Ginger Beer Cake Results!

So today I tried the second recipe for Ginger Beer cake on my previous post. And here are the results!

It definitely tastes like ginger beer, rather than just a ginger cake. Its quite light and squidgy, and has been enjoyed by the family! I have a feeling the ginger beer you use has an effect, I used Old Jamaican Ginger Beer, but I would like to try and find a more fiery one and see what kind of effect it has on the cakes taste.

Been browsing Design Seeds for colour scheme ideas for my page. So happy to of discovered that website, beautiful to flick through and helpful, what could be better?

Looked back over the last few days, seemed to of turned into a pretty chatty blogger. Rather enjoying it to be honest.

Post-Hand In To-Dos

I've got just over a week to get all this project's back-up done and dusted before this years final hand in. And its all still pretty jumbled in my head of what I still actually have to get done, due to thinking about all the stuff I want to get done over the summer! Which I'm rather more interested in now the exhibition is all over. So here's what I want to do:

- Play around with themes for my final major project, looking at things that interest me or things I'm use to being around due to something my family are into. Things like that, as I think this is a good starting ground. However, I don't want to get a final idea into place too early. As this year I feel that my two worse projects were down to knowing exactly what I wanted to do or knowing exactly how I wanted to look. Just throwing out ideas and seeing what sticks is a much better why of working.

- Completely re-vamp work blog. I feel its too jumbled up and disjointed, and part of me really didn't want to put it on my business cards, but where else did I have to send any punters? As much as I love the random little crafty bits I do and I love the degree work I do, I don't feel they belong in the same place. Both big parts of how I work though. So I've been chatting to my brother about this and he says he has a solution to it that he'd be happy to help to with. So now I'm dead excited about this!

- Keep working. And I don't mean in a dull way. Last summer I felt I just completely stopped doing work, thinking about anything slightly uni related. Including crafty bits. So I feel this year I haven't worked to the best of my ability because its taken so long to get the ball rolling again. So my general plan is to not stop that ball rolling, just slow down the speed its rolling at to a more relaxed pace.

- Look for things. This one came about today, from hearing all the brilliant things my cousin is doing related to his interest in graffiti art, most of which he's found from looking around on the internet and emailing people simply on the off chance. Which I think is just amazing. Because really, what is the harm in asking or having a go? None! They can only say no.

- Working on a brand scheme. I've got a year until the real world begins, and I need to make a stamp for my work. And decide what makes it mine. Labels, logos and colour schemes. All I can say is... I feel so lucky to have two brothers who know about this stuff to a tee!

So my first plan of act is to do the following: Buy an A5 Moleskine and pack of fine line felt tips and get writing down and drawing out any idea that crosses my mind.

Best Ginger Tea Ever.

Sadly, I've ran out. Sad times.

Surprise flowers!

Beautiful tulips from James & Lou for the hard work of the exhibition. So nice of them! Tulips are my favourite flower.

Cough, cough, cough. Morning!
Couldn't sleep until 3am last night, but I am up and looking forward to the day.

Was quite excited to find the recipes for ginger beer cake below! I knew Coca Cola cake exists, and as I'm on a bit of a 'love the taste of ginger food & drink' spree at the moment made me wonder if ginger beer cake exist. So off to google I strolled and below are the two recipes I picked out. Hoping to give it a try this weekend. If I get round to making it, I will post back with the results!

Ginger Beer Cake

(From: Good Food Channel: http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/607351)

Ingredients

260g plain flour

170g caster sugar

1.5tsp ground ginger

3/4tsp cinnamon

170ml ginger beer

80ml vegetable oil

260ml golden syrup

3 eggs

1tsp baking power

2tsp Dark Brown sugar, for decoration

Method:

1. Preheat the owen to 150c

2. Beat together all the ingredients, apart from brown sugar.

3. Pour mixture into greased loaf tin.

4. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for approx. 1 hour & 15 minutes, then cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out an serving in slices.

Different version from: http://www.hungryandfrozen.com/2009/09/ginger-baker.html

Adapted from How To Be A Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson

200g plain flour
100g caster sugar
150g brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
125mls buttermilk (or 1/4 cup plain yoghurt, 1/4 cup milk)
125g butter
175mls ginger beer (I used Phoenix Organic, a light and gingery drop)

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. 

