Recipe: Easter Nest Cakes

Hello!

It feels like an eternity since I last wrote anything for this blog, but life has a great way of sidetracking you and pulling you in multiple directions away from here...

Today I decided to channel my inner Mary Berry and whip up a batch of the nest cakes using my recipe which used to make them for Easter last year. It's a fairly straightforward recipe, as my skills don't extend very far, but they (hopefully) look like effort was put in for their decoration. (Plus you can't go wrong with fuzzy Easter chicks on cakes...) This recipe makes 12 individual cakes, but doubling it to make more is fine :)

Ingredients: 

Cakes: 

100g self raising flour
100g caster sugar
100g butter or margarine
2 medium sized eggs

Icing:

2 tubes of green icing

Nests:

2 handfuls of shreddies 
1 chocolate bar (75g) - (I used Cadbury's)
2 teaspoons of golden syrup
1 regular packet of mini eggs

*ingredient amounts for nests are an estimate, so you can add in more or less as you require



   

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Add your sugar and butter to a large mixing bowl and mix until light and fluffy. You can use a wooden spoon or to speed things up use an electric whisk.

2. Add one of the eggs to the mix with a spoonful of the flour. Fold into the mix using a wooden spoon and repeat with the second egg. After you have mixed both eggs gently fold in the remanding flour.

(Tip: folding the mixture is a gentle process which allows oxygen into the batter, and will make your cakes light and fluffy.)

3. Scoop equal portions of the cake batter into cupcake cases, ideally on a muffin tray with indents to hold the cases. Put your cakes in the oven on the top shelf for around 20 minutes.




4. After 20 minutes open the oven and check your cakes have turned a golden brown colour. To check if they have been cooked all the way through, use a knife to poke through one cake, if the knife comes out clean, the cakes are cooked. If not, put back in the oven for a couple of minutes and keep checking until baked.

5. Allow the cakes to cool after you have taken them out of the oven, ideally for about 20 minutes/half an hour.

6. Once cooled, use the tubes of green icing to pipe on swirls of icing, starting from the outside and working up to the middle of the cake.

7. After you have iced your cakes, place a pan of boiling water on the gas and use a glass bowl over the top of the water (bain-marie) to melt your chocolate.

8. Once melted, add your shreddies and golden syrup to the chocolate and crush together using the wooden spoon. Make sure the shreddies are covered equally with the chocolate and golden syrup.

9. (This is the messy part!) Once you have your chocolately nest mixture, use a teaspoon to gentle place small amounts of the mix onto the cakes. You will have to use your fingers!

10. When all of the cakes have nests, simply add one or two mini eggs to the top, and finish off with an Easter chick.





     


And there you have it, cute little fairy cakes with a little extra chocolately goodness...
Hope you enjoy!

Josie x

11 typically British middle-class things we all think and do at the airport

Ah, travelling by plane. You either love it or you hate it, but there are some things that we all think and do that need to be put out there. So, alas, here is a list of all the things you may or may not have thought or done at the airport. (If you haven't done any - why you lying for?)

1) ‘Please insure that your electronic devices are set to airplane mode.’ ‘OH NO THE  KINDLES’ *makes cabin crew take down hand luggage in search of kindles*

2) At passport control – ‘there has to be a more efficient way of doing this.’

3) ‘You were queuing at the wrong queue, this queue had already formed, see!’ *points at line of people silently in single file queue*

4) Running onto the escalators because walking normally is for peasants

5) Using all of your left over coins to buy alcohol at duty-free, but also pick up a souvenir magnet to play it cool

6) Feeling smug when your flight is on time whilst the one after is delayed by 4 hours (sorry not sorry)

7) The wave of irrational panic that comes over you when you have to walk through the metal detector

8) Tutting and slowly shaking your head at the prices of departure lounge food, but giving in and buying it anyway

9) Praying to every god you can think of that the crying baby in the queue isn't sat near you on the plane

10) Trying not to stare at the couple having an argument with EastJet staff because they have more than one piece of hand luggage 

11) Thinking about the cup of tea you'll have when you get home to get you through the journey

What the F is a swegboard and where can I get one?

