31 May 2012

There's a corgi on my cake!

A short post from me this week as I just wanted to share this creation with you, my Jubilee Victoria Sponge!  I'm still having problems getting my Victoria Sponge to rise properly, they never seem to work as well as other cakes I make...not sure why?  Anyway, this one was one of my better efforts, topped off with some fab decorations from Not On The High Street.  I've since seen the same kit in Waitrose, so it would be great if you're stuck for something to take to a Jubilee party this weekend.


There's a cut out of Buckingham Palace, some bunting, the Queens carriage, union jack flags, Her Majesty & Prince Philip, two Guards & a couple of corgi's!

So whether you're celebrating the Diamond Jubilee or just looking forward to the extra long weekend, I hope you enjoy it. I for one, will use it as an excuse to eat cake!  Till next time, Rebecca x

22 May 2012

Very very chocolately cookies from Cox Cookies & Cake

Over the last few years as my baking habit has grown, so it seems has my collection of cook books, most of which I have very gratefully recieved as gifts. I love looking through them for inspiration & to drool over the pictures, but if I think about it, it's not that often I actually choose a new recipe from a book & try it out. I have my staple recipes that I pretty much know off by heart, then the rest is a series of experiments, some more successful than others!

So I've decided to branch out, broaden my repertoire & try out at least one new recipe from each of my books. The first is from Cox Cookies & Cake, a collaboration beween baker Eric Lanlard & the designer Patrick Cox.  The book is a technicolour spectacular divided into themed chapters, my particular favourite is the Styling Cupcakes section.  Although where one is meant to find a beach bum mould & skin-coloured edible paste I have no idea, (Cheeky Cupcakes on page 100 if you get a chance to look at the book!)

Easing myself gently into this somewhat eccentric cook book, I decided to make double chocolate & marshmallow cookies, the Man Cakes (page 108) will have to wait for another day.


They really should be called Choc as much choc as you can into a cookie cookie.  They have melted chocolate, cocoa powder & chocolate chips in them, topped off with a good drizzle of melted marshmallow.  The texture was quite cakey rather than crunchy cookie, but oh my god they tasted good!  Next on the hit list for this book is the Orange Marmalade Cupcakes, it's worth a look if you want some more unusual ideas & if anyone knows where I can find a torso mould let me know :-)  Till next time, Rebecca x 


15 May 2012

If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun

So what are rules? One of the dictionary definitions is 'the customary or normal circumstances, occurrences, manner, practise, quality etc' Essentially we go through life following these types of rules, work hard at school, work hard at university, find a good job, be loyal & work hard at work, working hard is a somewhat recurring theme.

But what happens when you don't want to follow these rules anymore?

This is not a tale of epic proportions or of great significance, it is a simple story about going against the grain & following your gut. I have a nice job, I work with a lovely team of people, I like the products we make, but ultimately I have been doing the same thing for years & I've grown bored...so bored I've actually had visions of throwing my laptop across the office & flouncing out in dramatic style. I appreciate you may be thinking, stop whinging, do you not know we're in a recession, you're lucky to have a job! But as most of us spend more time at work than with our families, should we have to accept being unhappy at work?

So what did I do?

I quit my job.

I have no new job.

Ooops!

Or as the response of most people I've told has been, wow you're brave, r.e. crazy woman, do you not know we're in recession yada yada yada...

It wasn't a rash decision, (unlike someone I know who shall remain nameless who posted a resignation letter through their boss' door at 10pm then never went back!) I have thought of nothing else for weeks. However the relief I feel having now made my choice is unreal, even my work colleagues have noticed a difference, which makes me wonder just HOW uptight & unbearable I'd been at work?

My gut was telling me it was time to go & bugger me it's probably right...again! This isn't the first tricky (slightly reckless) decision I've ever made, when I was 20 I left a good job to go back to uni & complete my degree, when I was 27 I left my first marketing job with no where to go. At the time there were people around me who said I was making bad decisions that I would live to regret. One particularly supportive boss suggested as a result of my decision I would be, & I quote 'unemployable'. Both worked out fine & led me to where I am now, so at 33 making another significant change, I just have to trust that there's no reason why it won't be ok this time too.

So to the title of this post, it's a quote from Katharine Hepburn, 'If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun'. That kind of sums it up for me, I haven't followed the rules, this isn't what people expected me to do, but I'm excited for the future, it's fun not knowing what is coming next. I feel like a cloud has lifted & after a stress induced baking hiatus, Ive even made some cookies!

The moral of my story, follow your gut & don't feel you have to do what people expect of you. For me, it's onwards with the job search! (I'm an experienced Group Brand Manager with strong commercial experience in case anyone is wondering!?) That said with 5 years working for a coffee brand, there's always Cafe Nero or maybe I'll finally get round to opening a cafe of my own? The world is my lobster! Till next time, Rebecca x

31 May 2012

There's a corgi on my cake!

