Shabbat Shalom people

So, today is Shabbat and I've decided (like I do most Fridays) to make dinner as it's one of the few nights I actually can spend totally with my other half.

I'm making pizza :) He loves pizza and says mine is the best so off to the kitchen I go. I thought it would be simple today, make the dough that I could do blindfolded and while it's rising I'll bake something for dessert...sounds simple enough, right?

Wrong! I got up, got washed, made myself a coffee, sorted out the cats (I don't think you need details), cleaned the carpet that one of my cats 'favourites' and washed the floor, then, just as I was putting my cleaning products back while thinking I'd have my coffee and start the process off, my attention gets turned to an almighty crash from the living room. My little boy cat Bali had knocked over not only my coffee but had managed to get it all over the side table, which dripped into the drawer of said table, down through that and onto the base and floor. Everything was soaked inside the drawer, including my glasses (yep, I'm a geeky girl), computer cables, my usb mouse, all the remote controls...everything. I was not pleased. Now I had to clean everything and wash that poxy floor again.

Needless to say, it's now done and everything is in front of my air con, trying to dry out...Bali on the other hand is sucking up to me by cuddling against my leg as I write this.

Now, back to that pizza...

I am thinking of sharing not just sweet baked goods on here but what about some of my savoury ones? Pies, pastries, bread and pizza like things....anyone interested?

Have a great Shabbat and great weekend people :)

Happy Baking!

 

Wedding stress!

In all of the wedding cake, hope is the sweetest of plums

Douglas Jerrold

Ok, so I know I've been gone for...well quite a long time now and I do sincerely apologise for that.

One of the main reasons for this is we are now in the full throws of planning our wedding! When I returned to Israel after my holiday back to the U.K. we started sorting everything out so some things were put on 'the back burner' as we say.

From running around to the venue, photographers, Rabbi, wedding dress shop and trying to organise our friends who are coming from abroad it's been pandemonium here!

Now we have most things sorted, I can get back to baking and writing my blog :)

I've decided not to go with a wedding cake, firstly it's not that common here and secondly, I'm getting one for the U.K wedding so I won't complain, not every girl can say she's getting two weddings :D

What are your thoughts on wedding cakes? And what are some of your favourites? How big is too big for you?

Personally, I think if you have an oversized, or too many tiered, wedding cake it not only looks presumptuous but also...is it really practical? Not just for the baker to get it to the venue but also for you to do that dream 'first cutting of the cake'. I plan to have a smaller designed cake and then a sheet cake of the same sponge flavour to be served to the guests...that way no one misses out, it saves you money, and also - it can cut it easily and even smash it into your partners face if you fancy! :)

*Update* My, now husband, did this to me, but I managed to run away and then to smear it on his face - Girls -1 Boys - 0!

Here's a link to one of my favourites - http://www.perfect-wedding-day.com/image-files/hawaiian-wedding-cakes-1.jpg

Now I promise to add more posts and content in the coming days. If there is anything you want me to focus on, drop me a line!

Happy Baking!!

The trouble with a baking addiction is...

It's an addiction... and addiction is something I should know something about.

Keith Richards

I am, totally, unequivocally, absolutely a baking addict. It started when I was pretty young and has just got stronger as time goes by.

I first started out, like most people, being taught how to bake by my mum. She used to bake so much! Cakes, pies, yorkshire puddings, biscuits, breads etc etc. Anything she could bake at home, she would. I love this about her and have carried it on, not only does it save you a lot of money (sometimes!) but also it tastes better and is so much fun.
When I first started I wasn't very good - no surprise there. It took me some time to get used to the baking terms and ingredients (and I'm still always learning) but I got the handle on it eventually. So I started trying more and more difficult recipes and that progressed into me starting to create my own recipes.

The thing about this addiction, like any other, is it can be debilitating. For instance, when you're not selling your creations (as I am currently unable to, not through lack of trying but location) you're spending money but not getting anything back. Sure you're making lovely biscuits and desserts but all you get out of that is holes in your teeth and a wider waistline every day.

