainly because the boys both have Mac's so we can face time, share with the cloud amongst other things.

I'm really happy with my mini and I decided to order directly from Apple to take the opportunity of having the free engraving.  Mine says 'Lynetta's litte pad of joy' and it makes me smile when I read that.

I've been familiarising myself with all the different and wonderful things it can do and have already downloaded a few books ready to read, but I couldn't resist buying (and to be honest I know I would always want to) a real book, mainly because it was cheaper as a hard copy than an e-copy, of my favourite comedian Miranda Hart.  There's just something about Miranda that tickles me and I cannot help but laugh at her television programme.  Here's hoping her book is just as funny, which I'm sure it will be, as with these long winter nights coming in I'll be wanting something chipper to read.

TTFN

Lynetta Xx

Week 43 - Chocolate Marshmallow Teacakes

Paul Hollywood's recipe for chocolate marshmallow teacakes will certainly make an impression.

- The Great British Bake Off.

Faff Factor = 6

Bake = 9

Keeping Up Appearances = 9

Total score = 24/30

OMG, OMG, OMG, I cannot tell you how excited I was when these little (or should I say rather big) gems popped out of the mould and I even squealed with delight when I cut the first one open.

Last Saturday I spent a wonderful afternoon with my friend Sarah making these teacakes.  Move over Tunnocks Lynetta is in the house.  We found the recipe to be very easy to follow, but just in case we kept the episode of the Master Class to watch and refresh our memories and a good job we did too because there was a stage we could of gone horribly wrong.

Each stage was pretty easy albeit a little time consuming. After baking the biscuits, which next time I will roll out thinner as mine were a little bit too thick to fit in the mould, you needed to heat the chocolate and coat the moulds then wait to set.  You couldn't really move on to the next stage of whisking the marshmallow until they were ready to fill and waiting 45 minutes to an hour in between could of really been put to better use, but having Sarah to talk to with a cuppa made the time go alot quicker.

Now back to that Marshomallow, yummy yummy yummy.  You really have to make some, it's just like the inside of a walnut whip all soft and silky gooey lovely mallow.  The recipe however made more than enough to fill the teacakes, to be honest it made twice as much that was needed which I felt rather extravagent and waste of ingredients, I will have to write to Paul and let him know!

The above picture shows the best 2 of 6 that I made.  For some reason which both myself and Sarah are trying to work out the chocolate went a funny colour, all pitted and mottled creamy colour.  We are debating if this was not tempering the chocolate correctly or the moulds were faulty.  Time will tell when I bake them again.

So another week down and I am so glad I made these.  I really felt I ticked a few more boxes with my baking this week.  I really enjoyed making the teacakes and even more so eating one or two of them as well.

Only 9 more recipes to go until my challenge has ended.  I need to make up 3 weeks somewhere though but with Christmas looming I'm sure I can find a recipe or two to bake.

Love to all

Lynetta Xx

 

Fundraising......

On Friday the whole nation got behind a big fluffy yellow bear called Pudsey and helped raise £27.4m (figure as of today but with pledges it has been estimated around £42m).  I love Children in Need, it's one of those times when working in a school is so exciting or is that my excuse to dress up?  This year we had a PJ day and I managed to bag myself a little bargain with the t-shirt above and teamed it up with a starry pair of bottoms.  The children were so excited to see Miss B (that's me) in her pj's and thought it really funny, however after a few hours at work I became very lethargic and lazy and really didn't get much work done - but then it's a fun day so I was excused by the Headteacher to play.

In the evening I settled down and watched the show from the beginning to end.  I must say that I think one of the presenters (naming no names but the oldest one) is a little past his prime and needs to hand over the reigns to someone new and exciting as he is very lack lustre in his presentation but other than that the show once again was funny and entertaining.

I was touched as well as horrified to hear of the stories of children having to care for their mum through illness, of a family who lost their 2 children to a crippling disease and of the abuse children are put through.  This is one fundraiser I support fully as all the money is given to UK Charities and as they say Charity begins at home.

Love to all

Lynetta Xx

Perhaps that's it?

Oh my, I've been a little lazy on updating this little ol' blog here over the last couple of weeks and I really can't pinpoint why that is.  I've not been uber busy, just the opposite really and plodding along with everyday life.  Perhaps that's it? Perhaps I've just got nothing to say (now there's a first!)

With my cooker problems I've not really got back into the baking challenge as yet, could that be because I don't like failure and need to get familiar with my new oven?  Perhap's that's it?

I've got many knitting projects that I could be starting now the weather has taken a turn and the nights are drawing in, or should I be finishing my crotchet cushion project before starting another?  Perhaps that's it?