You've probably already seen them, as they have come to us in a swarm from China out of nowhere. The segway board. aka the balance board, the swegboard, the hoverboard, the weird futuristic board with lights.

Where they actually came from or why is a still a bit of a mystery. Are they a gift from aliens? Perhaps. Or a genius idea that someone was able to make relatively cheaply and in bulk? More likely. Either way, I'm definitely sold. After the celebrity hype that followed the initial wave of swegboard excitement, these things have really taken off.

Despite this, these boards don't seem to have an official name, as many companies have the same product and have labelled them as various weird and wonderful names to attract the young and hype-crazed (possibly me).

They also vary in price A LOT. Below is a video from Casey Neistat, a Youtuber who was one of the first to introduce the internet to the board. He explains how much the price varies, depending on what website you use and where it is coming from.

I can't really justify buying myself one right now as I am a poor student (woe is me) but I have a serious irrational need for one. The thing is, even if I did buy one, I would probably be too embarrassed to use it in public (that is if I could even ride it in the first place).

#BeautyJunkie Birchbox

Receiving packages in the post is pretty much always better than buying things from a shop. I feel like although I know i've bought this myself, it's a present for me. Birchbox is no exception to this, and I look forward to getting them each month like the child I am.

August's edition of the Birchbox was '#BeautyJunkie', with the box was themed around emojis. As well as containing the cute little samples that I adore, this month's box also contained emoji stickers! Do love a sticker.

Products from left to right: 

Top row - Blush in Lotus by Lord & Berry, Balm Desert® Bronzer, Kebelo Clarifying Shampoo

Bottom row - Formula 10.0.6 Overnight Success Spot Minimising Patches, Rituals Fortune Scrub, Huygens Exfloliating Cream

 The product i'm most excited about using is the Overnight Success Spot Minimising Patches, as my skin is in serious need of a detox. My skin has always been bad and I still have acne scars on my forehead and chin. Even now it is still prone to breakouts, especially when i'm stressed. Hopefully this will help clear up my face! 

I'm also quite keen to use Ritual's Fortune Scrub, as it smells amazing. The scent is sweet orange and cedar and it's like heaven for my nose. 

Now it's time to test out these samples and see what all the fuss is about. Hopefully my next Birchbox will be this great too (but i'm sure it will)!

12 viral video reasons to love the Internet

The term 'viral' has become more widely used in the last few years. With the advances in technology and the subsequent rise of Youtube (and other viewing platforms), what better way to harness this resource than to post videos of cats and people making idiots of themselves?

I'm quite obsessed by viral videos, mainly because there is no exact formula besides being amusing or share-worthy. People love to jump on the bandwagon, which is how social media can boost a video from 0 views to 1 million views in a matter of minutes. 

So, with that being said, i've had a nosey through Youtube and relived my favourite viral videos. 

1) FEENNNNTTTOOOOOOOOON - oh Jesus Christ...

Someone brought this up in the office the other day and it really doesn't get old. Classic viral video. 

1b) 

And this. Speaks for itself.

2) eHarmony video bio

This is here mainly because I see a lot of myself in this lady (fellow crazy cat lady).

3) The Wealdstone Raider

I really can't believe this was uploaded 2 years ago... feels like only yesterday this beauty came into our lives. This lead to a variety of memes, club appearances, and I have also just found that Copa90 did a documentary on him. Well played lad. 

4) Laddergoat 

I still don't know if this is actually funny or if I just have a really weird sense of humour. But I distinctly remember laughing until my ribs ached from this vid. I wonder where this guy is now.

5) Double Rainbow

"woaaaaahhh...double rainbow....oh my god...all the way.... *sobs*"

6) Dramatic Chipmunk

As the description accurately reads: 'the best five second clip on the internet'

7) You forgot blueberries

I cried first watch. Sorry not sorry.