The other thing is saturation - with this I mean you still love the process of baking, the weighing of ingredients, mixing, folding, sieving etc, but the end result loses more and more of the excitement it once held. You want the process without the outcome or the resulting food that needs to be eaten. Also, tied in with this part of the problem is saturating your friends and family...there's only so many people you see regularly enough to give your baked goods to and they can only enjoy them for so long too.

Today was hard for me to resist baking some more biscuits (my own recipe) as I'd baked peach cupcakes only last night...it's only because the peaches were turning bad....I promise that was the reason ;)

So what did I do instead? Sadly, the answer is nothing. I sat in front of my laptop and played silly Facebook games, talked to a couple of friends back in the UK and tried to waste the hours until I can go to sleep. It's not a great way to spend a day and half of me feels worse for doing it...as if sitting here and avoiding the kitchen has made me more unhealthy and lazy - totally guilt ridden.

It's still too early (and too hot) to go to sleep, so now what do I do? To that, I have no answer but I thought sharing this and the physical act of typing it might take up some time and bring a solution possibly.

The conclusion for this post is - I'm still working on it. I even got fed up with writing my recipe book, I love to type but sometimes there's nothing that'll satisfy you other than doing exactly what you want. Right now I can't do or have anything I want - food, baking and cigarettes - so needless to say, life is annoying lately.

Anyone else have a baking addiction? Or anything similar? How do you deal with it?

Happy baking to anyone able to bake today :)

A really depressing development

It's 2:17am here, I'm too hot to sleep and I'm trying to keep my mind off of wanting a cigarette or those nice biscuits I baked earlier that are sitting in the fridge.

So, what do you do in these times? Trawl the internet of course! After all, isn't that what it's for?

As I do so I keep returning to food and baking sites (I did try to be all organised and started looking into wedding prep but to no avail) along with some awesome blogs about these subjects and I realise a recurring, but utterly depressing theme - stealing of others stuff. Or should I say, people reporting when people's things have been stolen. Then I come across a recipe of mine which I posted a few weeks ago...on someone else's blog and they're claiming it to be theirs! Of course, this has upset me quite a bit, I created this recipe, I took the time, effort (and the calories to my hips) and used my knowledge to make it work and someone else goes and nicks it.

I've been warned a few times of putting up my creations, especially since I'm working on my own recipe book but I didn't want to listen or believe people could be so devilish.

I love making these new creations, and when I add them to this blog I love seeing the response I get from them...but this has really darkened the joy I find in it all. I have no other option than to protect myself feeling like this again, so I will be taking down all my own recipes from this blog and won't be sharing anymore (until I finish my recipe book).

I will, however, still be posting classic recipes that I use constantly (or ones I have tweaked) and recipes I try for the first time from other sources.

I hope you can all understand this decision, and still find my blog interesting and useful.

But let's not dwell on such dark things or pathetic people, let's look on the bright side - this is a very good reason for me to try out other classic recipes and post the results and mouth-watering photos here for you all to enjoy and recreate yourselves!

As always, happy baking...

Dieting starts again tomorrow

Where's the place to put your refrigerator so it causes most problems while still being useful? Right next to the sofa

me

I should probably explain the above 'quote' (if you can call it that).

When we moved, we found a gorgeous 1 bedroom apartment here. Nice flowing layout to it - i.e the kitchen/dining room is sort of attached to the living room.

Originally, our sofa wasn't too near the kitchen but my fiancé wasn't happy with it and kept moving things around (as he always does) until he felt everything was perfect. Now, I love this quality about him, I truly do, but this time there was a slight error in judgement on his part - the fridge is now next to our sofa - where I sit to write this blog a lot of the time!

This would be fine and is fine most of the time if it wasn't for those moments of craving a cigarette, so you reach for the grapes instead and this sometimes works for me totally but sometimes grapes aren't...naughty enough and that's when the fridge is dangerous. You don't have to walk far or even get up to delve into its shelves and splurge out on those last 5 cookies you were saving, that giant green apple or even some of that cookie dough that's yet to be cooked! Agh!!!

I think I should also clarify the other reasons to diet.