I've recently located a crop in my area so I could start scrapbooking again, but then I've not been taking photo's of Jack on a regular basis to do any layouts of any worth so why create something out of a necessity rather than for the love of the art?  Perhap's that's it?

It'll be my birthday in a couple of weeks and I'm being asked for ideas for a present but I really really cannot say what I would like, have I got to the age where I've got everything that I need?  Perhaps that's it?

But one thing for sure I'm happy plodding along in my little life, I'm happy having a routine, I'm happy having simple uncomplicated days so why try and change something that isn't broken?

Yes that's it! I'm happy :-)

TTFN

Lynetta Xx

Week 42 - Apricot and Marzipan Loaf Cake

 The combination of soft-dried apricots and chunks of marzipan produce a richly flavoured loaf cake.

The cake is pretty and special enough to bake in a round tin as a celegration cake.

- The Great British Bake Off.

Faff Factor = 7

Bake = 8

Keeping Up Appearances = 8

Total score = 25/30

Phew, I finally felt confident enough to give the new cooker a whirl and bake myself a cake.  After such an unhappy start in my kitchen the new cooker is now my friend.  It's taken a week for the temperature to settle in and it's finally running at around 5 degrees over, but I can compensate that with my tweaking of the knob and always using my tempearture gauge.

So back to my challenge and to try, once again, to get back on track (I'm now 3 weeks behind!).  This weeks offering is an Apricot and Marzipan cake.  I chose this recipe due to the method as I've not made a cake where you rub the cold butter into the flour to make brearcumbs prior to adding the wet ingredients.  All to do with science I suppose but the taste of the cake was a little different and special.  Very light and crumbly.

Another taste new to me, and one of which I found not to be to most peoples liking, is cooked marzipan.  It's rich almond taste and smooth texture added to the light and crumbly cake, however I think I cut the apricots up too small as you can see from the picture they are really little dots once cooked (lesson learned for this week) but this didn't distort the flavour.

To be perfectly honest this cake reminded me of Christmas and thinking about it some more it

would be a lovely alternative to a rich fruit cake. I also think it would be a great addition to a winter tea table all warmed up with custard (I'm now having a thought of baking this again for visitors over the festive season).

Whilst making this cake I really giggled to myself as I was thinking of all the bakers from years ago because no electronic implements were used, just my hands, a mason and cash mixing bowl and a wooden spoon, now you can't get anymore old fashioned than that!

Looking forward to getting back to regular posts again.

Toodle Pip

Lynetta Xx

 

 

A Funny Coincidence?

What should have been a happy event for me last friday sadly turned into a nightmare.  We took delivery and installation of the new cooker, the engineer made sure all was working before he left but when we went to make our dinner a few hours later the oven made some very weird sounds and the gas flame was flickery and making a dreadful noise. 

I spent the next 2 hours on the phone to the customer service department, being passed from one person to another and waiting for call backs from the store who is never knowingly undersold!  Finally after trying to be ever so diplomatic they will be replacing my oven on monday.

So needing a little cheerying up on Saturday I went out for the afternoon with my dear friend Sarah.  We popped into Windsor to a food and Christmas Fayre which was OK but nothing to really blog about. On the way back home we had a little quick stop off at Moss End Garden centre.

It's a lovely little place with not only the garden centre but a small indoor food market selling local produce and not forgetting the tat shops out the back.  I went into the second hand book shop and found an original copy of Delia's Book of cakes (circa 1977) for a bargain of £3.50 it's made it's way home to my book shelf. 

On Sunday morning whilst surfing the net I happened to link on to Delia's website.  I'm not sure if you have things like this happen to you but I found it a funny coincidence that the very same book is having an overhaul and being republished with the original recipes and more in February 2013. Spooky!

So that's one book I don't need to buy once released as I'm more than happy with my original copy.  All I need now is my new cooker and to get back on track with my challenge so I can give one of her recipes a go. 

Watch this space.

Lynetta Xx

Week 41 - Chocy Rocky Road

Nigella Express

Faff Factor = 9

Bake = 5

Keeping Up Appearances = 9

Total score = 23/30

In the absence of a cooker and wanting to keep myself on track with the challenge I decided to make a fridge cake this week and what a better reason to make some chocy rocky road.  Not just any choccy rocky road, this is Nigella's recipe.  Mmmm mmmm mmm.

I'm sure you all know how easy it is to make this little treat so I'm not going to tell you how to suck eggs however one thing I decided to do was swap rich tea biscuits for hob nobs.  These tasty little morsels are for the boys so I needed to beef them up so to speak.

