Crafty Plans!

So a friend and I have given ourselves a challenge for 2012.

We are going to make crafts for a craft fair.

I have been thinking for the past 2 weeks since I have been home and have decided on 4 main things:

Candles

Soaps

Body Scrubs/sugar

Fridge magnets

For Christmas I was given these candle making and soap making kits from Hobbycraft:

http://direct.hobbycraft.co.uk/products-House-of-Crafts-Creative-Candlemaking-Kit_299518.htm

http://direct.hobbycraft.co.uk/products-Organic-Soap-Making-Kit_341347.htm

Once I start making them, I will let you know how I get on!

AND now, I've seen that Hobbycraft have a sale on.... That's what I'm about to look at...!!

Photography Play

I have always loved taking photographs.  I know I'm not an expert but I love looking for colours and objects to snap.

My brother needed to practise his photography skills so we went to a village that we often went to as kids.  Frant, East Sussex.

We split up and met up again after being inspired. 

As you can see, moments like these make my life more worthwhile!

Here is a selection from the ones I took:

The brother!

I find old doors fascinating... The number of people who walk through. The mystery of them...

The village through the beams.

I like to think this view hasn't changed much over time.

These benches looked like they were having a good ol' gossip, while looking out at the village green!

I found this contraption pleasing to the eye!

Homemade Christmas fun

So this Christmas, to save money, I made a selection of homemade gifts.

My Dad is Alfredo and, you may have guessed, Italian.  He has been nagging me to make him Focaccia bread since I made it for him a few years ago.  So I bought the jars, made the labels and filled them with packet mixes.  I know - slapped wrist!  But I had only been back from America for 9 days so was running out of time. 

I bought the bottles and filled one with Mulled Wine and the other with Coffee Liqueur. 

I wrote instructions on the labels of all and use a Sharpie to write the main name tags.

Anyway, my Dad was really pleased and the total of these gifts was about £25.  It sounds a lot I guess but they really were a pleasure to make!!

Brighton tea shop

This morning I met my Aunt at the Mock Turtle teashop in the North Lanes, Brighton.

Quintessentially British in layout but purely Polish in service!!! ;-)

Everything was served on the vintage blue china, as you can see in the photograph.

It was quaint and cosy for the blustery, although sunny, winter catch up.

Recommended for tourists and cosy days like this one.

The array of teapots and cakes made it cosy and appealing to the mix of people in there.

Seating in limited as the place is so small but the coffee was good, which is just what I needed.  Unfortunately I didn't have any food - another time, dear Mock Turtle!  But here is a review if you want to see it...   http://www.qype.co.uk/place/34609-The-Mock-Turtle-Tea-Shop-Brighton

And a couple more photos.  Have you seen the size of those doughnuts?? That's what she said! ;-)

Brighton brownie baking

Back to Brighton....


.....and my brownies.  No cookies I'm afraid.  I had nothing to measure with, let alone a mixing bowl! 

Well I was certainly restricted.  But I bought 2 packets of brownie mix and decided to make a rocky road brownie.  I had no way of measuring oil and water so had to guess the consistency...!!

I bashed up walnuts, cubed marshmallows into small pieces (very sticky, I warn you!) and broke Cadbury's buttons in too.  As you can see, I had to use a pan as a mixing bowl as my friend has NOTHING to bake with...!!

I'm so sorry to say that I didn't take a photo of the finished result.  I will get better at this. I will!!

 

I baked it at 180'C for 25 mins.  It was very gooey and I worried that it was too gooey.  I let it finish off as I turned the oven off and left it in there.  Probably wasn't the best idea...

BUT!! The outside has a nice slightly crispy coating and a gooey centre.  My Mum thinks I under cook my brownies but I ASSURE you that this is the American way and way WAY more delicious.

British brownies end up being cocoa-heavy, heavy cakes. 

Gooey brownies washed down with a glass of milk.  Amazing.

My taste testers certainly oooo-ed and ahhh-ed over them.

I just took a terrible out of focus photo for you to see.

You want light brown coating on the top and a deep, dark chocolate gooey mix in the centre.

Oh my, it's just gone midnight and I am about to devour the last piece!! Shhhh!!



Cupcake-a-go-go!

Well, people of the blogging world.  I have an announcement!