A short post from me this week as I just wanted to share this creation with you, my Jubilee Victoria Sponge!  I'm still having problems getting my Victoria Sponge to rise properly, they never seem to work as well as other cakes I make...not sure why?  Anyway, this one was one of my better efforts, topped off with some fab decorations from Not On The High Street.  I've since seen the same kit in Waitrose, so it would be great if you're stuck for something to take to a Jubilee party this weekend.


There's a cut out of Buckingham Palace, some bunting, the Queens carriage, union jack flags, Her Majesty & Prince Philip, two Guards & a couple of corgi's!

So whether you're celebrating the Diamond Jubilee or just looking forward to the extra long weekend, I hope you enjoy it. I for one, will use it as an excuse to eat cake!  Till next time, Rebecca x

22 May 2012

Very very chocolately cookies from Cox Cookies & Cake

Over the last few years as my baking habit has grown, so it seems has my collection of cook books, most of which I have very gratefully recieved as gifts. I love looking through them for inspiration & to drool over the pictures, but if I think about it, it's not that often I actually choose a new recipe from a book & try it out. I have my staple recipes that I pretty much know off by heart, then the rest is a series of experiments, some more successful than others!

So I've decided to branch out, broaden my repertoire & try out at least one new recipe from each of my books. The first is from Cox Cookies & Cake, a collaboration beween baker Eric Lanlard & the designer Patrick Cox.  The book is a technicolour spectacular divided into themed chapters, my particular favourite is the Styling Cupcakes section.  Although where one is meant to find a beach bum mould & skin-coloured edible paste I have no idea, (Cheeky Cupcakes on page 100 if you get a chance to look at the book!)

Easing myself gently into this somewhat eccentric cook book, I decided to make double chocolate & marshmallow cookies, the Man Cakes (page 108) will have to wait for another day.


They really should be called Choc as much choc as you can into a cookie cookie.  They have melted chocolate, cocoa powder & chocolate chips in them, topped off with a good drizzle of melted marshmallow.  The texture was quite cakey rather than crunchy cookie, but oh my god they tasted good!  Next on the hit list for this book is the Orange Marmalade Cupcakes, it's worth a look if you want some more unusual ideas & if anyone knows where I can find a torso mould let me know :-)  Till next time, Rebecca x 


15 May 2012

If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun

So what are rules? One of the dictionary definitions is 'the customary or normal circumstances, occurrences, manner, practise, quality etc' Essentially we go through life following these types of rules, work hard at school, work hard at university, find a good job, be loyal & work hard at work, working hard is a somewhat recurring theme.

But what happens when you don't want to follow these rules anymore?

This is not a tale of epic proportions or of great significance, it is a simple story about going against the grain & following your gut. I have a nice job, I work with a lovely team of people, I like the products we make, but ultimately I have been doing the same thing for years & I've grown bored...so bored I've actually had visions of throwing my laptop across the office & flouncing out in dramatic style. I appreciate you may be thinking, stop whinging, do you not know we're in a recession, you're lucky to have a job! But as most of us spend more time at work than with our families, should we have to accept being unhappy at work?

So what did I do?

I quit my job.

I have no new job.

Ooops!

Or as the response of most people I've told has been, wow you're brave, r.e. crazy woman, do you not know we're in recession yada yada yada...

It wasn't a rash decision, (unlike someone I know who shall remain nameless who posted a resignation letter through their boss' door at 10pm then never went back!) I have thought of nothing else for weeks. However the relief I feel having now made my choice is unreal, even my work colleagues have noticed a difference, which makes me wonder just HOW uptight & unbearable I'd been at work?

My gut was telling me it was time to go & bugger me it's probably right...again! This isn't the first tricky (slightly reckless) decision I've ever made, when I was 20 I left a good job to go back to uni & complete my degree, when I was 27 I left my first marketing job with no where to go. At the time there were people around me who said I was making bad decisions that I would live to regret. One particularly supportive boss suggested as a result of my decision I would be, & I quote 'unemployable'. Both worked out fine & led me to where I am now, so at 33 making another significant change, I just have to trust that there's no reason why it won't be ok this time too.

So to the title of this post, it's a quote from Katharine Hepburn, 'If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun'. That kind of sums it up for me, I haven't followed the rules, this isn't what people expected me to do, but I'm excited for the future, it's fun not knowing what is coming next. I feel like a cloud has lifted & after a stress induced baking hiatus, Ive even made some cookies!

The moral of my story, follow your gut & don't feel you have to do what people expect of you. For me, it's onwards with the job search! (I'm an experienced Group Brand Manager with strong commercial experience in case anyone is wondering!?) That said with 5 years working for a coffee brand, there's always Cafe Nero or maybe I'll finally get round to opening a cafe of my own? The world is my lobster! Till next time, Rebecca x