Carnaby Street - #ShoppingParty

Christmas has officially landed with me! While writing this i am still stuffed from the Pie and Mash, Cupcake and Free Cocktail i consumed last night.

Last night i went to the Carnaby Street light switch on.... Or as they call it the Shopping Party.

They have DJs in nearly every shop and on the main through route of Carnaby Street itself. Most of the stores give an extra 20% off so its the perfect time to treat yourself to a little party dress for that work function, or grab a few Christmas presents with a good saving!

They promote the night really well by giving it that almost VIP feeling by sending you a ticket when you sign up with all the stores that are participating in the 20% off.

Me and my friend went for dinner at Mother Mash.

Like Mash?? 

Like pie or sausage?

Like gravy??

Then you'll LOVE Mother Mash!!

Its a simple menu choice, pick your style of Mash, I went for Champ, Mashed potato, cheese, and spring onions.

thn pick a pie or a sausage, I went for Steak and Ale Pie (yum!!)

Then choose your gravy, I went for the farmers option, Red wine, Onion, Mushroom and bacon!!

Its such a simple and homely meal! And amazing value for money!!

There wasn't much left after!!

After a mooch round the shops and a little boogie in Benefit to Maria Carey. (my ultimate fave Christmas song!!)

We headed to Crumbs and Dollies! My fave Cupcake shop by far!!

Cupcake Jemma was there, and i said Hi to her and fan girl'd massively! (so embarrassing!!) I showed her my Halloween Cupcakes.

Banoffee and Cookie Cupcakes! Yummers!

Unfortunately i didn't use the discount on anything but food. I've got the perfect outfit in my head for the Christmas period and i didn't see it tonight!

Obligatory pose in front of the #Carnaby sign!!

If you get chance to go next year! Do it! such a fun girly evening!

Keep it positive

Nessa

Xx

Debenhams -Find your fabulous Christmas

Tonight i was lucky enough to be a plus one to a beauty blogger friend of mine. She had been invited to an event held by Debenhams at Mahiki in Mayfair, London.

This was my first experience of the events that happen in the blogger world. My first taste of what this world is. And i loved it!

Now, I've had people say "ohh you just want to get into blogging for the free things!" But that's so not true. I want to get into blogging to show case my cupcakes and things i enjoy. And most of all meet some awesome people!! (Which i did tonight!)

I'm always amazed that people come along and read the things i put out in the world. And i want to keep that going and reach more people. Most of my posts are about cake *yum* or things i love, but every now and again, i write a post about something I'm really passionate about (more than cake) like my S.O.P.H.I.E post i put up. I'm an opinionated person and a passionate one. If i can reach someone who enjoys my spiel then I'm super happy!

There are many bloggers out there, and many awesome ones. One day i hope to be up there with the greats, for now, I'll just keep posting and hope someone reads what i have to say.

I was lucky enough to grab a goodie bag tonight that looks to have some awesome products in. I shall endeavor to use them all and do a little write up!

Keep it positive

Nessa

xx

Late Halloween Cupcakes - Ready for the Party!!

My friend is having a  late Halloween party this weekend as she lives close to Twickenham so with the Rugby World Cup Final on Halloween no one was able to get to her house. 

So that meant I had time to make some awesome Halloween Cupcakes for her (ohh and its also her Birthday!)

My previous attempt at Orange and Black ones turned out really well using the Wilton ColurSwirl Piping device. (of which i LOVE so much!!)

So as i did the Orange and Black ones last time, i decided to do 12 of those and 12 Green and Purple.

I used the same Vanilla recipe and doubled all the ingredients. 

I split the Mixture into 4 and coloured each one. I also did the same with the Icing.

Orange and Black, Purple and Green

I was worried about how the Purple was going to turn out as i has used Violet, but as the mixture wasn't white it gave it a deeper, spookier colour!

My fave colour Gels are always Wilton!

I Mixed the cake mixture so when they are cut in half (or bitten into) you will see 2 colours. On top of the green i put the purple mixture (forgot to take a picture of that) I did the same with the Orange and black ones.

Using the ColourSwirl icing kit, i made these!! I love the way the colours sit together! Really Halloweeny!!

No cupcakes are complete without sprinkles! I had a pot of Halloween theme sprinkles which would go out of date before next years Halloween. so I went to town!

Hopefully they will taste as amazing as they look!!

Keep it Positive!