Ideal lunch box fillers and an ideal sugar rush snack.  As they are easy peasy to make I only marked 5 out of 10 for the bake as I feel I'm cheating this week, come on admit it, you can't go wrong with mixing ingredients together can you?

Only 24 hours to go for my new cooker and I'm keeping my fingers crossed I can get to grips with the oven.  Here's hoping I don't start burning my cakes, yikes......

Toodle Pip

Lynetta Xx

 

Week 40 - Vanilla Cupcakes

Pretty Witty Cupcakes

Faff Factor = 9

Bake = 9

Keeping Up Appearances = 9

Total score = 27/30

If you remember back last year as a birthday treat from Sarah I went along to Pretty Witty Cupcakes on a day's baking course. This week was the first time I've made cupcakes since my visit and as my cooker is broken I've been a little cheeky and used my double bake day  from last weekend as this week's challenge.

I know some of you would say 'well that's not much of a challenge' but I just wanted it to be known these are the best cupcakes and buttercream recipe I've ever made. 

I've nothing more to add other than they are so simple to make (but follow the instructions to the letter) as yet again I've received a near on perfect result.

If you want to give them a try for yourself go here for the recipe.

Enjoy and happy baking.

Lynetta

Rain stopped play!

After 16 years, one house move and alot of meals (not to mention the cakes) my oven has stopped working.  I noticed something was wrong last week when I was baking the birthday cake (I also baked some vanilla cupcakes which I will sneak in as last weeks bake, post to follow).  I was a little pre-occupied in icing the birthday cake and cupcakes that I didn't realise that after 2 hours in the oven the brownies I decided to bake on a whim were still not cooked (good job really as they would of burnt - note to self put a timer on my christmas list) it was then I realised the temperature was low, so low that even though I had the dial set to 7 (200c) it was only cooking on 1 (100c) .  Oh dear my poor poor cooker has given up.  Rain stopped play!

As a short term measure (about 5 years I would say) we decided to go for another free standing cooker until the time comes when we re-design the kitchen.  I dream of having a lovely modern white gloss kitchen with a built in oven and induction hob, but until that day comes I'm happy to just another free standing cooker - I just don't think I could stand the upheaval and mess at the moment too. 

Luckily the stove top still operates so I'm able to be a little constructive with the meals but I'm missing my oven for baking.  It's going to be another week before it's delivered and installed so I better get the books out to see if I can come up with a no bake bake this week. 

Wish me luck.

Lynetta Xx

Week 39 - Vanilla Birthday Cake

  Jo Wheatley, Peggy Porschen and Mary Berry

Faff Factor = 9

Bake = 9

Keeping Up Appearances = 9

Total score = 27/30

You may think I'm doing a little cheat for this week only baking a vanilla cake but I wanted to blow my own trumpet, I hope you don't mind?  This was the first time I've tweaked and played around with a recipe.  I used the vanilla cake recipe from Jo Wheatley's book and I must say that once again the instructions and bake was superb. 

From here I used Peggy Porschen's method of making a sugar syrup and coating whilst cooling in the tins, let cool and wrap in clingfilm overnight.  This helps in keeping the cake moist once buttercreamed and I must admit you would of thought it had just been baked it was scrummylicious. 

From here I used Mary Berry's buttercream recipe, good ol' Mary, comes up trumps yet again, it was a light and fluffy texture, easy to spread and tasted just right not being too sweet. 

Ken certainly went through his paces this weekend as I creamed the butter and icing for the covering for over 10 mintues on a slow speed and obviously patience makes perfect.

My lesson learned this week - You can do it, you can bake a really really good vanilla birthday cake, whoop whoop way to go Lyn. There, that's my trumpet blown! :-)

Have a fab Friday.

Lynetta Xx

Something old!.....................

When Jack was very little and I first started to read to him I always thought of my very first book, you know the one where you can choose and buy with your own hard earned pocket money, well my first book was Little Miss Rivers and Little Miss Bridges by Caroline Symons.  I adored this book and I'm sure it gave me the interest in Victorian/Georgian era's, one which I am very fond of today. This got me thinking that I would love to read it again so with nothing better to do I sourced myself a copy. Oh my, when I received the book memories came flooding back.  The cover was as I remembered and it felt just right to hold and read it again.  I surprised myself that I read this book when I was about 9 and realised I was quite a good reader for my age.

Since then I've been adding my childhood books to my little library.  Some second hand when I see them at fayres or fetes and some that I've purchased new copies of.  One book being Mandy.  This book was written by Julie Andrews under her real name of Edwards.  I have since learnt that my mum still has my original copy in the loft back home so one day I will retrieve it. 

