Special Guest - Ruth Clemens!!

Hello everybody! 

Today I am thrilled beyond belief, and that's saying something, to have Ruth Clemens, Baker Extraordinaire, joining my non-blonde blonde ramblings here on Creating and Baking.

Ruth first came to our attention as the super cool, uber organised finalist in the first series of The Great British Bake Off. Since then Ruth has gone on to create her own very successful blog, the pink whisk. She is also the author of three books including her Brilliant Baking Step-By-step which I reviewed a short while ago. Ruth is constantly working with major baking brands, writing for magazines and this month is encouraging us all to bake some lovely loaves as part of the Lurpak February Challenge on http://www.bakeclub.co.uk. Make sure you sign up and take part so you can be in with a chance of winning a set of Ruth's books, including the soon to be released Creative Eclairs - more of which later!

So I hope you are sitting down with a brew and a slice of cake; I have some of Ruth's Choc Chip and Fudge Madeira cake to enjoy whilst we learn a little more about our guest.

************************

Being an established cookery writer, which non-food authors are favourites on your bookcase at home?

 

I love Tess Gerritsen, Jo Nesbo and then a good variety of light-hearted chick lit – I tend to avoid the baking stories though, that’s just a bit too much like a busman's holiday for me and I do love to curl up with a good book and lose an hour or two!

Your family has a baking history going back four generations. Could you share one of your great-grandmother Thirza's trade secrets with us?

 

I wish I could! Unfortunately my memories of her and the bakery were when I was a young girl and I have to admit I didn’t pay enough attention unless it was to lick the bowl and spoon, or to do the taste testing before baked goodies made it to the counter! The two generations  of my family between my Nannan (Thirza) and me didn’t want a career in baking and so the Bakery was run by members of staff until eventually it was sold - something that I deeply regret. What she did give me is a love of baking, a love of the smell and the sounds of clattering tins and busy kitchens. She also taught me that baking is to be shared and enjoyed by as many people as possible; Nannan was a truly inspirational influence on me and I hope that I can leave as good a memory when I’m gone.

 I, too, have a houseful of boys, so how do you express your inner pink other than through baking?

I just have to keep asserting a strong female influence much to their disgust! This includes dancing randomly round the house, singing along to the radio at the top of my voice, asking them which top goes best with which trousers and explaining the ins and outs of various makeup/beauty regimes even though they have absolutely no interest. Also dragging them round The Trafford Centre (our local large shopping centre) fairly regularly, making sure they’ve examined and had a good sniff at everything in Lush before being allowed in the Apple Store. They’re not keen on the enforced girliness but at least they tolerate it now, and if I have to trapse through the mud with them, ride bikes up blustery muddy hills and cheer them on at sports games from the freezing cold sidelines then I think it’s only fair!

You equipment list includes suppliers from the US and Australia. How do certain items differ from those available in the UK and why do you prefer them?

 

I have to admit I love seeing what equipment and supplies that you can get in other countries; you can sometimes come across some really different items before they make it over here. The US and Australia supplier lists in the books are more because I’m lucky that my books are launched in the US and Australia at the same time as the UK so it’s to give the international readers some pointers as to where to buy their bits from too!

I am a fan of Anna Olsen and she recently branched out with a Food Network programme using fresh food items. Would you consider widening your remit to include more savoury baking and making?

 

Very much so. Until recently I’ve never been much of an inspired cook, I think mostly down to the fact that my boys were younger and completely unadventurous so it became very disheartening when no-one would try it, let alone eat it for their tea. However, as they get older they’re much more willing to try different things and broaden their horizons.

 

The reason I tend to come back to sweet baking is because it’s so much easier to share. You can tempt most folks with a slice of cake, I can dispatch my husband with a plate of sweet treats to share at work, drop boxes of goodies off with my sisters, deliver slices of brownies to my Nanna for wrapping individually and storing in the freezer not to mention squirrelling the odd jam tart in the boys lunch boxes!

What would you say to people who want to bake for themselves but don't quite know where to start?

 

Get a bowl, a spoon and a good recipe and get stuck in! You can’t beat the taste of something you’ve made yourself – the proud factor ups the taste level immensely!  Its hugely rewarding when you can share it out too and say "I made that"; you can’t beat a good bit of baking.

 

What future aims and ambitions do you have for your baking career?

 

It may sound a bit odd but I just want to carry on baking for the people I love; I’ll carry on sharing my recipes as long as people are interested and after that really who knows? First and foremost I’m Mum, wife, daughter, sister and friend and those are the people I love to bake for. Aside from that I’m extremely lucky that I have a lot of ‘online friends’  through the blog that I love to bake for too and, whilst I can’t share the slices out that far, I can pass on the recipes so that they can all bake for their families and friends too. 

 

Through the blog I have had some amazing opportunities and experiences, writing books and recipes and working with all sorts of brands which I have loved doing and who knows what the future will hold? My big hope is for a kitchen extension so I have a better space to work in, but I can bet I’ll still be balancing things on the toaster and the drainer and using the microwave for impromptu storage even then!

