Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Delicious Makes magazine: review

Have you ever come across those hobby magazines where you get a free gift with every issue, that builds up to create something - like a ship in a bottle, or a model of a Spitfighter? The first issue is usually 99p, the second is £1.99 and before you know it, you are paying six or seven quid per issue as you need every single part to build your model once you have started.



Well, in the past few years I've noticed an upsurge in these partwork magazines but in the genre of baking and cake decorating. The best thing is, as well as getting a free gift with every issue, you don't need to buy every single one or you can't finish your project - you can dip in and out as you like.



At the train station a week or so ago I spotted a new one called Delicious Makes. It came with a magazine, a pink plastic cake stand for an individual cupcake, a pack of decorative ribbon and some cardboard doilies - and all for just 99p.






The magazine is actually a mix of recipes and crafts, mainly ways to present and decorate your bakes, which I think is a nice idea and makes it stand out a bit from other baking magazines. The recipes themselves didn't blow me away however. The tiramisu Charlotte on the front cover is great, but the creme pat and raspberry tartlets and cornets filled with chocolate truffle aren't things I am likely to make. The recipe for the party layer cake is a bit disappointing in my opinion, as it's essentially a plain sponge cake decorated with raspberries. The crafts are interesting; there are instructions for making bunting to decorate a cake, pom poms made from tissue paper (not particularly appealing to me personally), a suggestion for tying ribbons around mini loaf cakes and a couple of other ideas.



The magazine is quite slim and isn't brilliant but it does have some nice ideas, I really like the little cake stand that comes with it and for 99p you can't really go wrong!



The next issue looks like it comes with a cake tin and a rubber cookie stamp so I will keep my eye out for it.




Monday, September 8, 2014

Meal Planning Monday 2014- week 37

Lack of internet access at home (it's taking two weeks to install as we've moved) and lack of access to my blog at work means I have been a bit quiet on the blogging front lately! I didn't want to miss a week for the meal plan but I must apologise for the scrappy nature of this post as I am writing this on my phone!



Monday

I'm at a choir rehearsal so taking a sandwich and have bought my boyfriend a pizza



Tuesday

Chicken with a new kind of Mexican sauce I bought



Wednesday

Spaghetti bolognese



Thursday

I'm off work decorating and supervising the men doing our new floor

Lunch - leftover spaghetti bolognese

Dinner - Chesapeke fish for me, beef burger for the other half



Friday- off work as yesterday

Lunch - TBA

Dinner - I'm going up to London for a friend's birthday drinks so probably need to eat dinner before my boyfriend gets home from work so I might have pasta and he can cook himself something with chips



Saturday

Brunch - bacon sandwich

Dinner - at a wedding



Sunday

TBA

Back on the redecorating!



Hopefully normal service in terms if planning meals, cooking and generally blogging will be resumed next week!


Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Butterfly Tea Birthday Card





I like this pretty, girly birthday card. I had some printed backing papers with pictures of cake and afternoon tea, and cut out a rectangle slightly smaller than the card I was mounting it on. I added an outline edging sticker around each side to make a frame, and then two 3D butterfly stickers - the wings lift up and stand out from the card- in two corners. Finally a 'happy birthday' outline sticker and the card is complete.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Meal Planning Monday 2014 - Week 36

Very rough this week as we have just moved into our new house, are in the middle of redecorating and haven't got internet access, so I'm doing this on my phone!

Monday-

I'm at a choir rehearsal so my boyfriend will go to his mum's



Tuesday

Out at an iPhone photography lesson, goodness knows I need it!



Wednesday

Spaghetti bolognese



Thursday

I have to work late tonight so won't be home for dinner



Friday

garlic and herb chicken with mashed potato



Saturday

lunch- bacon sandwich for him, maybe macaroni cheese on toast for me

dinner - will be redecorating so something quick TBA



Sunday

lunch- still planning to be decorating so will grab something easy TBA

dinner- toad in the hole