2. In a good-sized pan, gently melt the butter and ginger beer together. 

3. Remove from heat, and sift in the dry ingredients, then mix in everything else. 

4. Pour into a lined 22cm springform tin, and bake for 40 minutes. (This is a very liquid batter so it might pay to slide some foil under the cake tin.) 

5.Leave to stand in the tin 15 mins before turning out. 

(If you like, you could make a buttercream by beating together soft butter, icing sugar, a little ground ginger and a tablespoon or two of the remaining ginger beer.)

Almond Biscuits

From: Good Food Magazine June 2012

Makes 34

4 egg whites

140g/5oz caster Sugar

2tbsp plain flour

140g/5oz ground almonds

1. Preheat oven to 160c/140c/gas 3

2. Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof.

3. Place egg whites in bowl and whisk until they form soft peaks.

4. Add sugar & whisk for a few minutes until whites are glossy.

5. Sift flour into whites. Spoon over the almonds. Then fold everything together quickly, keeping mixture light and airy.

6. Spoon tbsp of mixture, well spaced, on baking trays.

7. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden.

8. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

(Not what I usually do, but I keep losing my recipe book to write them down. So this is the most safe way of recording recipes until I find it again!)

Third Year Experiments

Been thinking about what I could look at in my third year projects. I don't feel like I've ever experimented with using print properly. I always seem to shy away from it, and feel some how scared of it. I'm not really sure why, because something I love doing in life is finding a beautiful print, whether its a framed wall piece or fabric. So it seems logical to base my work around something I enjoy.
But at the same time I'm arguing with myself if third year is a good time to experiment with something where my strengths possibly don't lie. As I honestly don't know, having never tried it properly. However, the other side of me is thinking why not? Its an area to explore, you've got the equipment to do it at your disposal and if you don't use them, you don't know when you're going to have access again.
From giving it extra thought, I'm beginning to think that I will look into creating prints. Maybe my way into prints is starting with the idea of stitching which I know I'm comfortable with using, and turning it into a digital print image or perhaps transferred on to a screen.
I feel very aware that next year is my final one, and then its into the real world. I'm also very aware that when people ask me what I want to do or if I know where I'm heading, that my answer is usually along the lines of "I have no idea". The only thing I think I know, and I'm not even sure of that, is I want to go and work for someone to start off. Instead of setting up myself as a label. I don't really know anything about the industry, so I would rather get to know it from the inside than stepping into it completely blind. But I feel getting a feel for creating patterns for prints is a good way into the design industry, as a print can be added to various products not just the textiles.
So yeah, that's my train of thoughts at the moment for year three shenanigans, although we haven't actually been given any briefs or directions. So who knows what will happen.

There are better things ahead 

than any we leave behind.

C. S. Lewis

Cookery Books

I'm wanting to get some cookery books for some nice simple, home recipes, but there's just so many. All by various different people, I really don't know what to look for.
Seem to be on some kind of cooking and baking mind-set at the moment. I think I'm just wanting to get better, more confident. I know I'm not confident with flavourings like herbs and spices, all the cooking I do at the moment is simple and very student recipes.
Maybe over the summer I'll browse Mum's stack of "Good Food" magazines, from flicking through them, there is some recipes that make my mouth water just from looking at them.
Think I'll go and browse some charity book shops, see what I can find. I'm pretty excited to be honest.

"A person is a person, no matter how small."

- Horton Hears a Who

"… and yet you, you are still very much here—more than here, you are there standing on the platform waiting for a train while i wait for many more to pass by before i can transfer in hopes that you will see me, but you never do. you haven’t for a long time now and i don’t know if you ever will see me like you did before."

Found out that at the private view last night the 100/200 business cards I put out all went! More had to be put out this morning. Pretty chuffed by this news!

I've been awake for about half an hour and I've spent all of it coughing. Its one of those coughs that turns you into a beautiful ball of horrid heat, and once you've started you generally can't stop. I apologise in advance to everyone in town for my coughing fits.

Am I the only one who likes the smell of Olbas Oil? Especially when it just hangs in the air.

The Shambles Turned Good.

After the complete shambles that was yesterday, today proved to be a lot more of a success! Got to the venue for 9pm and considering the deadline was meant to be midday, it ended up being like 1pm until the tutors just went: "Okay, you've got 15 minutes!" But I LOVE my textiles tutors so much, they don't mess around like the others do. They literally came in and went just got it up and we'll see what it looks like! SO good! So happy with how my piece looked once I'd got it up.
Then the preview evening was great this evening, so nice to see everyone dressed up and enjoying themselves after the stress. And it was pretty busy which was lovely to see!
All this was followed by M&D treated me & Kate to a Pizza Express, and it was absolutely delish, very much like the branch in Highcross.
So today has been so nice. Looking forward to a night out tomorrow and seeing Debbie on Thursday before my exhibition shift. What a good week ahead!

