Last Minute Secret Santa Gift Idea.

This week at work, I was kindly reminded that I had been put into the Secret Santa. I pulled out my recipient, A lady who seems lovely, but who I don't know very well. I went food shopping after work and picked up her gift. A little bag of goodies, totalling £4.93. The budget was £5 so I was thoroughly chuffed with my spend.

The gifts in the bag include a lovely miniature bottle of Kendermanns Spec Edition Riesling, which looks a lot more expensive than the £1.50 price tag.

A lovely wine glass which came in at 50p.

The next part is job specific, a tube of Palmer's Shea Butter Hand cream for £1.93, an essential for a nurse, who is constantly washing their hands!

To add another treat, I picked up a tube of Pink Smarties, these were £1.

I bought all of these from Asda, and I dug around in my home for an old gift bag and some tissue paper, then I put it all together.

All ready for delivery!

Lydia

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Delicous Lemon Drizzle Sponge Cake.

It feels like forever since I last wrote on here. Though probably not. I have just finished a crazily busy weekend of work and decided to celebrate the best way I know how. Cake.

Oh yes.

All you need for the cake is:

• 6oz (170g) Self-Raising Flour
• 6oz (170g) Caster Sugar
• 6oz (170g) Butter
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

Icing:

• 4oz (113g) Butter
• 8oz (226g) Icing Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Milk

For the Lemon Drizzle:

• 2 Lemons Juiced
• 3 oz (75g) Caster Sugar
• Lemon Curd

 
How to make the cake:

• First things first is to light the oven up to Gas Mark 3, or 160°C. Grease and line the tins.
• Then cream together the sugar and butter.
• Add the flour, a few spoonfuls at a time and mix. After 3 spoonfuls, add the eggs, one at a time and mix.

 

 
 
 
 

• Pour in the vanilla extract and baking powder and mix. 
• Spoon the mixture into the tins and pop in the oven for 25-45 minutes (until the cake springs back when tapped).
• After a while of patiently waiting for the cake, mix together the lemon juice and caster sugar. Drizzle over the top layer of cake when cooked, and out of the oven.
  

 
 
 
 
 

• Let the cakes cool. 
• To make the icing, soften the butter and slowly add the icing sugar. Add in the milk alternatively until all mixed together. Whisk for 3-4 minutes.
• Layer the cakes up with Lemon Curd and The Icing. 
• Top the cakes with a sprinkling of caster sugar. 
  

Tilly the dog was patiently waiting to taste the cake, nice try Tills!

A simple, quick, and absolutely delicious Lemon cake, perfect for the cold winter's nights. 

Lydia

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10 Things.

Is this true? I have been able to blog 2 days in a row? Yes! 

I am one very happy blogger today as I am starting 10 days holidays from work. Today's #BEDN topic is '10 things' so I thought I would create a list of 10 things I want to do in my 10 days off work.

Here they are;

1. Paint my nails. Check, in fact, I treated myself to a manicure.
2. Enjoy a weekend with friends as a surprise to them,
3. Keep blogging everyday,
4. Sleep, 
5. Go for a girly day out with my mumma,
6. Conquer my fear of heights in Portsmouth,
7. Bake!
8. Spend as little money as possible,
9. Learn how to maintain my car,
10. Be happy to go back to work,

I hope this gives you a little insight into my life when I'm off work, and of course, I will be sharing with you the things I manage to do!

Lydia

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Chocolate & Vanilla Marble Cake

Hello everyone,

Recently I feel I have been neglecting the blog a little, although I have updated the layout slightly which is good!

Whilst I have been away, I have seen Adam Hills at the Hammersmith Apollo, this was such a good night out, unfortunately, I had lost my phone in the house so went without taking photos. Adam Hills is a hilarious comedian who takes his disability as an opportunity to make people laugh.

Since starting my new job, I have been working a lot, working in the care industry means I work silly shifts, like starting at 7.30am and finishing at 9.30pm. It's full on.

However all hope is not lost, I had a spare afternoon and decided to bake something quick and simple, a Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Cake.

As this recipe is on the Telegraph's website, I used my iPad to display it which worked well, although I was careful not to spill anything onto it!

The recipe is so simple to follow and the cake mix worked well even without having a mixer to use.

 

The icing is a chocolate, almost fudge icing with melted white chocolate dribbled over. 

 

 Overall, I really enjoyed making the cake, it was different to do a loaf style, almost enjoyable not having to decorate 12 tiny cupcakes. 

You can find the recipe here.

Goodbye, Lydia

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