Children in need cupcake!

Well guys, it's been a long time since my last post! I gave decided to restart my blogging career by posting about yesterday's cupcake children in need therapy! My sister is hosting a big children in need party and asked me to bake a giant cupcake to auction and some smaller ones so that she can sell them!!

In my time away from blogging I have discovered the joys of cake off! New product to morrisons but if anyone has a problem with cakes sticking then you need to buy some. It's found in the cake isle and is made by dr oetker. Fabulous stuff!

I haven't stopped baking, I have cooked a few cakes of which I will add some pictures. I've become quite well known for being the cupcake lady, even baking for someone wedding!!

Blogging has become difficult because I just haven't had the words there to write. I am working now as a manger which is keeping me busy and yes I am still on weight watchers, unfortunately still fighting a losing battle since I am on new medication for my Rheumatoid Arthritis! I now have infusions in hospital every 6 months, and I thought it was working very well until this week when my knees started to swell! Hopefully just a blip!
Have to go wash the lemon buttercream icing out of my hair! Until later fellow bloggers!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Just discovered QuidCO..

http://www.quidco.com/user/1243750/

Please use this link to join and you can get cashback off all your purchases...a friend has made £800 over the last year!!

Enjoy
xx

Thank you for all your messages

Hi all my lovely readers!

Well the poor cupcakes have suffered lately....All this working is making me shattered. Not only that this week I went to see my doctor who advised me that my last blood tests show that I am Vit D and Calcium deficient. I also have been having turning my brain off at night. Now that I am working, my brain is being worked. I love working, but need to find a way to turn off from it when I am home being mummy.

So, the doctor has prescribed Amitriptline to help me sleep....man is it knocking me out. I take it at about 9pm, wake up for 8am ish but having trouble getting up! My poor hubby is getting up with Grace and leaving me in bed. It was 6.30am this morning:-( Poor Jim.

As for my cupcakes, I miss them....I am planning on making some this week. A giant one and some normal sized ones. I want to start looking at new kitchen gadgets too. As I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, I am always look at ways to save my hands etc etc.

If you have any ideas please let me know.

P.S i will be adding a album of the week to my blog. The theme to my life for the week!!!

This week it's:-
Sad I know...but I am a huge glee fan..the only programme that leaves me feeling happy!

I am slacking!

I am slacking arn't i???

Well watch this space....I am baking tomorrow!
x

Well I am sat at St Lukes hospital awaiting my fate and to see if an injection into my shoulders is needed.
The waiting room is quiet and you can hear the nurses having a disagreement and I must say it doesn't instil confidence. The waiting area is bland and boring, I think a previous ward. No wonder people hate hospitals, i would want to stop here! Why do all hospitals smell the same?
Can you tell I am officially bored? I decided to catch the bus to the hospital today as if I do need injections, driving will not be an option. Planned my journey, and left the house! Right on time the bus arrives.... And then travels right past me! I am fumming, looked liked the bus driver was looking at something other than the road or the bus stop where I am standing waving and shouting. I will complain.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Joys of injections

Hummmm...I am working!

Hello All,

Well Cupcakes has a job. Unfortunately nothing to do with baking, although it's odd how cupcakes pops up in many ways!

My Job - Account Executive for a Drug testing/products company. Actually, it the job I have been looking for for many years and it happened all by accident. I am so chuffed, they are a lovely company with only a small infrastructure at the moment, they are willing to listen to ideas I have, manage my own workload and really get my brain ticking - something I have craved for ages! Now I feel like I am using my brain, and I am discovering that actually it still works! Since Grace I was in a little doubt. :-{

The other member of the company Jay is the accounts manager, and she also has a cupcake addiction. As we get to know each other I am sure we'll be able to swap stories and maybe even get some tips.

I have run out of eggs over the weekend so cupcake/baking has been on hold until the trip to the dreaded supermarket. Why do we all dread the supermarket run?? It's just so time consuming and annoying, it's the worst part of being a housewife for me. If I could delegate that task I so would, for those of you who are regular readers you'll know that Jim is not that good at shopping (referring to the butter or marg scenario!).