Another book which I totally lost myself in when I was little was any MillyMollyMandy stories.  I loved the first page of the books as they always had a map of the village. I used to very carefully colour it in in pencils (shock horror).  To my surprise when in Lyme Regis the other year my friend Neil spotted one in the flea market and I really had to laugh as the little girl who owned this book also coloured in MillyMollyMandy's dress, so I wasn't the only one then.

I'm sure over the coming years I'll remember even more books that I read in my childhood and add to my little collection which is coming along nicely. 

I'm also  thinking I should look out for Blue Peter Albums as I loved getting one of these for my Christmas present every year, but I'm sure they are more of a collectors item so maybe a little too much for what I am prepared to pay for, but then on the other hand!  I think I better get on ebay and have a look, don't you?

Toodle Pip

Lynetta Xx

Week 38 - Tarte Bourguignonne

This is a take on the classic tart Bourdaloue ( poached pears cooked in almond cream). The combination of the red wine, spices, pears and the rich chocolate almond cream make this very wintery dessert perfect - Eric Lanlard Home Bake.

Faff Factor = 6

Bake = 7

Keeping Up Appearances = 8

Total score = 21/30

Oooh  how posh I hear you say, Tarte Bourguignonne - or in other words Pear Tart for us mere mortals.  I really enjoyed this bake, however it did take a long time and quite a bit of faff.  I only had small dessert pears which I soaked in the syrup of red wine, cinnamon and vanilla.  However I don't think my syrup was thick enough as the pears were a little wet once baked, you only learn by the mistakes so next time round I will make sure I heat until a thicker syrup is achieved and buy the recommended pears (ideally Williams).

The filling was a combination of butter, sugar, almonds and cocoa powder which you whisk up and fill the pastry case before arranging the pears on top.

I was rather pleased with my pastry and fill confident enough to say it tasted pretty darned good but I will admit if I make this again I would use pre-made pastry just to cut down on the faff but I will always keep my hand in and make my own every now and then.

I also enjoyed this tart once straight out of the oven, the filling was a light fluffy mousse texture cream and the pears are to savour warm.

I think I'm safe in saying I won't be giving Valerie Pattiserie a run for their money but I'm glad I gave it a go and will look for another french pattiserie recipe before my challenge is over, or I could give the dreaded profiteroles a go again!

Off to watch The Great British Bake Off final.

Toot toot.

Lynetta Xx

this baking malarky.......

It seems as though my challenge is taking me over. For some reason I'm all enthused again and am constantly looking at my books to find my next bake.  I think I may have procrastinated too long as I've been looking for a nice recipe using bananas and in the time it had taken me to find one they had over rippened, they had gone really black and were so squidgy squashy they could not be used. Oh well, I'll ear mark that page ready for when I have some more in the fruit bowl to be used but I had a good time snuggled on the sofa reading my baking books.  A good time is not a waste of time I say.

As you'll notice from the picture I've tried my hand at a pastry dish again this week.  I felt more confident making it again and the result was fab but I'll tell you all about that soon.

Other news this week...........................I've been asked to make my great nephews birthday cake.  He will be 2 this week and we are visiting at the weekend.  I'm no cake decorator by any means and so I've come up with a cunning plan to make some bunting and flags to go on the top, well no use having the skills in making things with paper and scissors if I'm not going to put them to good use, don't you think?  Keeping fingers crossed it all goes to plan.

OK I'm off now to watch Great British Bake semi final....

Toodle pip

Lynetta Xx

Week 37 - Cinnamon and Sugar Popovers

Children will love these; they are almost like those doughnuts that

you buy at the seafront but without the deep-fat frying.

  - Jo Wheatley A Passion for Baking.

Faff Factor = 8

Bake = 6

Keeping Up Appearances = 8

Total score = 24/30

Oh dear, sorry Jo but I have to disagree with your comments about these tasting like doughnuts as basically they are yorkshire puddings with cinnamon sugar sprinkled over.  I was mildly dissappointed with this bake.  I wanted something quick and easy as I had already baked 2 cakes on Thursday for the Macmillan morning so flitting through my books and finding this recipe I thought I had hit gold.

Don't get me wrong, they tasted ok but they needed to be eaten straight away because once cold they were a little soggy, probably due to the amount of butter you need to brush over the popovers before coating in sugar.

I've not much to write about this bake as it only involved whisking the ingredients together and placing a spoonful in each hole in the tin (which had very hot oil in) and bake, just like a yorkshire pud, however I've learned a valuable lesson this week, the recipe is a keeper (minus the cinnamon sugar bit) as I can now make Yorkshire Puds. Move on over Aunt Bessie, Lyn's in the house :-)

Toodle Pip

Lynetta Xx