*****************

Thank you so much for your time today, Ruth, and I am really hoping to review said new book, Creative Eclairs, in the very near future!

Homemade cleaning wipes

Morning! Finally got round to doing something I have thought about for a while - my own cleaning wipes. I have recently discovered the benefits of using soda crystals for cleaning so thought I would give this a go.

I have used said soda crystals, lemon juice and some water. In a bowl I put half a cup of the crystals, a quarter cup of lemon juice and half a cup of water. The lemon juice and soda crystals make a lovely fizz when they react with each other! You could also add tea tree oil if you want a more disinfectant wipe.

 

  
Then you can use something like Plenty Big One or Super Strong paper sheets for the actual wipes if you don't have anything in your rag bag to use. As I was just trying out the recipe today I have gone for the paper sheets but recently recycled some of my boys' old jimmers so will use those next time and, of course, you can wash and reuse those again!

Then you soak your sheets/rags in the cleaning solution and ring them out. I have used old take away boxes to store mine in so I can keep one upstairs and one in the kitchen. I have poured a little more of the solution into the box to keep them really moist. The mixture I have given here should be good for 30 sheets but probably less for the rags if they are thicker. they can be used for wiping round the basin and toilet or wiping down tops in the kitchen, anything really.
There are lots of recipes for this kind of thing on the internet/Pinterest so see what works for you and give it a go.

Fun things we do during half term hols!

With half term just around the corner I thought I would share something about how we spend some of our time during the hols.

When you plan something, and boy do I like to plan, it doesn't always follow that everything works how you would like - but I think it's good to at least have a basic framework.I always use this Netmums half term planner in readiness for any short holiday the boys have from school. We keep it on the fridge and the boys then have an idea of what they can expect for the week but leave space for them to put in things they might like to do.

There are certain things which I know they enjoy doing. For one, we always take a trip to the library armed with a list of books we need. The list comes, usually, by way of a themed day we are having. One of their favourites is animals where we take printables from the internet to use as Wanted posters for a make-believe animals that are on the loose and we play "I went to the zoo and I saw...". For a making activity we bake animal-shaped biscuits and then if it is a wet day we perhaps look for a good animal film to enjoy with our biscuits!

We are lucky enough to live close to a lovely walk around Ogden reservoir. 

Our house is the one on the left at the bottom left of the picture.

When the weather is fine we head off with snacks and lunch in our back-packs. We gave a great time chatting and singing as we go and the boys have to stop in the same places for snacks and lunch. As we are heading home we play our age-old game of pretending a certain electricity pylon is a space rocket and we take turns in saying what we would take on a trip to the moon!

As I said, things don't always go according to plan but it is always good to have a couple of things to do which you know will amuse and occupy but also that you can share as a family to make the most of time you have with your children when they are out of school.

Random ramblings - nothing new there then!

Good evening. 

Today's post is inspired by Pretty Nostalgic (PN) magazine again. Sorry, can't help it! Whilst reading the latest issue, subscriptions to this delicious magazine are available here, I scribbled down, there I go again, a few things which inspired me, reminded me of stuff or just gave me ideas.

I have recently purchased a good supply of soda crystals, commonly know as bicarbonate of soda.

 

I have been using it for cleaning various things around the kitchen as I am in the middle of a kitchen deep clean. This involves cleaning out every cupboard and drawer, vacuuming those hard to get at areas, dusting cupboard tops and having a general de-clutter. So, making a paste of the crystals and a drop of water I have cleaned out most cupboards and they have come up shiny like a new pin. I think I will use it next time with a drop of lemon juice; this can increase the cleaning power and, of course, it smells lovely. I've put aside items which other people may want, that which is beyond the pale plus items for the charity shop. I always have a look round when I drop things off hoping that I see something the shop will trade for what I am taking them instead of crossing their palm with silver. Still yet to manage it!

I don't have a lots of recipes of my mums and I was not that interested in baking when I was younger so don't have an old exercise book of recipes like I think my oldest sister probably does. However, since becoming a fully-fledged fan of baking and cooking I have acquired a few more books. I think my current favourite recipe is cheese and sweetcorn scones, just yummy - I plan to add this to the Foody Fun page of my blog. I am, however, an avid fan of collecting recipes for all food be it savoury or sweet; this means I am continually increasing the size of my recipe folder!

I am keen to sew more, for myself, the boys or the house but need to find a way to fit it in with the other things I like to do. It occurred to me the other day that I could re-purpose and make do and mend something which only sees the light of day for the month of December. That item is my Christmas draught excluder. I think I should find some fabric with which to create a sleeve so I can use it at other times of the year. I don't think this would be a difficult sewing project and I really should get myself organised and do it very soon!

So, there we have a few ramblings from your friendly non-blonde blonde. They were inspired by PN so maybe you could also get inspired by them or just let me know what inspires you? I would love to know.

