Chocolate and Vanilla Marble Loaf

Hello Everyone!

As you all probably know by now, by reading some of my other blog posts (if you have that is... ;)..) that I am a huge fan of cooking. Anytime I have a day off or no work do of an evening I will buy some ingredients to bake a cake, or cook dinner some nights. Although I do cook quite often, I still get really nervous letting other people try what I cooked..what if they don't like it? what if I make them ill? All extremes, I know!

So, this week I decided I wanted to make a cake loaf and I settled with the idea of baking a chocolate and vanilla marble loaf- the marble aspect of it didn't turn out as I had hoped, but it was still yummy nonetheless.

Ingredients:
* 225g Butter
* 225g Caster Sugar
* 275g Self-raising Flour
* 2 tsp Baking Powder
* 4 Eggs (medium/large preferably)
* 2 tbsp Milk
* ½ tsp Vanilla Essence
* 1½ tbsp Cocoa Powder
* 2 tbsp Hot/Warm Water

Pre-Heat the oven at 160c/ Gas Mark 3

Method:
1. Put the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs, milk and vanilla essence into a mixing bowl and mix/ stir together until it is well blended and you get a thick consistency.

 

2. Pour half of this mixture into another mixing bowl. Place one bowl to the side and leave until your pour into the baking tin.

3. In a jug or bowl pour the hot water and into this add the cocoa powder. Mix the two together until smooth and then add to one of the bowls. Stir in the chocolate mix until you get a chocolatey mixture.

4. Spoon in the chocolate and vanilla mixtures into the greased baking tin randomly, until the two bowls are empty. To achieve a marble effect, add spoonfuls of the different mixtures in a variety of places and quantities, whilst baking in the oven they will combine together.
5. Place the tin in the pre-heated oven for 50 minutes to an hour, depending on how long the cake takes to rise.

6. Once the cake is fully cooked (if you're wary you can stick a knife into the cake a remove it to see if the cake is sticky inside- cook for longer if this is the case) remove it from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for a while. After a few minutes you can turn the cake out onto a cooling rack.

7. When you feel it is cool enough, you may eat it.

Have fun baking this! It's such a simple cake to make and adapt to suit what you like about a cake

Photos from the year!

Hello Everyone!

I hope we are all settling into 2014 just fine, and sticking to those resolutions you set yourself at the beginning of January. ;) Sorry I have been absent on this blog for a while, I have been so caught up with getting my University applications up together. Submitting pieces of work, here, there and everywhere. I've also been rather unimaginative when it has come to blog content, it can be so hard sometimes.

Anyway, that's enough of that! I wanted this post to be a creative, artsy one to show off my photography skills. And to also show the best times of 2013 through a documentary of photos. What a great start to 2014 blogging, eh!? 

January:

The skyline early in the morning.

The remains of the snow as it melted away.

February:

This month after ages I started to read again. It felt amazing.

Mine and my sisters list of films to get in 2013, we did quite well.

March:

Celebrating the Easter in delicious style.

April:

I put together a montage of funny images of my cat.

My signed Kodaline ticket.

My sister and I met Kodaline after the gig.

Saw 5 Seconds of Summer for the first time supporting One Direction.

Saw One Direction at the O2 arena on the Take Me Home tour.

May:

I decided to get baptised this month.

My final piece for my photography AS level.

June:

The levitation photo I made on Photoshop.

July:

My sister looked gorgeous at her prom.

I was blown away by the model of Hogwarts.

Harry Potter studio tour- best place ever!

Butter Beer!

August:

I passed my theory test first time.

Group photo with friends at Thorpe Park.

September:

My dad spoilt me and got me the best 18th birthday present.

My sister won tickets to see the Arctic Monkeys at the
 iTunes festival.

October:

The result of 'the storm' on my neighbours fence.

The panto was a great success.

I finally overcame my craving to make homemade pizza, yum!

November:

Oh, how Anoop helped us with our late purchase.

I DID IT! I passed my driving test first time.

December:

I got my first article published in Mayhem! magazine.

Even my cat got into the Christmas spirit. 

Winter Wonderland was so magical.

Went to JLS' last ever tour date with my sister.

So that is my year (2013) in pictures, it's great to look back at the images you have taken and bring back all the great memories. As I completed an AS level in photography, I think I have definitely got better at achieving nice photos and love looking back at photos taken years ago to see how my skills have developed. Getting an SLR camera for my 18th this year has made me set myself a goal to produce so many more wonderful photographs to be proud of.