Nessa

xx

Black Roses - Sophie Lancaster - S.O.P.H.I.E

I sat here for a while thinking how I should start this off....

I've just finished watching Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster

I'm a flood of emotions. Angry, Sad, Happy, Thoughtful, Thankful, Bewildered....

Since I was a young teen I've been different....I've always been a mixture of "things" never settling for one particular style or music, or food....It's who I am. I'm too curious, inquisitive, intrigued, interested in the world to just pick one style of anything.

When I was younger, as defiant as I was, that this is who I am. It was seen that, that made me a "faker" because I didn't conform to just one thing. Now I'm older that is seem to be the norm, though not everyone like the same things, its ok to like a lot of different things. How I wish this had always been the case.

I've always been true to who I am, what I feel like at that time in my life, and yes its changed slightly over the years, I wear more colour than I used to (Red and Black was all I ever wore for a lot of years) I still have that side of me, I still have days where I want to just wear 2 colours. As well as the days where I wear 5 colours.

I've known about Sophie Lancaster since the day it came out in the news, it boiled my blood then, and it still does now! We live in a world so amazing and full of so many amazing people, places, cultures, that I never understood what drives someone to do that to a person just because they look different to them.

Through my early teens and college years I had names thrown at me, rocks thrown at me, I had people push and pull at me all because I looked different.

They looked different to me, but I didn't go around pushing and pulling them, throwing rocks at them or calling them names! That's just not a nice thing to do!
Even at my ripe age of 27 I still come across people, older, younger, the same age, who still want to call me names for looking different.

I am defiant, stubborn, I am my fathers daughter. I will not let what anyone says or does to me affect who I am! I am me, pure and simple, always have been always will be.

I don't just have friends who are only into the same things as me, they are all different from each other and that, to me, is the best way to be. It opens everyone's eyes to the oh so many different things in this world!

If you don't know about S.O.P.H.I.E please go check it out and see the amazing work her mum has been doing.

S.O.P.H.I.E is the main reason I found Illamasqua Make Up they support the Sophie Lancaster Foundation and I love that!!

If I could say one thing to anyone struggling out there with the fact that someone is different from you, ask them, go with an open mind and an open heart and find out about what they like, its doesn't mean you then have to like it, just understand it. Hate is born out of ignorance.

To the people who have been affected by name calling, abuse for being different, don't let go of who you are. You are AWESOME!!!

My only hope is that no Mother, Father, Sister, Brother, Cousin, Friend, has to lose another person from their life due to an attack from someone just for being different.

Remember, someone out there loves you.

Keep it Positive

Nessa
xx

Salted Caramel for the win!!

Another set of Birthday Cupcakes had been requested by my friend at work....so of course i said yes! (New recipe, yes please!)

Consulted my Cupcake book....

and settled on the recipe in there. Though it said to add coffee essence, and i knew the girl i was baking them for isn't a massive coffee fan, so i tweaked it slightly and left it out.

6oz Plain Flour

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

3 1/2 oz Caster Sugar

3 3/4 oz Soft Dark Brown Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

3 Medium Eggs

125ml Milk

I decided on brown muffin cases for the base. Filled them half way and popped them in the oven. They rose to about 3/4's full which i was expecting. 

I then used Dr Oetker's cupcake center in salted caramel which i had gotten in my goodie bag from The Cake and Bake Show the week before (see previous post) 

Then lavished them in vanilla buttercream with just enough salted caramel left to drizzle on top.

I was SUPER happy with how they turned out!

I shall be making more new things soon....got an amazing idea up my sleeve, just need a reason to make them.

Mondays a good enough reason, right?!?

Keep it positive

Nessa

xx

Blue Birthday Cupcakes

My friend asked me to make her blue cupcakes for her birthday....

And of course i said yes!!

She loved my Halloween Cupcakes so she'd asked for vanilla cupcakes with blue frosting! Easy!! Hmmm....

I wasn't too happy with how they turned out.... (being too hard on myself maybe!!)

I had visions of baby blue and white swirls...i soon realised i was never going to make cream butter (proper butter) white! And what do you get when you add blue to almost yellow?? Green!! You get green!!

But i carried on i used the same recipe as the Halloween cupcakes (see previous post) as she loved the taste of them so much...

So off i went with 12 blue sparkly cupcakes to work (i met her after work for dinner with her family)

They were taunting me all day! "We're not good enough" i could hear them say. Everyone at work said they looked amazing.