All my mention of Pretty Witty cake company..... I was offered a job there today!!!!
I didn't dare mention my interview earlier but I start in just under 3 weeks.

I'm stupidly nervous.  Hoping it leads me back Stateside but also hope that no matter what - it is a door to greater things.

I have been an Early Years teacher for 8 years and have always said I would want a career change.... Here is my opportunity.  I am starting at the bottom of a new ladder - at the age of 31.  I will be working long hours for less than half of what I earned as a teacher.  That is what petrifies me.

BUT.... I already have requests for cupcakes for an 18th birthday and a baby shower.  Maybe I can branch out my own baking.  Where to find the time!!!?!

Dearest reader - you may not believe in God or fate but I HAVE to believe this is a new start especially as I love to bake so freaking much!! ;-)

So here are some close-ups of my cupcakes.  Very amateur and I hope to compare as I improve in time...

Brighton blogging part 1

Last night I came to Brighton to visit a friend.
This is the view from his apartment window.
A typical cloudy British-weather-day - as I used to say in North Carolina!
(See how life looks better in the sun?!)

We're waiting for a third friend to join us and then we'll go exploring and have some lunch.

I have promised the boys that I will make cookies for them this afternoon.  There's only a baking tray/sheet.

Seriously!  No eggs, flour, sugar..... No mixing bowl or spoon!!  This is a challenge I am willing to take!

The boys are building a wardrobe together so my mission is to reward them with a tasty treat.  I'll let you know how I get on...!

Cupcake beginnings

On Thursday I had the opportunity to attend a cupcake basics class at Pretty Witty Cakes.
http://www.prettywittycakes.co.uk/

This was the end result.

Want to know how I got there?  Well I'll tell you....!

Thank you to Pretty Witty Cakes for the recipe.

My key tips: when making the buttercream, mix the butter for about 6-8 mins to take the colour out of it.  Go for a light butter.  You can keep going at it and the butter won't separate or anything...

Same with the butter and sugar in the cake mix.  I was worrying about it but it really helped the end effect.  Don't be afraid to let the butter beat! :)

Measuring ingredients

Making cupcakes is actually quite a precise science as cake batters require a very accurate combination of ingredients. When I was a child my nana use to tell me “a good baker does not need to measure” but she had been baking cakes for 30 years so she knew the measurements off by heart! For those of us with a little less experience, it is important to remember that lots of chemical processes need to take place during the cooking and changing the quantities of ingredients upsets this balance – leading to sunken or exploding cupcakes! The important thing is to follow the recipe exactly.

The Oven

It is really important to have an oven thermometer if you are hoping to turn out lots of perfect cupcakes. This is because domestic oven temperatures actually vary greatly from what you see on the dial. My oven, for example, when set at 150 degrees is actually cooking at 180 degrees. An oven thermometer which you just sit on the shelf will therefore make sure you don’t overcook or undercook the cakes (thus avoiding tough little rebels or sunken little blops). You can buy oven thermometers online for just a couple of pounds.
The other thing to remember is not to open the oven door for a quick peek when the cupcakes are cooking! If you do need to look wait until they have been cooking at least 15 minutes or your curiousity could mean they don’t rise properly!

Cupcake cases

When I first started, I kept finding that the cupcake cases peeled away as the cupcakes cooled. Why? One reason was the cupcake cases. If you are a beginner, do not use waxed cupcake cases as these are much more likely to peel away when your cupcakes cool down.
For more baking tips, see Pretty Witty Cakes facebook dicussion page.

Simple Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

Before you start, turn on your oven. It needs time to warm up and remain and a constant temperature before you put the cupcake batter in. You should preheat it to 150C (fan oven). Depending on your oven you may also want to increase this to 160C but no higher.
Measure out the ingredients. They are listed on the right of this page in the order you will need to use them. Cupcakes do not like the cold so all ingredients should be room temperature.

• Ensure the butter is really soft by leaving it out overnight or blasting it in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time. It needs to be almost melting but not actually melting! If you are using Stork Magarine instead, this is usually ok if just left out of the fridge for 5-10 minutes before you start.
• Put the butter or Stork magarine in your kitchen mixer and mix using a beater attachment (for example, the Kenwood K beater) for around 2 minutes. If you do not have a kitchen mixer, don’t despair - people made cakes long before these were invented! Just put the butter/Stork in a bowl and mix until it is light. This is an important step so take your time on this!
• Add the caster sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs, one at at time and mix on a low speed/low arm muscle (!) until they are mixed into the batter.
• Add the vanilla and mix in.