Good Memories From The Year!

Hello Everyone! This is the first post of the NEW YEAR!

2013 was a great year, wasn't it? For me, it was the best year of my 18 years of life and it can only get better. So many great things happened during the year, at the beginning of the year I set myself goals of what I WILL achieve in 2013-and I achieved the majority of these goals! :D 

Near the end of 2012, my sister had been scouring Twitter which for her is like a daily chore and whilst doing this she came across a brilliant idea. The idea was to have a jar/pot to put in all of your happy memories from the year and then on the 31st December or 1st January (of the new year) you open it and read about all the good things. So to keep on top of it, when something memorable happens write it down and place it in the jar/pot. It is such an amazing feeling opening up what you have written and reminiscing on all the good things from the year. I would advise anyone reading to do this throughout 2014.

On the 1st January 2014 I opened up my pot and found that I had 43 memories to read through. Reading them all confirmed to me that 2013 was indeed my year. 

Here are a few of my good memories I'd like to share with you:

* I went to 4 concerts this year and all of them were good in different ways; In April- Kodaline and One Direction, In September- Arctic Monkeys at the iTunes Festival, In December- JLS.

* I met Kodaline after the gig with my sister.
* I went to Winter Wonderland in London's Hyde Park for the second year in a row. I did a blog post on this day, read it here. 
* I got through my first year of college. 
* I got 3 offers from the universities I applied for.
* I got my first piece of writing published in Mayhem! Magazine. 
* I started this blog, which has been so much fun to write and express myself whenever I feel the need.
* I also turned 18 which is a great thing in itself!

At the beginning of the year I set myself two goals that I WILL and DID achieve in 2013, I didn't know when it would happen, I just knew it would. These two things were:
* I said that I would get a job, after two years of trying and applying for many places. In September I had an interview for a job at Primark and started my first shift within that week. It took a long time, but it finally happened.
* I also said that I will pass my driving test, not necessarily first time but that would be great. I did that too! On August 29th I passed my theory test first time and then on 7th November I passed my practical test first time. I am now still saving for insurance as it is ridiculously expensive. 

Anyway, that was my AMAZING year, I would love to hear about yours. Or maybe if you did the happy memories from the year jar/pot. It's the start of the new year so why not start now and fill up your jar with good things. :D

London at Christmas...

Hello Everyone!

On Sunday 22nd December I embarked on one of the best days out of my life! I got all the Christmassy feels, it was simply wonderful! For my sister however, it was to start a great day but quickly spiral into a big soppy mess with the evening of JLS' last ever concert. 

I know Christmas has sadly come and gone, too quickly for my liking, but I thought that by sharing a few of the photos I took from the day it would make you feel happy and excited about what has been. So here we go, lets marvel in the Christmassy magic.....

This is in Piccadilly Circus, when me and my sister got lost on
the first tube to Winter Wonderland.

We made it! The queue to get in was so big, but it did
move rather quickly. 

Here is a compilation of the little wooden huts that were selling
food, drinks and cute souvenirs to buy.

Above are a few photos of some of the cool attractions that were at Winter Wonderland.

 Below is the same huge Christmas tree that was placed high up above on one of the wooden huts. The photo on the left is from when we first got there and the second is later on with the lights on.

This is the super cute ice rink, which I wish I had booked tickets for.

Yep, your eyes aren't deceiving you, it in fact a Parrot on the
 mans shoulder. The parrot was on a leash attatched to him,
so it couldn't fly away. It's not everyday you see something like that.

The food hall in Harrods at Christmas time, how festive.

This big statue of Santa was in the Christmas shop in Harrods.
It was nearly as tall as me.

Harrods from the outside, at night with all the pretty lights shining
and lighting up the street.

The O2 arena at night looks really nice.

JLS saying their goodbyes at the end of the concert, it was a teary night.
Everyone around seemed to be upset and crying.

Just an image of the stage to finish the blog post off.

Thank you so much for viewing my photos, it truly was a marvellous day. I love London so very much and at Christmas time it is all the better, I hope to visit again at this time of year for the 3rd year in a row next year. I just hope that everyone reading this had a lovely Christmas and I wish them all the best for the New Year.