8) Chocolate Rain

If you haven't seen this before... WEREN'T EXPECTING THAT WERE YA?

9) Gingers do have souls

You don't know me.

10) Black Australian Chicken

I can't.

11) Just waiting for a mate

"i'm just waiting for a mate" "is that why your cars all smashed up and your up on the grass at the moment or what?"

BUSTED.

12) Obligatory cat vid

Had to.

Sunday Bakeday!

With a little help from Betty Crocker.

In honour of the much-loved Great British Bake Off returning to our TVs this Wednesday, I thought it was only right to have a go myself. (Albeit from a cake mix)

I really love baking, but I was feeling pretty lazy today...and using a cake mix is only half cheating - right?

This photo is kind of cool and kind of disgusting looking at the same time. I love how a cake can go from this to a beautiful little cased snack.

Slowly getting there... a whipped up version of the initial dumping of ingredients.

So satisfying *love eyes emoji*

And the end result! Vanilla cupcakes with a strawberry icing and white chocolate sprinkles. This Betty Crocker kit is sold in pretty much every supermarket and includes cake mix, icing mix and cupcake cases. All you need is 2 medium eggs, vegetable oil, and 60g butter. Although these items are usually in most peoples fridges, do not assume they are always there like I did today (prompting a spontaneous trip to the corner shop in pursuit of eggs.)

Now it's time for a cup of tea and a well-deserved cupcake :)

7 things to do when you're ill

Hello world,

It's not unheard of that humans do get sick, and from time to time, your body just feels like a useless lump and an obligatory 'sick day' is needed. Today is one of those days.

But, whilst you are confined to your house, (more specifically your duvet) there are a few things you can do to keep yourself from boredom.

1) Watch Netflix

Ah Netflix, my old friend. Always there for you when you need it - Netflix offers a variety of films and programmes to keep entertained, even if it never has that EXACT movie that you feel like watching. Maybe today is the day you finished watching that 1 star rated movie you gave up on? Or perhaps it's the time you become obsessed with Pretty Little Liars and watch 3 seasons non-stop?

2) Jeremy Kyle

You cannot, I repeat, CANNOT have a sick day in England without watching The Jeremy Kyle Show. It's basically illegal. There's something oddly soothing about watching a couple scream their heads off at each other because her boyfriends sister blocked her on Facebook. And why not heighten this experience by pairing it with a cup of tea and biscuits? (That is if you aren't being sick at this point)

3) Stalk your friends and acquaintances on social media

Being at home with nothing to do is the perfect opportunity to catch up on the real life, and less exciting, version of The Jeremy Kyle Show - your friends' lives. Did you ever wonder what happened to that girl you were kind of friends with in secondary school but never spoke to after that? Well now's your chance to find out. WARNING: You are likely to find out that people from your school year, or even the year below, are now engaged, married or pregnant. Discretion advised.

4) Force your pets to spend time with you

Being on your own and sick is lonely, so why not get some quality time with your pets by locking them in the room with you so they have to love you. You want to go outside Mittens? Well not today. Fortunately for them, after a few minutes of them desperately trying to flee, you give in and let them out because you aren't that cruel.

5) Comfort eat

Of course, this one depends on what kind of illness you are suffering from. But for me, while i've got this horrendous cold, I can fall back on that old saying "Feed a cold, starve a fever". Therefore that is my excuse for eating the entire contents of the fridge in-between sneezes and coughing fits.

6) Wallow in self pity

This is the one nobody admits to doing, but we have all done it at one stage or another. Thoughts that may cross your mind: 'Why me?' 'This couldn't have come at a worse time.' 'I have so much to do but all I can do is lay here and let this consume me.' All you can do is sleep it off.

7) Write a blog post

This is pretty explanatory, and sums up exactly what i'm doing now. It gives you something to do, without having to move out from your duvet, which can only be a good thing.