At this point, you should have a liquid mixture. From here, it is important not to mix things too much as over mixing develops gluten which can make the cupcakes tough.

• Sift the flour and add it to the mixture with the cornflour and baking power. Stir this in with a giant spoon very gently rather tham with a mixer. You need to mix it until the flour is just mixed in – no less, no more.
• Add 4-6 tablespoons of milk to loosen the batter a little. This is important as it helps bind the cupcake mixture to the cupcake cases.
• Fill a muffin pan with 12 muffin cases. Scoop the mixture into the cases so it plops in. If you have an ice cream scoop with a release button, this works brilliantly for getting the mixture in the cases without spilling it on the sides.
• You need to fill the cases 1/2 up way if you want perfect flat topped cupcakes and 3/4 of the way up for neat little domes. If in doubt put less in especailly if using butter as this rises a little more.
• Fill another muffin pan with muffin cases. You should be able to fill between 18 and 24 cupcake cases with this mixture depending on whether you want perfectly flat-topped cupcakes or domed ones.
• Put the cupcakes in the oven for 18–20 minutes. Test the cupcakes at 18 minutes by inserting a cocktail stick. If it comes out clean then they are done. If it has little bits attached to it, wait for the full 20 minutes.
• Take the cupcakes out and let them cool in the baking pans for around 5 minutes then take them out of the pans and let them cool down on a wire rack (or your kicthen surface if you dont have one). Let them cool completely before you ice them.

Basic Buttercream Icing Recipe

Make sure the butter is very soft. Either leave it out overnight or blast it in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time.

• Put the butter in a mixer and mix and mix using a beater attachment (for example, the Kenwood K beater) for around 2 minutes. If you do not have a mixer, use a hand held mixer/whisk. You should mix the butter until it is slightly paler in colour.
• Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl. When you do this, make sure you have an apron on as the dust from the icing sugar floats up as you sift it then floats back down so your kitchen surface is covered with a light thin film of dust!
• Add 1/3 to 1/2 the icing sugar to the butter and mix on low speed (if you do it on a higher speed, the icing sugar flies everywhere!). When it is mixed in, scrap down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla.
• Add the rest of the icing sugar and mix in. You should again mix it slowly until the icing sugar is mixed in but then increase to high speed and mix it until it is really light and fluffy.
• Add a splash of milk at the end and mix in. Be careful not to add too much or the buttercream icing will be too runny to hold the piped swirls.
• Colour the buttercream using paste colours. Do not use liquid colours as this changes the consistency of the buttercream icing.
• Pipe or smooth on to the cupcakes and decorate.

Enjoy!

Christmas Markets

I have wanted to go to a Christmas Market for a while.

When I lived in Tunbridge Wells, I lived just off Camden Road.  I loved it.  With the mix of charity shops, record stores, photographers and tattoo artists - I was, without realising it, part of a people in my future too....
The winter before I left, Claque Theatre group decided to perform The Vanishing Elephant.  The play was a play in-the-round about generations of people that lived in the area.  It was fascinating but sadly, one that I went to alone, as I didn't have many like-minded friends then!
As part of this new "festival" with the play, they invited the community to make lanterns for a procession through the area to celebrate the eclectic mix.  My roommate Laura and I went along to the local school one Saturday and made our lanterns.  We joined the procession on the day/evening along with carnival drums and hoards of people.  It was such fun and we danced as we went with the crowd to end at the school near our house.

So today - 3 years later.  I see that the Lantern Festival has progressed further to a Christmas Market.  There were stalls of crafty goods, similar to those I have in my mind for future projects.
And then, there they were - the carnival drums with the costumes of red and gold.  For old times sake, I tapped my feet to the beats only to see my Dad not enjoying it at all!  He said it was hurting his head.  I was quite frowny at that but kept walking with him.
We came upon another sound of music and my Dad sped up.  As I caught up he said "now this is more like it... banjos!"  It made me smile.  He really would love the Bluegrass in North Carolina.  He refuses to believe he would love life there..... Oh to win that lottery and whisk him away!!