I'm not fat and haven't really ever been big, usually weighing in around 56/57kg (and I'm tallish - yep I'm truly lucky, or at least I WAS). however, since moving to such a hot climate AND quitting smoking my metabolism has slowed so badly that I've gain 11kgs in 5 months and I hate it.
I haven't really been over eating all the time we've been here but I admit I have my moments like anyone, and usually it doesn't make a difference, but here, it's like the gravity has been increased and everything contains more calories and fats or something! It's too hot to do any real vigorous exercise so all I get to do is a hour power walk in the early morning and some exercises in front of the air con after that which isn't really enough to get rid of the weight and kick start my metabolism again. So this is why the diet.

I lost 3kgs with the first go at it, have had my recommended break and now I need to go back on it if I want to lose at least a good deal of this weight before going on my holiday back to the U.K.

Now you see the full problem of having our fridge near my comfy blogging seat? Yep, thought so, so this one is coming to you from our balcony instead (Although I'd love to have a ciggie in hand right now as I type).

So once again I'm sorry to say that from tomorrow until Wednesday I won't be creating new recipes. It's too hard not to taste as I go and this diet is too strict for that to be allowed. Instead I'll share other favourite and well practised recipes I already have.

Hope you enjoy it still the same and keep all fingers crossed for me to shift that other 8kgs!

Happy baking!

A shout out

Pull up a chair. Take a taste. Come join us. Life is so endlessly delicious.
Ruth Reichl

We all know life's better when we share and recently i had some time to peruse and explore the endless amount of wonderful blogs around the net.

I found so many pretty, interesting and informative blogs that I just had to share some of them with you here. I will be doing this every month to add new ones I find or get directed to, and this way you're not bombarded with too many links :)

*My favourite baking/cooking blogs:

Note: these are in no particular order.

Quête Saveur - A lovely blog, covering many types of cuisine and just like me, they bake to relieve stress.

The Faux Martha - This blog ranges through all types of food, with some random thoughts and tips.

My Dear Bakes - Lovely creations for themed cakes. One very talented individual.

Cookie Talk - This blog is so nice because it gives great help, tips, links, recipes and books for you to check out.

Darla Cooks - This is a lady after my own heart haha. We have much in common (not just baking but both having previously been Yoga instructors). She posts gorgeous recipes with the mouthwatering photos to accompany them.

Lily Vanilli - If you don't know about this woman already you seriously have to check her out. She's become a big celebrity baker back in London and her amazing concoctions are definitely worth a try.

Baking Mum - A gorgeous gallery blog showing this mum-of-two's baking creations, very inspiring!

If you have, or know of, a baking/cooking blog that I've missed and should check out, let me know!

Enjoy checking these out and happy baking!

Freedom to bake!!

Yes! I am free again to bake! Yesterday was my last diet day (for now) and I have to say a big thank-you to everyone who has been giving me encouragement and keeping their fingers crossed for me. It worked for sure! 3 big fat kgs are gone! Woohoo! :D

I start the evil (but working!) diet again on Monday, let's hope I lose the same amount again.

Right, back to the much more interesting task at hand.
In my absence from baking we had a slight hiccup - our oven broke...well actually it was that the socket it was plugged into started to smoke, not good.

Thankfully our lovely landlord soon had it fixed but it did get me thinking of different ways to cook my creations.

Now I'm not one for boiled cakes or other baked goods (not that I'm knocking them but really how can a 'baked' anything taste good being boiled? The clue is in the name haha) so how else to cook biscuits/cookies?

Well we have a toaster oven and a microwave so lets find out shall we?

I was going to have fun playing with the notion today until my lovely fiancé said he's taking me to see a movie and to go to a restaurant tonight (after taking our little Nalu to the vets of course) so I'm afraid I'll have to refrain from that type of fun until tomorrow so I can have fun with my man instead...I'm sure you all understand :)

*Random thought time: imagine what baking would have been like before we had temperature controlled ovens? Interesting to say the least* 😉

I'll post a well loved recipe today and my experiment tomorrow.

Happy baking!