Artisan Exhibition

Our second year Design Crafts: Artisan Exhibition is all set up and everyone's work looks stunning. So if you're in or around Leicester please take the time to go and take a look!

For further details please visit our Facebook page by clicking on the image above.

John Lewis Rabbit Lamp

What can I say? I need this lamp in my life. I don't care that its classed as a child's lamp, I would appreciate it a lot more.

Ron Pope - A Drop In The Ocean

"Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen - Feat. Disney Crew

Anj has got this song completely stuck in my head, and I generally don't know if I hate it or not. Feel like I should but maybe another guilty pleasure.
Not the official video, but this one is generally better, even if it does involve some irritating people.

What Kate Said To Me Today...

"You really are a geek at heart aren't you?"
Made me chuckle, because yes. Yes I am! I might not know anything about the typical things that tend to get related to geeks. But the things that make me happy, or laugh are usually fairly geeky.

What a Shambles!

Today has been a bit of a slow day. Got up all ready to sort out my exhibition space and put my work up, just to get to the space and find out the following things:
- The wall space I've been given was appalling. There was holes everywhere, including a massive one at one corner. And the paint job on it was shocking. SO I've spent the entire day sanding it down, getting the poly filler out, waiting for it to dry, to then give it a paint job. All these things were meant to be sorted by the actual place.
- Then we found out that we couldn't put any of our work up due to there being a band playing in there this evening. Erm... What? We have paid for this space, so surely no one else should be using it? So this only gives us tomorrow to put work up.
- Then the final blow is that we only have until midday tomorrow to actually set up as the tutors are assessing after then. We can only get in at 9am so we have 3 hours to set up for an exhibition thats being a assessed and viewed by the general public and any industry people that show up for the private view tomorrow evening.
There's generally no point in worrying about being organised for my course, because they will always be more unorganised than you.
Sorry for the massive rant, had to have a good moan.

Fondue for Two!

So at midnight me and Kate decided cheese fondue would be a brilliant idea. So much cheese that I have a cheese baby! I can feel the nightmares coming on.

Paperclips Everywhere!

Just been sat picking out all the white paperclips from a pack of 500 multi-coloured ones, because NO where seems to sell packs of all white ones which I think is slightly weird. Maybe they're worried they'll blend into the paper to something.
Though knowing my luck next week once everything is set up and ready, every stationers will just be rolling in white paperclips when I'm no longer on the hunt for them.
Now to decide if my attachments should be white as well, or will look fine staying silver. As I think paint/spraying them white may look ridiculous and not have a very nice finish.
If any of the tutors turn round and say they don't like my set up they can jog on. Because I have never thought about the, in my opinion, minor things of an exhibition so much in my life!
Thats its it for my exhibition related stress out for today... Though its not really a stress out because I'm doing it all while sat in bed and being in bed just makes everything a lot less stressful. And scented candles.

To the Right, To the Right...

As you can see to the right, I have added my twitter stream to my blog. So you can be browsing my blog and twitter at the same time. Dreams come true I know, you're very welcome.
In other news, had the updated blogspot interface forced upon me: I don't like it. I'm sure I'll get use to it, but I was perfectly happy with the old one thanks very much.

Found an all new reason for St.Martins to be my favourite part of town: St.Martin's Tea & Coffee shop. Having gone in Monday and yet again today, and it took a lot of will power to not walk out with half a bag of a different tea as I did on monday. Kibbled Ginger as bought on Monday is SO nice and leaves that feeling like only a good ginger flavour can. I feel a lot of teas and maybe even some coffee will be bought from there!

Generally come round to realising yet again how small I actually am, and in the photo that made me realise this I'm wearing heels... So I'm a good 3 inches taller than normal and still tiny.

Pottermore

SO I joined Pottermore! And to be honest I've been nerding out on it all evening!

Username: RoseSword28477 (Be my friend!)

Wand: Rowan, Phoenix Feather, 11 inches & surprisingly swishy!

House: Gryffindor (totally surprised at this!)

I'm completely crap at duelling and making potions. Complete win at being a witch.