Just a quick note to Emma for your card and also for taking my half failed cupcake to your work! You say they enjoyed it...I hope so anyway.

I am planning a giant cupcake apple surprise and also a giant chocolate and peppermint over the next few weeks so will keep you all posted.

This is the one I am using for anyone else who wants to have a go.
I have used the standard 8oz cake mixture in each half! So 16oz altogether.

Really good fun and make excellent party cakes.

Giant cupcake day 2

Well the decorating went very well! Although it's a shame the person they were for read this blog and spoiled the surprise!!! Anyway pic below!

























My sister in law Gina, and hubby steve also made a fantastic car cake.......





And the party girl herself... Emma. Congratulations on passing your driving test!





What a lovely evening we all had!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Day 1...Giant Cupcake

Hopefully this will make you laugh.

My first attempt was using my standard 8oz mixture and dividing it between the moulds. This is the result:-

Looks good hur? Well I though so....although it didn't rise enough and only came to half the cupcake mould.

So attempt 2. Go for it with 16oz. Doubling everything.......

 Looks even better, to get the full sense of size.... The right one is attempt 1 and the left attempt 2.

One humongous cupcake...

 Day's 2 tasks:- Decoration!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My First Giant Cupcake

Yes....you read it right....My first GIANT cupcake.

I have a party tomorrow evening and I am making a themed giant cupcake. It's a surprise do, and the person it's for reads this blog so I won't be giving any more details out at this stage. I will however add pics after the event.

Funny thing though, I need some cake supplies so decided that the local Morrison's would be of help. All of us in the car, not an easy task when your left arms feels like it's hanging off again, and you have one stroppy nearly three year old demanding to do things her own way! James and I eventually get going and then Grace falls asleep. Deciding to leave the Grocery shop till last to give time for Grace to sleep we head out for the giant cupcake mold. I was discussing with James the fact that the cheaper butter is no good for tomorrows occasion and I would need a butter which was very light in colour. Something like Lurpak. He said try Stork, as its cheaper. I know he's a man so I gave him a calm and uncruel lesson in butter, Stalk is not BUTTER but marg.
After we'd got all our other bits and bobs, off to Morrison's we go. Wake up Grace, do our shopping and head home. Just as we pull onto the drive, what have I forgotten??? The butter. James offers to go back and so I agree and head into the house with Grace.

10 minutes later......

He walks in....with two large tubs of STORK! He said "I've made an executive decision...Stork is cheaper than Lurpak, so I got that instead!" Oh man, now I still have no butter. Yet again I politely inform him..."STORK IS NOT BUTTER! I NEED BUTTER TO MAKE BUTTER CREAM....NOT STORK CREAM!"

Do you ever get that feeling of I just wished I had done it myself??

Sorry..It's been a while.

Hi All,

Well It has been a while since my last post...I think I have a brain blockage or writers block, I am not sure which.

I have had a few things happen in my life over the last two weeks which I think is causing a little stress. More than maybe I am willing to admit are affecting me. The first thing was that Grace's childcare has fallen through, meaning we had to remove her from her nursery placement because of an incident that occurred a few weeks ago, which Ofstead now are investigating...Please don't worry though Grace is fine.

I think because my life revolves around my pnd to a certain extent, I was worried that my PND will kick off with the change in circumstances. After all, if I have a bad day and Grace was at nursery then she wouldn't see me having that bad day and therefore it wouldn't affect her. Now that's all changed I was worried that she would see that "other" side of me. However, I am now pleased to confirm that since she has been at home with me, our relationship is so much stronger and I am not panicking about having her at home with me, which is the first time since she was small that I have felt that way.

