Sticky ginger cake with maple cream cheese frosting

Ingredients

For the cake:
200g self-raising flour
200g sugar (I used white granulated)
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
55g margarine
1 egg
2 tbsp golden syrup
240ml hot water

maple cream cheese frosting:
philadelphia soft cheese
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 cup powdered icing sugar
15g unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

mix all the dry ingredients to make a crumby texture, then add the wet ingredients and cook at about 150c for around 40mins

decorate

And enjoy the sweet, sticky goodness

xXx

C25K day 3: Week 1 complete

I just finished the first week of the C25K. I actually found it surprisingly easy today. If I didn't know any better I would have thought I had done it wrong somehow. The running intervals seemed to pass very quickly and with little strain on my breathing, and the effects on my legs today are virtually non-existent!

I'm keen to get going with week two, but I am going to stay strict with my rest days.

xXx

C25K day 2

I almost sacked off today's run to opt for a lazy day after a long shift at work yesterday, but I made myself get up and go. I seemed to get warmer than I did during the first run, but that could be down to the weather rather than me. Also, I didn't seem to pant quite as much. During the first run, about half way through I wanted to stop as I was struggling so much and really had to push through hard to make it to the end. This time however, I found the whole thing a lot more comfortable.

I did contemplate not giving myself a rest day tomorrow, but I think I am going to spend this evening looking for some different exercises to do during my rest days, maybe sit ups or something.

xXx

Day 1 of the couch to 5k program

I am using the 'run double'  version of the app. And I just completed day 1.

It just goes to show how little I have been doing, especially as I re-weighed myself and have managed to put on about 4lbs in a little under 2 weeks. I found it a lot more difficult than I should have done, and now my legs are feeling a little jelly-like.

I am working on Sunday so I so think that I am going to go ahead and complete day two tomorrow instead of skipping a day, but will probably wait until the evening.

According to the calorie count on both the treadmill and the app registered at 214 calories, so that is what I registered on my MyFitnessPal app, which I have also begun again. I am a little nervous about my calorie count as the food at work isn't really the healthiest, but if I am careful I should be ok.

xXx

Don't think I can put it off any longer...back to running

Since I moved home a few months back, I haven't done any running at all. I have been waiting to get the treadmill hauled up here, but with the amount of baking and cooking I have been/will be doing, I daren't put off doing anything to counter it any more, so it looks like tomorrow will be the day.

I'm not sure whether I should go to Thryberg country park, or just go and use my mom's treadmill -- I think the treadmill will be the best way to get back into the swing of things. I know a few people who are working their way through the couch to 5k program, so I downloaded the app and think I will build myself up again using that.

I am probably going to go ahead and load up a bunch of music onto my phone as my ipod was stolen late last year ( :( ), hopefully there is a way to work in the app with the music I play?

I tend to just listen to music I enjoy when I run, rather than focusing too much on a beat, I find it easier to 'loose myself' in the run that way! Upbeat music is absolutely the way for me to go, so I think I will go with

• Fall out boy's 'save rock and roll' album, 
• Poppy Brothers 'Mark of the beat'
• Scott Leftwich & The Atarians

I find all of the above really fun songs to listen to and any way I can make running easier can only be a good thing.

xXx

Lasagne with home-made white sauce

Tonight I made lunch for my brother and I, so went for lasagne and served with crinkle chips and garlic bread. I used dolmio low fat sauce for the red, adding lea perrins to the mince, and made my own white using milk butter and plain flour.

To make the white sauce:
Heat milk just enough to melt the butter in a pan, then sieve 6 heaped spoonfuls of plain flour (one spoonful at a time) into the pan, mixing constantly, ensuring the sauce thickens but doesn't develop any lumps.

xXx

Persistence pays off!

After the terrible failure of a few nights ago, I gave it one last shot tonight, and I'm really glad I did! Rather than using the original recipe that I found online, I used a youtube tutorial instead.

I used a SLIGHT modification on the ingredients listed on youtube 
- Sponge Cake -
3 eggs
100g Sugar
90g Flour (I used self raising)
15g Unsalted Butter
1 tbsp Milk

- Soaking Syrup -
2 tbsp Sugar
3 tbsp Hot Water
1 tbsp Honey

- Toppings -
400ml extra thick whipping cream
3 tbsp Sugar
450g Strawberries
Powdered Sugar (roughly 2-3 cups)

I also used parchment paper, and a spring form pan (I believe it is a 9" diameter maybe?)

Generally I just did what the video told me, it is made really simple to follow, and I found it useful to see what it should look like at each stage.

My cake decorating still (obviously) leaves a lot to be desired

But it tastes decent enough for my first attempt at a cake!

xXx

Heart felt biscuits

Waiting to tackle the cake again tomorrow is making me itchy so I threw together some biscuits to help scratch it. I just used butter, sugar and flour, rolled out the mixture and cut it into hearts. I then baked for about 20mins and dotted a bit of pink icing on top.

xXx

A change of heart

Apparently I am a glutton for punishment! After my three failed attempts at making a Japanese Christmas cake, and a little further research this morning, I have come to the conclusion that the recipe I used was either too complicated (or maybe just wrong).

So, in my quest to overcome failure, I have ordered a new hand mixer (My old one fell victim to the battle yesterday), found a new recipe, and I will try one final time tomorrow!

Wish me luck

xXx

Sometimes you just have to admit defeat

Tonight I attempted to bake a cake. When I say tonight, I mean ALL NIGHT! Three attempts and 7 hours later, and all I have to show for it is the failed remains in the bin, and a heap of pots. Perhaps diving in feet first isn't the best option when it comes to baking. I am going to have to learn a little at a time and I have learnt my lesson!

