The biggest chocolate craving in the world...Possibly the universe!

Well, time for a bit of an update I think!

I've spent the last week battling with every inch of willpower I have to NOT eat "just that little bit of chocolate" but to no success. I have completely and utterly lost all motivation and self-control and chocolate has been a clear demon in my diet.

I battled my way through my spinach and scrambled eggs, to find that actually I quite liked it (Transforming into Popeye could be easier than first thought) but then after the spinach and the eggs came the BIGGEST CHOCOLATE CRAVING IN THE WORLD...POSSIBLY THE UNIVERSE. And I'm weak...I'm weak and in love with chocolate so I ate some of the good stuff. Did I feel good after indulging my chocolate craving?

NO

I felt bloated, fat, yucky and tired...Possibly not the desired effect...And so rather than making the link that my favourite treat was making me feel like this and I probably shouldn't have anymore. I ignored all sensible thoughts in my head and ate MORE...followed by a little bit more...Oink Oink!

I woke up this morning with a new fear for my ever expanding waist line and the fact I can't afford to get bigger and buy new clothes, so today I was back on the healthy waggon. My lovely friend also arrived today and made it much easier for me to eat healthily by the fact she is also on a health kick...Thank god! Given my current mental state there was no way I could refuse a take away or a mountain of sweets if offered to me.

I also need to pay credit to my amazing personal trainer, who not only pushes and encourages me during our sessions, but has been an amazing support out of the gym. Putting up with messages from me like "I've just made a loaf of bread and it smells so good! Trying to resist the urge to have a slice L” with words of encouragement and wisdom. I would probably be a loaf of bread fuller right now if she wasn't so great!

Tomorrow my mission is to eat as well as I can. I've got one week till I go back to Scilly and feeling like a beached whale is not the best feeling when catching up with family and friends you haven't seen in 7 months...So bring me the spinach and make it snappy, I have a mission and I will complete it!...Watch this space!

Happy Baking- Easter cookie recipe

It's time for another yummy recipe!

This time it's Easter Vanilla Cookies :)

They're easy to make, fun to decorate and taste lovely. They also make a great alternative to giving Easter Eggs- Pop a couple in a little bag and give to your family and friends.

Makes approximately 15 medium sized cookies

Ingredients-
200g Caster Sugar
200g Unsalted Butter
1 Egg- Beaten
400g Plain Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Method-
1) Put the Caster Sugar, Butter and Vanilla Extract into a bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. (For best results, and ease you can use a hand whisk, or stand mixer)
2) Add the beaten Egg to the creamed mixture, along with all of the Flour and mix together. (It might take a couple of minutes to come together to form a dough, but just be patient!)
3) Bring the dough together into a ball, making sure that all of the ingredients are properly mixed through and place in a plastic bag in the fridge for approximately 2 hours- This is to stop the cookies spreading too much when they are baked, and to help them hold their shape.
4) When ready to bake- Preheat your oven to 180C and place a sheet of greaseproof paper onto a couple of baking trays.
5) Roll the dough out to an even depth (Approximately 4-5mm)
6) Using any cookie cutter you fancy, cut out the dough and place onto the baking trays- Try rabbits, eggs, or chicks for a great Easter Cookie :)
7) Place the cookies in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until they are a light golden brown.
8) Remove from the trays and place on wire racks to cool.

Decorating-
This is the fun part, once the cookies are cool you can decorate them in any way you like! Try piping royal icing, drizzling chocolate, or cutting out fondant icing for some great affects. If you don't fancy making your own icing to pipe with you can get some really good sets in most of the supermarkets, they come in a variety of colours, and usually have a couple of different nozzles with them. When the icing is dry put a couple in a bag to give as great Easter gifts, or just munch them all before anyone else spots them!

Happy Baking- Cheese Scone recipe

Today I've really wanted bread and cheese so I thought I would share this Cheese Scone recipe that would fit that bill perfectly. We made these little beauties at uni and I was definitely a fan! As we made them at university all of the ingredients are in grams rather than teaspoons etc.
 

Makes approximately 18 scones

Ingredients-

235g Strong Flour (White bread flour works well)

35g Baking Powder

3g Salt

3g Cayenne Pepper

5g Mustard Powder

235g Wholemeal FLour

120g Butter/ Cake Margarine

175g Grated Cheese (Mature cheddar is good in this recipe as it gives a better favour)

295g Milk

Method-

1) Preheat oven to 220C, line 2 baking trays with baking parchment .