I'd used a new muffin tray to bake them in and i was worried they were under done...

Met her and her family at the restaurant and they asked me where I'd bought them from!! Bought!! I was so happy!! Her boyfriend said i should open a shop (how does he know my dreams?!)

After dinner her sister and uncle had room for desert so they grabbed a cupcake....

I waited with baited breath as they peeled back the wrapper (had a sneaky look (^_-) and they were perfectly plump inside!!)

 "Phew!"

The both took a bite and savored it before telling me, after which felt like an age, now i know how the bake off contestants feel!! I got huge thumbs up from both of them!! Yay!!

Birthday Cupcake Win!!

More to come

Keep it Positive

Nessa

xx

Sober October - Macmillan Support

Booze. 

I can take or leave it.

Don't get me wrong, i love a night out getting tipsy (sometimes a little more than tipsy, but that's about once a year, and I've never been arrested!)

But i also love a sober night out, I am queen of the dance floor with or without alcohol.

I have a lot of friends who would need a drink before getting up for a boogie, a lot of them tell me they don't know how i can manage a full night out without touching a drop of alcohol. 

I think i get that from my Mum and my Auntie, they never need a reason to get up on the dance floor!

So i decided that for October I would give up drinking all together for the whole Month.

I have set up a just giving page if any of you lovely lot would like to sponsor me :) 

Vanessa-Drink-Hic

I think the challenge will be this Sunday, I'm going to The Warped Tour A whole day not drinking, watching some of my fave bands.
Easy.....
But when everyone else is slowly getting a low level buzz, i'll be drinking water and still having an awesome time, just wishing i was drinking a crisp Cider!

I even set up my own Hashtag for the month #SoberKawaiiNessa you can check it out on Twitter and on Instagram.

Keep it positive (and wish me luck!)

Nessa

xx

Cake and Bake Show - London Excel

About a month ago my friend told me about this Cake and Bake show, The Money Saving Expert people were giving away some tickets for free.

So I grabbed a pair for the Sunday of the event, just like they said, totally free. Invited Mama Ward down and we had a girly weekend doing all things bake related.

My mum LOVEs baking, she's all about taste and less about presentation. My bag are Cupcakes, I LOVE them.

I love making them, but I agree not only should they look amazing (so good you almost don't want to eat them) they should taste amazing too.

I've dabbled in baking all of my life, my favourite childhood past time is licking the bowel and spoon out after baking! But I want to get into it, maybe even make some money from it.

I have a baking cupboard, living in a shared house doesn't provide me with much more space than that. But I knew there were a few things missing from my collection that would take my baking to the next level. 

You should have seen my face when we walked into the Cake and Bake show!!! Like a kid in a sweet shop! Here's a look at my haul!

As we walked in they offered us a Program with Class Time Table and a goodie bag....Well they had me at goodie bag, so for £5 we got one.

The goodie bag was awesome! I got a Sample of Dr Oetker Cupcake Centres, Salted Caramel Flavour. a sample of Ariel 3 in 1, some Menier Chocolate and Nestle Carnation Chocolate Filling and Topping. All of which I shall be using soon!

There were stalls and stalls of baking goodies, if I had my own house or shop for that matter I would have bought everything!!

The second stop we made was at the Bake Club Stand, and it being the last day of the show, lots of the stalls had some amazing deals.
I managed to get 2 silicone bake sets for £15!! They should be that each on the website! Even at £15 each, totally worth it!
Bake Club Shop

 

 

The Icing set is my fave, I've needed some bigger nozzles for a while now, and In the set I got 5 medium and 5 large, so my cupcakes are gonna be awesome!!

There was so much to look at, lots of stalls selling gadgets for the kitchen, so hard not to buy everything, there a few things I wish I'd got but didn't, but I would have spent a fortune if I'd got everything!

I did purchase a cheese mill, which seems to be awesome for grating everything!

Mama Ward got me a subscription (as an early Christmas present) to Baking Heaven and Cake Decoration Heaven, Food Heaven Magazines, to which I also got a free tote bag and the Official Bake off Cook Book!

I shall be updating everything I make on here from now on, and I'll no doubt be mentioning all the awesome things I got at the Cake and Bake Show.

Here's the website for the Show its self: The Cake and Bake Show
There are ones in Manchester and Edinburgh coming up!

Cant wait to share more of my baking with you.