On a sadder note, the cupcakes have been suffering as I haven't had as much time to make them. I have, you'll be pleased to know, that I have been exploring other baking methods. I have made two bread puddings, a banana loaf (that's also pro points friendly!) and some really yummy meals. I did also make some Rum and Raisin flavoured cupcakes two weeks ago, which the icing went very wet and dribbled down the outside of the cupcake! That sums up the last few weeks!

I will add some pics of the latest baking efforts in the morning, as my phone battery has died and I need to charge it.

Thank you for all your comments and messages......I am here and will make earnest efforts to be more regular. Especially now I am getting back into a routine!

This sums me up yesterday!!! OUCH....

I am however really glad that the rotten tooth is out. I am still sore today but it is nothing compared to the pain I was in on Sunday. I have been through pain killer free labour that resulted in a 3rd degree tear, Arthritis on a daily basis and various other pain related issues and believe me Sunday was the worst pain I had felt for a very long time. I wondered if i could buy some anthestetics from the local druggies but decided I was not in the best frame of mind to go ask!

Even after taking Codine which I use for my joints, it didn't help. Whiskey however helped with numbing...so my top tip of the day is....

Whiskey for pain relief.

I am now starting to contemplate my next flavour in the cupcake department...Maybe Rum & Raisin keeping with the alcohol theme.

Lemon Icing Cupcakes

These are the latest efforts...Lemon Icing Cake.

I was asked to make them for my sister who's husband was having a meeting at his home. So she asked if I could make some cupcakes as refreshments for them. They went down very well from all accounts, someone even commenting that he would happily pay for them! I was so pleased. It has given me ideas to open a cupcake house, where you can choose your base and your topping...a bit like an ice-cream shop. It would have tables and chairs for you to be able to have a cuppa while you were there! Me and my brainy ideas...I have been dreaming about this shop and even what areas I would open them in. I am mad, I am sure of it.

Today, I have had terrible toothache, eating helps especially cupcakes. I don't think I will lose any weight this week at weight watchers! I have to go to the dentist tomorrow and I think he is going to extract my tooth. I am really not looking forward to it but have decided that it has to be better than the pain I am in. I even thought of pulling it out myself, do a Tom Hanks special (as in Cast Away!). Will let you know how it goes?

What do you guys think to the icing technique? Do you think it's getting better?










- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Chocotastic success!

They have come up stunning, using the standard 8oz method with the added 2tbs of coco and 150g melted chocolate. This is them when they came out of the oven...



The icing was also perfect 110g of butter, 250g icing sugar, 1tbs of coco, vanilla essence, and 150g melted chocolate.







Decorated with marshmallows and my favourite glitter!

I feel yet again like I am on top of the world! Even James is in a good mood.

Lesson learnt: never cook or bake when in a bad mood!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Today...

I have decided to have another go at chocolate cupcakes!

I hope they work this time as i honestly don't think my brain would be able to cope with another cupcake failure! On the brighter side, I am going to propoints them for anyone else on weight watchers and then post the complete recipe on here. Do you think its good to be baking cakes after returning to WW for the first time since the holidays? Oh well, I have no cakes to tempt people with so I need to replenish my stocks! I'll try not to eat any or the mixture....promise.

Will post my progress....

Okay the chocolate!

Well I am not going to say very much about these! I think pictures speak a thousand words in this case. Needless to say the day I made them, the cakes have taken on how I felt!!

I feel much better today, so hopefully the next batch will rise!





They do taste good though, especially as I am a huge chocolate fan!

This is what they look like with the topping on....




Xxxx

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Bad day

Hi all,

Well for the first time on this blog, i feel like I am having a bad day..I think it started with the chocolate cupcakes that sank yesterday! I feel so disappointed that I can't even bring myself to write about it. (I will...I am just being melodramatic!)

I am not sure if I have mentioned this before, but I suffer with rheumatoid arthritis and joint hypermobility syndrome as well as PND. Today, my feet are so sore it's been like walking on thousands of needles. I am honestly not one for moaning, but hey this is my blog and yes I think I should use it to moan. That way my poor other half Jim, doesn't have to listen to it. This is my outlet after all.

