Red Velvet





When my boyfriend comes over one of our hobbies is to bake together. It totally isn't my hobby that he's forced into doing. At the mention of "red velvet" and of "cream cheese" J freaked out big time so we (I) thought we'd give this recipe a go.

 

They aren't too rich but they could be accompanied perfectly with ice cream.

 



Red Velvet:
 2 eggs
4oz butter
8oz caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2.5oz cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp red food colouring
3/4 tsp white wine vinegar
3.5oz plain flour

Cream Cheese:
8oz cream cheese
2oz caster sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla

First preheat the oven to about 170 celcius, beat the eggs separately and put them to one side as you won't be needing them for a little while yet, I got my boyfriend helper J to do this.

After you have measured your butter, melt it completely so that you can add the rest of the ingredients.

Add your sugar, vanilla, cocoa, salt, food colouring and vinegar.

Mine looked a little lumpy, never mind, after this mix in the eggs,

Then fold in the flour, which will make it a lot smoother.

Pour into an brownie tin, leaving a couple of tablespoons of the mixture in the bowl.

Now onto the cream cheese, mix the cream cheese together in with the sugar, egg yolk and vanilla.

Spoon this mix on top of the red concoction, then pour the rest of the red on top of the cream cheese, with a knife, swirl between the different layers to create a pattern.

Then put in the oven for about 28 mins, or until a skewer or cocktail stick comes clean. While you're waiting for them to bake, you could wash up, like I did, or lick the bowl, like J did.

It should make 16 tasty brownies.

My boyfriend has the timer around his neck- not some bizarre medalion

They even had J's seal of approval, despite being "so full, I can't eat any more" he ate three.

Rabbit Food

This time last year I was eating pretty badly, I was eating unhealthy food and in large quantities of, for example, Exhibit A.



The Baconcake.
I work minimum 6 hour shifts with no time to eat, and I find it hard to find something that will fill me up for that length of time, and unfortunatley for my waistline, baconcakes seemed to be the answer, until I had the common sense to take a pancake recipe and adapt it, making it marginally healthier, and make my conscience feel a whole lot better on a Saturday morning.

To make one hungry ganet portion:

135g flour
2tbsp honey
125ml milk (I use soya light or coconut milk)
1 beaten egg
1 tbsp melted butter
A pinch of salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

This is just a picture of the cake I made for my boyfriend J's 18th with M&Ms and Skittles on top. But I've swapped eating this for this (below).

I had to put these in because they are probably one of the best healthy snacks I have found, sweetened pineapple.
The fact that they're chewy and really sweet satisfies most sugar cravings but much healthier than tucking into that family bag of Skittles or Malteasers...

Albeit a weird one to have with soup, I really enjoy it instead of bread (my weakness), as I have not been known to demolish a baguette in less than 1 hour. I do actually prefer the corn cake versions of these, they taste a bit like popcorn, but Tescos didn't have them so I'll made do.

Nearly everyday in my packed lunch I take a carton of soup with me, that big appetite has to be filled with 2 portions of soup, but seeing as the ones that I devour are quite healthy there are no qualms.

My absolute favourite is by the New Covent Garden Soup Co. who do the most delicious soups, most I would be happy to swim in, but this is the best, it's a thick chicken soup with mustard, apple sauce and mushrooms... Mmm... (Lentil and smoked bacon is a close 2nd!)

I try to eat healthily, and by the rule 80/20, 80% of what I eat is nice and healthy and the other 20% is made up of baconcakes, chocolate fudge cake and chocolate chew balls....

Cheese Pies

 

I was given this recipe by my greek friend's mother, IK always brought these in on birthdays and other occasions and I was hooked, smooth cheese wrapped in filo pastry, almost a cheese samosa.

 

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
1/2 cups semolina (or I used polenta, similar sort of thing)
50g butter
1 beaten egg
150g feta cheese (cut up into very small pieces)
1 pack of filo pastry sheets

 

Pour your two cups (or in my case mugs) of milk into a pan and heat gently.

 Then add the half cup of polenta and keep stirring constantly so no lumps form.

 

 

As you are stirring add your butter in, I put mine in solid and continued to stir until it had melted but that is up to you.

Add your beaten egg

Keep stirring until it noticably thickens, at which point take it off the heat and add your small bits of feta.

This is where I would advise you to chop it up very small, I should have listened to Ismini's advice...
Apologies for the less than appealing photo above, the saucepan was a little smaller than I had thought, but what's cooking without mishaps?

Next take a sheet of filo and quarter it, leaving 4 rectangles of pastry.
Then dollop about half a tablespoonful of the sauce into the corner of the pastry sheet.

Brush melted butter all over the surrounding pastry and begin folding in triangles.

Keep going until you reach the end and repeat until you run out of either the pastry or sauce.
Then put on a baking tray and put in the oven until golden.
Once golden and crispy put them on some kitchen towel to soak up any grease which will help prevent them getting soggy.

These keep for about 3 or 4 days, if they last that long.
They would also be great with something like chutney on the inside of the filo...!

Peanut Butter Bites

My boyfriend plays a lot of sport, and in an attempt to play the role of the "doting girlfriend" I made these as post-match snacks.

These babies only need a few ingredients:

Base:
50 g soft dark brown sugar
200g icing sugar
200g smooth peanut butter
50g butter

Topping:
200g milk chocolate
100g dark chocolate
1 tbsp melted butter

First add the two sugars,

Add your peanut butter and butter, and keep mixing until it looks like gravelly rubble, at which point empty it out into a brownie tin.

Then squash it down with the back of a spoon or your fingers and spread your melted chocolate mixture on top.

Sprinkles optional.

A word to the wise, cut them up into 1 inch squares because they're very rich and very morish.

I Can't Feel My Toes

Summer is definitley my favourite season, the sun, the colours, the 7 week summer holiday, not to mention kicking the whole shebang off with my birthday.
This cold weather has really made me look forward to the summer holidays, and seeing as last year was the best year in my opinion, I thought I'd share some of it with you all.

At a party with one of my best friends.



Ladylike as ever, being mischevious and lead astray by the girl in the previous photo!




This is on a bike ride with my boyfriend, we found an enormous oak tree, and ever the elegant one, I clambered up.

My favourite thing to wear in summer are little summer dresses or skater skirts like this one from Johnnie B, and I'm on the lookout already.
Mum and I went to the ice-cream parlour in Harrods, and oh, it was amazing!

I went to the south of Italy with my mother and my sister, we were right by the sea so the food was absolutely delicious.

My beautiful mother looking pretty pleased with herself

Oh how I yearn to be this tanned again!

My leavers ball with my boyfriend (I didn't leave)

Boyfriend's 18th, different occasion, same dress

 A slightly random post, but I'm feeling a bit wistful at the moment, I do wish this warm weather would hurry up, I'm fed up of living in thick clothes!

Nike ID

Before Christmas I was really into running, then Christmas came with its tasty treats and delectable dishes and I was lured away from running, instead, ending up on the sofa with a tin of Quality Streets in my lap.
Running injuries sent me to the doctor and after suggesting I needed some specific running trainers, I may have had a little splurge...

 

They're the Nike Free Run Hybrid and they are so great to run in and are really light. What surprised me was that in normal trainers the tounge part of the shoe is only attatched at the base but with these there isn't really a tounge at all, and the shoe is almost like a sock.

I am aware of how bright they are, I took inspiration from Rose, and I love them to bits!

I customised them on Nike ID which is such a great service, you can customise nearly every one of their shoes, whether you'd like them flowery, or neon like mine is up to you!