2) Sieve the first 5 ingredients together into a bowl.   

3) Mix in the wholemeal flour.  

4) Rub in the butter/cake margarine until the mixture has a crumbly texture.

5) Mix in the grated cheese.

6) Add the milk until dough starts to form.

7) Tip the mixture onto a work surface and kneed to incorporate all the ingredients and get the dough to a soft and sticky texture. - Only a couple of minutes.

8) Cut the scones out using a fluted or round cutter and place on the lined baking trays. (the ones in the photo were cut using bakery machinery so they aren't round!)

9) Brush the top of the scones with milk and sprinkle with a little grated cheese.

10) Let them rest for 30 minutes.

11) Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese turns golden on top.

12) Transfer to a wire rack and let them cool. Cut one open, spread on some butter and enjoy! 

Let me know if you have any trouble or successes with this recipe :)
Enjoy

Blogging direction

I've been thinking about the direction I want to take my blog, and I think I'm going to steer it in the direction of baking, food and health, with the odd random post so you don't get bored! I especially want to concentrate on baking as its what I'm studying at uni and a big love of mine

I might even share an amazing recipe for Oreo cookies and cream cupcakes...They're so good! And definitely not diet friendly so I'll have to leave the baking to you again on that one, or save it for my free day!

Until next time, keep calm and have a cupcake!

Porky to Popeye

I had my third personal training session today, this one was an hour long and I really struggled! I found the whole session really hard work and annoyed myself by complaining throughout the whole thing...oops! The nutrition side of my health kick has been quite difficult too, I'm a big snacker so I'm finding it hard to bit be able to anymore. Bring on my "free" day where I'm aloud to eat what I want. I think I'm going to have Thursday as my free day, and I'm already planning the lovely things I could eat!
Although ice been finding it difficult I love the feeling that comes after a good workout and I'm hoping that results will start to show soon! It helps that my trainer has been do supportive and helpful, any questions I've had she's got straight back to me and has been do helpful...if you fancy giving it a go I would really recommend them. Have a look- www.quest-fitness.co.uk

For now I'm off to get sone sleep ready to tackle my scrambled eggs and spinach for breakfast and another training session...wish me luck!

Happy Baking- Triple chocolate brownie recipe

So, as I'm on a bit of a health kick (ignoring the banana bread I ate today, oops!) I thought I would leave the baking to you for a while. This is my favourite recipe for chocolate brownies that I've adapted from another recipe. It's really good, and not that high in calories (surprisingly!) it's also perfect to munch in front of the tv during this horrible weather!

What you'll need-
(This recipe makes 9-12 brownies, depending on the size of your slice!)

Square baking tin about 18cm x 18cm

85g Dark chocolate (Bournville works well, but 70% cocoa is better)
85g Plain flour
25g Cocoa powder (I like to use Bournville cocoa)
1/4 Teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda
100g Golden caster sugar
50g Light muscovado sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 Tablespoon Semi skimmed milk
1 Tablespoon Hot water
1 Egg- beaten
100g Mayonnaise (I like to Helmans Light)
50g Milk chocolate chips
50g White chocolate chips

What you'll need to do-

1) Preheat the oven to 180C about gas mark 4, grease the sides of your tin, and line the bottom with grease proof paper.

2) Melt the dark chocolate- use the double boiler method for best results.

3) Remove the chocolate from the boiler and let cool slightly while you do the next step.

4) Stir both of the sugars into the slightly cooled melted chocolate, followed by the vanilla and milk. Then add the water and stir through.

5) Add the beaten egg and stir, then add the mayonnaise and stir until smooth and glossy.

6) Sieve the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda over the mixture and carefully fold in using a spatula.

7) Next add the chocolate chips and again carefully fold into the mixture.

8) Transfer the mix to the baking tin making sure it's spread out evenly and bake for 25-30 minutes- check to make sure it's done by inserting a skewer- it should come out with just a few crumbs on. 

9) When cool remove from the tin and cut into 12 pieces.

10) EAT and enjoy :)

Let me know what you think. Any questions just ask.

Identity Crisis

Some of may know this, and some of you may not, but it's taken me a while to discover what I want to do with my life.