Keep it Positive

Nessa

xx

Halloween - Cupcakes

Post to follow about my AMAZING time at the Cake and Bake show (apologies again for not keeping up with this, promise to be better)

So as the title suggests, I made Halloween cupcakes.

 

Trying to bake more often these days, have a gander at my Instagram for quick updates. @Endless_Night07

 

So here's how I did it!!

 

they are Orange and Black Vanilla Flavour Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting also coloured Orange and Black.

 

 

Makes 12 Cupcakes:

 

140g Softened Butter

140g golden Caster Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

3 Medium Eggs

140g Self-Raising Flour

 

 

Cream butter and sugar together, gradually add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Sift in the flour and fold with a spatula.

 

I then halved the mixture and coloured 1 orange and 1 black. I use Wilton Gel colours, they are the BEST colours out there, they have just come out with a new colour system which allows you to mix colours together to create other colours. That may be my next baking purchase!

 

I then added the mixture to the cases black on the bottom and orange on the top.

 

 

Cooked on 180 for about 15 minutes, until they spring back when i pressed on them.

 

Woo they rose more than I was expecting! 





I let them cool while I was making the frosting! (My fave bit!!)

So I got a new gadget (post about this to come) the Wilton Colour Swirl System! How to easily pipe upto 3 colours!!

I LOVE THIS THING!!!

So as I was only using 2 colours I didn't fill the 3rd space. then you just pipe as normal. and Hey Presto!!

Perfect duel Colour Piping!!

Then I added Sprinkles (cupcakes aren't complete without SPRINKLES!!!) I should have used more, but...there's always next time!

I was really happy with how the duel colours turned out!!



 

Let me know what you all think!!

 

Keep it Positive

 

Nessa

 

xx

Prested Hall - AMAZING!

Last month i went on a little trip away with work and had to stay over a few nights.

The second night we stayed at Prested Hall.....one word! WOW!

As we drove down the long drive way (which is always a sign of a fancy place) we were already blown away with the surroundings.

All the girls in the car were going on about how this would be an amazing place for a wedding! And they weren't wrong!

As we all checked in at the reception desk which was surrounded by dark woods and county house furnishings i was super excited to see what my room would be like. Firstly my key was an actual metal key! You don't find those much anymore...

As i climbed the grand stairs up to the first floor i saw my room was first. I put the key in the lock which was probably an original feature looking at the wear and tear around it.

I was greeted with this sight... *gasp*

So beautiful! I soon had the rest of the girls running in after me to have a look, we swiftly took a look in everyone else's rooms who had a similar beautiful old decor but all with a slight twist, but it came apparent that i had the biggest room.

 View from the bathroom door

 I really wanted to steal that vanity table!

That BATH!! Have no worries that i filled that with bubbles, picture further down.

We later had dinner in the adjacent building on site, which is also where they had a spa and pool. This building is a lot newer than the house itself, so for that i feel it is a little ugly in the grand setting. The restaurant is very new and modern, which again i found didn't feel as grand next to the decor in the house. That evening they had an Italian themed evening. the Food never the less was beautiful!

Starter - Roasted Vegetables with goats cheese tart.....Yum Yum Yum!

Mains - Roasted Chicken Wrapped in bacon with Beans and tomatoes.

Desert! (my fave part of all meals!)

Strawberry's with Vanilla Ice Cream! - lovely!!

As i mentioned earlier with the bath, as soon as i got back from dinner i put all the complimentary bubble bath in and set the water going.....

needless to say it was the best bath I've been in for a looooooong time! (HAHA)

After a lush nights sleep in the bed from the Princess and the Pea (at least that's how i felt) we all met downstairs for breakfast.

There was a huge selection for breakfast, there was the usual table of cereals and juices laid out just as you walked in, then on the table this little menu of scrumptious breakfast items! I went for the Three Egg Omelet.

I wasnt dissapointed! It was AMAZING! 

 My colleague had Eggs Benedict. I almost stole his plate!

When it came to leaving this wonderful place i was asked the usual, "was everything ok with your stay" Question. I said i couldn't fault it, beautiful house with beautiful rooms in an amazing setting! then i found out the best news! I'd had one of the bridal suits!! YES!!##

I would absolutely recommend a visit if you are planning a wedding!!

http://www.prested.co.uk/ 

Snacks....out and about.

Having been eating well this week and feeling great for it (loosing 5lb helps) I was a little worried about going home this weekend. *back story* When I usually go home, I don't think about what I'm eating, I eat what ever I want, have desert at every possible moment, I enjoy my food.
This weekend I'm still going to have fun, and eat what I want (making good choices though) cos this is a lifestyle change, and I know its not going to be maintainable carrying round Tupperware for the rest of my life like I do at work.

I go shopping on a weekend and prep everything I'm going to eat for the next week. (Might sound crazy to some people) It keeps me focused, helps me make good choices and saves me money as I can't go down to the canteen at work and buy things I probably don't need.

So going for the train back to the Motherland this morning and because its a Saturday I didn't have any fruit left in the fridge as I've eaten it all week, no carrot sticks left. So I thought I could just grab a few things at the station for the train. Easy right....... How wrong I was....

I'm not a huge lover of fruit as it is and I wouldn't want to eat too much cos its all just sugar anyway (good sugar, but still too much and its still bad for you)
But there really isn't much else out there to pick up that is actually a healthy snack. There's lots of things that look like they are a health snack, but they're usually full of sugar.

So first I went into waitrose it was only 10am so I wanted something breakfasty, didn't want a sandwich (and let's face it, pre made sandwiches really aren't good for you) there was a few yogurts, but all with fruit compote or some similar (full of sugar) lots of fruit options and I really couldn't see anything else that I could eat there and then so I grabbed a bag of over priced apple and grapes.

Not super happy with my choices I went to M&S...they're known for being great at health things!
I managed to grab a snack pot of reduced fat hummus and carrot sticks, perfect little snack. I made oil free, low fat hummus the other day, (post to come) so I know pre made stuff even when its reduced fat still isn't the best because its full of oil, but least the carrot sticks are super good.
I also grabbed a bag of "Guilt free snacking" sour cream & chilli lentil curls. Not bad, but the salt content was insane and I don't put salt in anything much, maybe the smallest pinch in my eggs, so they were super salty for me!!

That should keep me going on the train back home, but it was super hard to find and I'm still not happy about the Lentil Curls....

Looks like its Tupperware for life....

Stay positive

Nessa

Slimming World Secret.....Scan Bran

Scan Bran, chances are unless you've done slimming world or had a friend that's tried it, you'll never have heard of Scan Bran. 

It basically 40% fiber "cracker bread" (bread is used in the loosest sense of the word!)

Eating Scan Bran can get really boring, really fast. Least it was for me. Its hard to eat, I mean it tastes like fiber (AKA Cardboard). Its the secret ingredient for a lot of people trying to lose weight on slimming world. 5 of these fiber bad-boys count as your "Healthy Extra B" a day. I have a friend who can eat all 5  in one sitting for lunch. I can't get through more than 3 (even then it's a struggle)

for Lunch I would usually have a Laughing Cow Light Triangle, some meat (usually Ham or chicken) some Tomato and some rd onion. It certainly is easier to eat it like this. But i still struggle eating this more than once a week, and daily is the best way to lose weight with it. I've heard of people eating it with soups and making cakes with it (I tried that once....not great, but i need to perfect the recipe)

So I decided to try to make it into a type of breakfast loaf. Seen as eating at lunch was more of a success that turning it into a sweet thing.

If you use the Scan Bran as your Healthy Extra B and the cheese as your Healthy Extra A this is totally FREEEEEEEE!!

Here's the recipe I used (if you can call it that, as I pretty much made it up)

7 scan bran
4 eggs
3 Large Mushrooms
Handful of cherry tomatoes
1 small red onion

2 Rashers of lean bacon

42g Low Fat Chedder

Method:

First i blended the Scan Bran, the few recipes i found for cakes said to just break them up and soak them, but i wasn't sure about that, so i ground them up as fine as i could get them, then soaked them in some boiling water.

Then i fried up some onions and bacon, with some Tomatoes and mushrooms.

I then added the eggs and cheese together, then the scan bran, then the rest of the ingredients and mixed them together.

I added in to a non stick baking tin and cooked for about 30 minutes on 180. 

It came out well. and tastes really good.

I will do two things differently next time.

I will add in half a teaspoon of baking powder to make it rise slightly. (which will add half a syn to the whole thing)

And i will add a little seasoning to the eggs (I always forget to do this!!)

Enjoy!

If you have any questions write them in the comments below :)

Stay Positive

Nessa