Thankfully, my pnd seems to be better, but reoccurs when strangely I have nothing planned for the day and Grace is with me! Then I feel guilty for thinking that she should be at nursery or something. What the brain does to us is scary. It makes me just want to scream at times. I went to bed last night thinking 'okay, today grace and I are going to have a good day!' then you wake up, my feet are sore and I am just not in the mood. You can't really explain it either, I can tell you that my joints are sore but the affect that has on my brain and just moving is something unless you know what i am on about, you just can't explain. It's exhausting.

Anyway, enough of the moaning now...even I am sick of hearing it!

Blow the cobwebs out!

Goldenacre park in Leeds, my mother and little one, grace, throwing the ducks the left overs from the failed bread and butter from last night!

I must say that there is something about getting out in the fresh air when your feeling a bit pants!

Man it's cold still.....role on summer.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Church Ln,Leeds,United Kingdom

How does this work out??

Okay, so I thought i would share this with you....

My mother invited us around for dinner today. Although she decided my house would be better and of course I could help her. She informs us that she is baking a  bread and butter pudding. With great expectations, as after all she is my mother, the one who taught me all I know, the one who taught me how to bake my first Victoria sponge we open the oven to this.....


What did she forget???

The Egg to bind it all together.

So my inspiration failed us tonight, and provided us with a hot bread, raisins and milk slop with what look like rabbit droppings on top,  instead of the bread and butter we should of had.

At least we saw the funny side!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Apple Surprise

I attempted last night a dream that had kept me awake the night before! It had kept me awake for two nights so decided that the only way I could get rid of it was to bake them.

I dreamt of making a toffee and apple cupcake! The apple was to be gooey in the centre, with melted toffee pieces in the mixture itself, finished with a green icing topping! In my dream it works perfectly, in reality totally different.

My first issue was the toffee I had brought turned out to be fudge. So now it's fudge and apple! I couldn't decided weather to add it to the precooked mixture or after. I decided after much discussion with James to add it to the mixture. The results I will tell you about in a moment.

The second issue was how on earth does a novice get apple to the centre of a cupcake??? So armed with a knife I chopped the tops of my perfect looking cakes...it felt so so wrong but I had to choice but to proceed. Fill with apple sauce baked a few moments earlier then place the top back on!

Third issue, green buttercream icing.....perfect colour icing, just as I imagined, but I just didn't have the piping equipment to cope. So after using my £4 bargain syringe piper, after 6 cakes it broke! What do I do now? Back to the trusty method of butter knife and spreading. After all the faffing, the icing started to get too warm and was melting. Man nothing was going to plan or according to my dream.

After completing the above processes....They had to be placed into my fridge/conservatory to set.

What would they come out like??

Pictures to follow.....

The results

The fudge that was meant to be toffee sank to the bottom of the cake.....

The apple centre worked beautifully, just as in my dream...

The icing wasn't as planned but at least the colour was right.





You can just see the darker bottom in this picture of the fudge!!




The taste......STUNNING....Just what I was aiming for.

I did all this while not sleeping for two nights, a headache and trying to cook dinner too.
I had forgotten I have a family to feed too, to busy trying to bake cupcakes....
Does that make me a bad mother and housewife????

Are they purple??

Okay so I think I have a problem! When I get bored I have this urge to bake! This is the latest collection.

They are purple cupcakes with a hint of lemon although I didn't have any lemon essence so it was not too strong, apparently more like raspberry! Not sure how that happened.

I have discovered however the joy of edible glitter! It's fabulous stuff, I have uses some on these, can you see it?


We popped into morrisons for basic supplies only to discover that they have a huge range of cake ingredients and toppings. I have never been so excited to be in morrisons! James left me in that aisle while he got the rest of the shopping and made an emergency visit to the loo with Grace! Poor James, he's been dumped for cupcakes, and more worryingly I think he likes it!



Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone