I still haven’t written my essay. I have finished watching season 2 of The Wire though. Seriously, I just can’t get into the zone. I’m going to have a go at writing something tonight when the kids are in bed but basically I’ve resigned myself to a late night tomorrow.
So, today we baked bread. Well, when I say baked bread what I mean is that Devin emptied a packet of bread mix (Parmesan and Sun-dried tomato) into a bowl and mixed it with some water before kneading and stretching it, shaping it, leaving it to rise and cooking it. He did a rather wonderful job and both he and Brodie declared it delicious.
I also received a rather wonderful present in the post yesterday. This gives me yet another opportunity to big up the amazingly talented ilovespoiltpig. My rubbish picture does not do this piece justice. I absolutely love it and have been wearing it constantly.
The deadline for the Alice in Wonderland swap organised by Meridian Ariel is fast approaching. I have a stickie note on my computer with ideas for projects but am undecided in terms of what to make. I think I may be having a crisis of confidence because I know that I’m not artistic in the slightest. I also realise that I wont have a great deal of time to make something, what with all my uni deadlines, but I want to make something cracking for my swap partner.
So, once again I find myself unable to bake and craft. Have I lost my mojo? Not this time. I was involved in a slight car accident last week (I was hit from behind by another car) and now have whiplash. After a couple of days of resting and relaxing I’m now going to try to pick myself back up and get into the swing of things. It’s strange how quickly you feel depression creeping up on you when something disrupts your life. Not being at work, sitting at home all day, really gets to me. I guess it shows just how much I love my job.
This week I shall once again be crafting an essay. I may not be able to put my bra on properly by myself, or straighten my hair, but I will find a way to get this blooming essay done. As January comes to an end we’re a little bit skint, so I’m going to try using up the ingredients I have in the house this weekend. I’m thinking that bread and biscuits will be doable.
Plain sponge cake is not a thing I’ve ever made. If I’m making cake, it’s a chocolate cake I desire. However, this week I found myself making plain sponge on two separate occasions. At the weekend I made a Boston Cream Pie, which is basically two sponge cakes sandwiched with creme patisserie and topped with a chocolate ganache. The sponge was amazing but I had slight problems with the filling and topping. My creme patisserie wasn’t thick enough and, having never made it before, it didn’t dawn on me that it wouldn’t thicken much when it was cooled. Still, it tasted divine. Then the ganache split slightly and no matter what I did, it just didn’t have a smooth and shiny consistency. All in all, the cake looked messy but it tasted great.
Then last night I had a go at making a birthday cake for Brodie, who turned 3 today. The kids love the chocolate icing I make but I find that the combination of that and the chocolate cake is a little much for them. So, I decided to have a go at another sponge cake. This time I filled it with raspberry jam and pink vanilla butter icing before topping it with some more of the icing mixture. The wee sugar bees which adorn it were part of a christmas present from my mum.
I’m actually giving bits of this cake away to those who visit us in order to stop myself from eating it. Being a Nigella Lawson recipe I dread to think how many points are in each slice. My cake testers assure me that it’s yummy.
Today is my 31st birthday. It’s been a bit of a non-event because today was also the start of the new school term. I woke up to be greeted with about an inch of snow (and ice) and drove to school where the snow was so deep I couldn’t even get my car into the car park. Still, pupils and teachers arrived and we set about having a ‘normal’ day.
There is no crafting or baking about my birthday; there was no cake (I approve of this due to healthy eating/dieting). However, I received some awesome gifts. My husband has pre ordered the new Lostprophets album and also bought me a couple of books: Tall, Dark and Dead by Tate Hallaway and Fugitive Cultures but Henry Giroux. My brother sent me a Pigeon Street retro bag from Truffle Shuffle. All in all it’s been a calm, relaxing day…which is just the way I like it.
Happy New Year folks. One of my “resolutions” this year is to make more food from scratch (although if today’s Boston Cream Pie disaster, which I will blog about in all its messy glory later, is anything to go by I should just give up). Another one of my resolutions is, as always, to lose weight. As a swan song to my calorific ways I’ll share this recipe with you:
In this cold weather I am craving comfort food. Macaroni Cheese is not a dish I’ve ever loved, but I’ve been getting cravings for it of late. So, I broke out my trusty Nigella recipe book and off I went. These recipe is calorie-laden and wonderfully rich as a result. I overcooked it very slightly so the sauce wasn’t as runny as I’d of liked. I also topped it with crushed up crisps because I like a crunchy, crispy topping. The kids wolfed it down as well so I’d say it was a success all round.
250g Macaroni
250g Cheese (I used a mixture of cheddars)
250ml evaporated milk
salt and pepper
2 eggs
grating of fresh nutmeg
- Cook macaroni according to packet instructions.
- Blitz other ingredients together (or if you grate the cheese first you can just mix them by hand).
- Pour cheese sauce over macaroni and stir well before transferring into oven proof dish.
- Cook in a hot oven (220c) for 10-15 minutes.