Thanks for stopping by and I look forward to hearing what inspires you.

Catch ya later! xx


 

Vintage-inspired journals - when they're gone they're gone!

Good morning! 

This is just a quick post as I am having a lazy morning today. My Country Living 
magazine arrived this morning so just about everything has come to a standstill! 

I've just popped up to our Chill Room to use the computer, this is the room in our home which houses my crafting area - including my needs-to-be-used-more sewing machine, hubby's guitars, you get the idea. Anyway, I spied two of my embellished journals which I am keen to sell as I am not going to be at the upcoming Saddleworth Creative Network event in March. Just having a little rest and concentrating on a few things for myself. It takes a lot of preparation to take part in one of these events and sometimes I just feel I don't have the energy.

So, here are the two journals. They are A5 in size with blank pages and come with a decorated book mark, both have a vintage feel to them. Due to the paper being 120gsm they are just great for using as art journals as you are able to put inks on it and use some kinds of art pens, too.

They would be perfect as any kind of memory book to keep tickets, photos etc in. I have a couple of them for things around the house myself like my Journal of Gratitude, which I began in January, plus one for scribbling in if I am working on a blog post or a piece of writing. I do love a good chunky note book and these fit the bill very nicely indeed.

 

Now the nitty gritty. I have these priced at £16.00, due simply to the (wo)man hours they take to complete, plus gift wrapping and postage. If you are interested in buying one for a very special person, perhaps with a special occasion coming up, then being a completely original item I really think it would be a gift they would treasure.

Hope you are having a good day.

Catch ya later! xx

Book review involving cake!!!

This review is a little late as the book was a Christmas present from my cake-making big sister. Today's review is of "Brilliant Baking Step-by Step" by Ruth Clemens who was a finalist in the first series of The Great British Bake Off.

Right off the bat I loved the book, and why the heck not its pink! I am a huge fan of recipe books which give a list of useful tools and ingredients, ideas on how to get the best from your kitchen equipment and how to use what you already have in your store cupboards. I think Jamie Oliver is really good at doing this, too.

I thought it was fantastic of Ruth to include tips along the way, such as how to turn plain flour into self raising - who hasn't run out just at the wrong time? Ruth makes the point that baking is a science and I totally agree; measuring ingredients correctly is of paramount importance for a good bake.

Before we even reach Ruth's cake recipes there are a couple of Troubleshooting pages. I think it makes perfect sense to read this before you start so you can hopefully avoid making little mistakes later. I loved the tips on using up egg whites and yolks and I think homemade custard is just the best thing ever; I much prefer making it to opening a ready made packet!

Now to the actual cake making. Ruth gives you a step-by-step guide, of course, to the cakes requiring a creaming method, a whisking method and those needing a melting method. This allows you to make such classic bakes as a Victoria sponge, a genoise and a yummy tea bread. The selection of recipes is excellent because there are cakes with fruit for the summer, indulgent treat cakes with chocolate and cakes just perfect to go with a brew!

As far as the design of the book is concerned I like the way the pages are peppered with drawings of vintage kitchen utencils; I use an age-old fish knife and bone-handled fork when I am baking! 

All in all this book is a sweet treat to look at, a joy to read and a sure-fire winner. Whether you are a newbie to baking or looking for a tasty new recipe for a special occasion you will not be disappointed.

A Scribbler I Was, A Blogger I Be!

Ever since I can remember I have been a writer and a scribbler. If I had money to go to the shop with, my mum was never surprised when I came home with a super-sized jotter pad!

Throughout my life I have kept diaries, written poems, always been fond of letter writing and forever felt that you cannot beat the first, fresh page of a brand new notebook!

I am a continual list maker and lover of my Household Notebook (HN); if I don't write it down it just may not get done. Here is where you can get the printables I use, and more!  I am a planner of menus and for upcoming events on the organizer calendar I have on my kitchen wall. My HN is an idea from the States and it brings together all I need to keep body and soul in order throughout the house. (Whole sections of Pinterest are dedicated to printable sheets you can utilize to organize every aspect of you and family's lives.) Mine helps me with things like a daily To Do list, inventories for my freezers and shopping overflow, shopping lists, phone numbers and information about school/children.

 

I keep part of the article about Team Pugh from A Year Without Supermarkets and their shopping habits for inspiration.

The A4 folder stays on the kitchen table most days, along with my calendar it is command central for me and I love it!

I guess you could say my blogging comes as an extension of my love of scribbling, a place where I can ramble on and share my thoughts, every day goings on and happenings. I use my embellished journal for my scribbling for blog posts and other things.

 
I really do enjoy writing a great deal and a dream I have is for something to be published in a magazine; I was very flattered when asked on a couple of occasions to be a guest blogger. If I never get thousands of visitors to my blog I don't think I will care too much; for me it is about the writing, the words and the sharing. If people chose to read it and find something  I have talked about interesting, then that is just wonderful and I hope they, and you, continue to do so.

Thanks for stopping by and catch ya later! xx