I started off wanting to be a chef, then in year 8 I changed my mind and wanted to be a graphic designer.
By the time it came to choosing my options in year 9 I was only half sure that this was what I wanted to do, and then I changed my mind again...I wanted to become a beauty therapist!

So off I went to college to study beauty therapy...At first I enjoyed it, but after struggling with panic attacks and hating being away from home I decided not to do a second year of it, instead I went to work for the Council as an Administration Apprentice. After 4 months I changed again and started working on reception.

But that wasn't what I wanted to do...So I completed a long distance course in Wedding and Event Management...But that still wasn't right...During a long old winter I baked my little heart out and eventually decided that I had found it, I had found what I wanted to be. Another year of working at the Council and I finally felt brave enough to leave home again and go to University...So here I am, studying for a foundation degree in Baking Technology and Management....Yes by the way, it is a really course, I do get a qualification, I don't just mix some cake batter in a bowl all day...I do theory, I work hard, and I'm doing a lot better than all the people who decide to make snide comments about my course.

What I guess I want to say is, it's okay to not know what you want to do, to change your mind and experiment. Don't ever feel trapped in the path you've chosen :)

Gee I'm so wise!

A step in the wrong direction

SO much for the new healthy me, today I've munched my way through two flapjacks, a malteaser rabbit and some little twirl bite things...I'm trying to persuade myself that it's okay, but I'm not convinced. Two months of calorie counting has taken its toll and I hit a massive great wall!
BUT don't fear, for tomorrow I start my super duper nutrition plan that my personal trainer has put together for me :) It's got strange things like poached egg and spinach for breakfast!...Breakfast!!...Spinach!! I'm already mourning the loss of my Sunday morning Pain au Chocolat :(
Seriously if I don't shift some pounds after this and my FOUR training sessions a week I might just cry myself to sleep with a bowl of ice cream for comfort!

It hasn't just been wall hitting today though, I also started my new job.
I'm working in a really lovely Bakery in Kingston decorating cupcakes and cakes. I piped, I swirled, I smoothed, I sprinkled, and I really enjoyed it. Theres also nothing better than the smell of freshly baked cakes...Mmmmm

Not much else to report...I'll keep you all updated on this spinach for breakfast thing!

Health kick and the battle against a courgette

When I first moved to London I was training for a half marathon, I was running about 3 times a week (on a good week) and feeling pretty healthy, but I injured my knee about a month before I was supposed to run so I had to pull out...since then I've fully embraced the take away...Chinese, Thai, Pizza, Mc Donald's, KFC...you name it ive been eating it...after much happy munching I realised I should probably cut the crap and loose the pounds so I've embarked on a health kick!
Ive been counting the calories and even hired a personal trainer. Yesterday was my first session with her. "Ah this will be easy" I thought "I'm not in that bad shape" well I was wrong. Today I woke up and muscles hurt that I didn't even know existed!...after hobbling around the bedroom for most of the morning I decided to do something productive that required minimal moving, and so I decided to try out a recipe I found for courgette muffins...

So off I hobbled to the kitchen to embark on my healthy bake...I grated courgette, I measured the skimmed milk, mixed everything together and the little things came out looking pretty good.
But I was wrong, the only good thing about these little beauty's is the way they look...as soon as I took a bite and exposed its slightly gooey tinted green insides I realised that healthy baking is definitely not for me and threw them straight in the bin!

Courgettes 1
Me 0

The start of something wonderful...maybe

So here goes...I'm joining the blogging community!

Right now i'm not completely sure what I'm going to blog about, I think it's mostly going to be a mixture of my thoughts, things I've been doing and anything else that takes my fancy...I'm not promising writing worthy of becoming a best seller, but I am promising me...the unedited version.

So for the first entry lets start with some basics...I'm an Island Girl, having recently taken the plunge and moved to London to study Baking at university. Moving here was quite easily the scariest thing I've ever done in my life. Partly because I've never spent more than a week in London and second because for two years before moving I suffered badly with Panic Attacks. It took 2 hard years of hypnotherapy to rid of my daily attacks and feel confident enough to move, and to my amazement I love it!

I now feel completely at home in London, I love the buzz that the city has to offer, the parks and open spaces that break up the high rise buildings and shopping centres, the ability to walk no further than 10 minutes and be able to buy a cup of tea, and mostly I love the fact that I feel at home. I fit here. I slot into the huge jigsaw puzzle that is London and I've found my spot.