Anyway!  We were also there to see my friend Olivia play ukulele with her band of friends.  It was fun and I sang along with their take on popular "hits".  A little cheesy at times and an occasional loss of timing but they gathered quite the audience and appealed to a great mix of ages.  I have heard how much fun the group are and have been invited to join them for their bi-weekly meet ups.  It sounds like fun.

Well done to Claque Theatre and Jon Oram for the development in the past few years.

http://www.claquetheatre.com/2011/12/16/camden-road-this-christmas/

Le Rendez-vous your restaurant review here!

So much to talk about today!

I'll start with food as that is a very good place to start ;-)
for my lunch today I, hand-on-heart, had the best meal I've had for about a year.
I know what kind of food I like and this was it.
My Dad and I went to a Christmas market today - more about that later.
Afterwards, he said that he knew of a place for us to have lunch.  As we walked, I kept trying to guess where it was and he wouldn't say.
The place was Le Rendez-Vous on Camden Road in Tunbridge Wells.

This quaint restaurant, with it's sweet wooden tables and chairs, chalk board menu down one wall and open kitchen to see all the delicious meals being made, had a warmth to it that made me wish there was an armchair for me to pretend reading while I actually people-watched!

My Dad chose an Italian platter to start for us to share.  It was a platter of £6 heaven. Smoked cheese, Parmesan, salami, Parma ham, artichokes, sun blushed tomatoes, olives, oil and balsamic vinegar and a slice of ciabatta each to mop up the goodness.  Having been in North Carolina for a couple of years I have been lacking in Italian foods like this that are a particular favourite of mine.  Seriously, every mouthful.....HEAVEN!!

I then chose the slow roasted pork belly with "frites" and vegetables.  The meat was melt-in-the-mouth and soaked in a tasty gravy.  The frites - perfect.  The vegetables - no broccoli or carrots in site.  (These are vegetables that are usually cooked plain here and bore me!)  Instead I had courgettes, green beans and spring greens.  All together delectable and even writing about it makes my mouth water.

Why no photos you ask??

I'm sorry readers..... My eyes are obviously bigger than my brain which would have taken shots of these platefuls.

That is not all though!!! Oh no!!

For dessert I had sticky toffee pudding.  (My Dad had brownies.  Very bitter and not as oozing as true American brownies, I'm afraid). 

The pudding came with a caramel sauce and ice cream.  Perfect texture.  Perfect ooziness.  (That a word?? Oh well.)

Overall, the meal was better than any I've had for a while.  It was also washed down the Sauvignon Blanc.  Another favourite of mine.  Despite it being French..... de-lish.

Meal for 2 = £54.  So that is 3 courses and half a bottle of wine for £27 each.  In all honesty..... great value.  I will, without a doubt, go back to Le Rendez-Vous for food again.

Can you recommend any restaurants in the area?  Go for it!!

Eating out is such a treat in England that I want to know where to go for a particularly good meal!

Welcome to Ruth's Kitchen!

I am bursting with things to say, explain, display and express tonight!
2 days ago I took a plane from Charlotte, North Carolina to London, England.
I had lived in the States for over 2 years and it changed me.
It transformed my outlook and opportunities to change direction.
Since I was there and knew of my return to England my prayer has been that God would give me opportunities to be creative.
Yesterday (my first day back) I attended a cupcake basics class.
Today I searched through charity shops for bits and bobs that will enable me to make handmade gifts this year.
Tonight I was painting a canvas and cutting leaves out of purplish tones.
At one point, I thought "enough!! It is time to write these down; to recall what worked and didn't work; ideas of where to find freebies; tips of great websites; photos of inspiration...."
As you can see I am buzzing to get started.

I will start with the background of my blog.  It is standard and one that is on here but it reminded me of one of my favourite places in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The Diamond.  This diner has super cheap and super yummy food.  Lots of deep fried goodness with the taste of the South, good music, good company and good weather.  On the walls of The Diamond is a wallpaper of utensils.  (Much nicer than this one).  It was tones of green, blue and grey.  See below... 
I vowed to have one like it in my kitchen.  Now I have - as near as I can!  ......In Ruth's Kitchen.

Welcome to all that I have to share and all that hope it could be.