Take home messages:

1. Take a step back and take it slower
2. Start simple and build up to more challenging recipes
3. Learn how cake reacts to my oven and its seemingly wacky temperatures

Worse things have happened :)

xXx

It doesn't need to be fancy to taste good

The theme of today is speedy and scrummy with this mornings cornflake buns. Following suit is this evenings lunch.

I marinated some chicken breast strips (4) in Frank's red hot original sauce. I stuck those in the oven to bake, threw together some cheese dip by microwaving a few spoons of philadelphia soft cheese and a sprinkle of grated cheddar, and served with some cheese covered nacho's and salsa.

It turned out to be a miniature feast with miniature amounts of effort. Perfect.

xXx

Fast and simple cornflake buns

I have the biggest sweet tooth. This morning, I felt it eating at me, so I decided that I would make some chocolate cornflake buns. They are great to take 'the edge'  off, and I find it much more satisfying than just eating a bar of chocolate. The best part (well, the best part if you don't include licking the bowl clean of the leftover, melted chocolate) is they take about 10-15mins to make, then it is just a case of leaving them to set!

I decided that I would use a combination of dairy milk (200g), and (1) terry chocolate orange. The two mixed together made a really smooth chocolate that had just the smallest hint of orange in it, and of course, cornflakes (3 cups).

I broke down the chocolate into my large, glass mixing bowl

And placed over a pan of boiling water to melt it down

Once melted I added the cornflakes a cup at a time, and mixed them until the flakes were coated. Then divided into fairy cases

Easy peasy (even for me!)

xXx

A notice board - with a twist

After I came across a really sweet idea for a workstation on another website via pinterest, it inspired me to do something similar for my room, allowing me to be a little more creative rather than using a plain, boring cork notice board.

I got everything I needed from the range I started with a plain (cheap) cork board. The one I chose came with pins and two small fixing hooks (which I later used to hang the board with).

I began by dismantling the frame of the board into four separate sections. Before I did anything else I used a little leftover paint I had from when I decorated my room to paint the four sections to get rid of the regular wood look.

While that was drying, I covered the cork section with material I had chosen (I was lucky enough to get material with colours that matched my room perfectly) the way you backed an exercise book at school, using super glue to secure the folds on the other reverse side. (Tip: watch out for your fingers, super glue is sticky...I learnt that the hard way!)

After that had been done, I fixed three of the frame pieces back into place (the two sides and the bottom). Before fixing the fourth into place, I halved a 3m ribbon and wrapped each piece around the edge. I then pushed the top edge onto the board, trapping the ribbons in place.

I then fixed the hooks into place and tied the ribbons to hang.

The whole thing took me about 30mins from start to finish and fits into my room a lot better.

xXx

Fairies like cakes too

To celebrating moving into my new home and all the new space I acquired in my kitchen I wanted to bake something my brother and I could enjoy! I opted for fairy cakes!

After a quick internet search I found a  recipe that didn't seem too challenging from baking mad so opted to use that one. I did make one small change though, I decided to add pink food colouring to the butter-cream to make them look that little bit prettier!

They turned out pretty well! Though I did overfill the cases a little too much so they overspilled and joined together, but it was easy enough to separate, and just ended up making bigger buns! (seems like a win to me).

xXx

My most finely tuned skill (or so my friends tell me), my cheesecake

As I said in my disclaimer post, I am by no stretch of the imagination a talented baker! One thing that I can make (pretty much the only thing I can make), is cheesecake.

I have been making this cheesecake for a few years now, and it quickly became the object of my friends affections, and is now the birthday cake of choice for two of my closest friends. Luckily for me, their birthday are within two days of each other (hurray!), although they do still insist of having a full cake each (booo), but I love them both, so it is the least I can do!

I came across the recipe in the deepest depths of the internet, and I can't for the LIFE of me remember where it was (so if you happen to be reading this and recognize it as your own, thank you for giving me and my loved ones years of cheesecakey goodness!), and is as follows:

Ingredients:
Base:
75g butter
180g digestive biscuits

Topping:
500g soft cheese
150g double cream
100g icing sugar
and a splash of vanilla extract

So simple even I can do it!

Directions:
Crush the digestives in a bowl until they are a nice crumbly texture. It needs to be pretty fine so the base holds together, but not so it is a powder. melt the butter in a pan and mix together with the digestives. I tend to line a spring form pan with greaseproof paper, then press the base into the bottom, packing it as tightly as possible, then refrigerate.

While the base is refrigerating, soften the cheese by mixing it. Then mix in the double cream followed by the icing sugar, then finally add the vanilla extract.

Finally; pour the topping on top on the base, smooth out and bang on the counter top to get rid of any air bubbles, then refrigerate again until firm. Once firm, remove the pan sides, and slowly pull down the sides of the paper, then voila!

It really is impossible for me to oversell how simple this recipe is, but the results are so great!

Above is this years birthday cheesecakes for my two friends (apologies for the terrible photo quality, but it was 2am and I was trying to get it done before the start of the next hockey period so I snapped a quick photo with my phone).

Happy cheesecake making!

xXx

DISCLAIMER!

I don't anticipate people coming across this blog, but if you do happen to, hi! I am not very computer savvy, just enough to get by (so the blog won't be fancy), but I will do my best. I'm not an expert in any of the things I do by any stretch of the imagination, but if what I do to pass the time sparks a light in someone else's creative-self, then that is even better! So if you do happen to be here, thanks for checking in :)

Steph xXx

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