Baking challenge

This Christmas/birthday I was given six cook books. I love them all. I have many recipe books already-the meal kind, so it’s wonderful to have cake books-with technical detail or gorgeous photos. I want to set the kMix and
Myself a challenge. I want to bake my way through the books. I know. I know. It’s been done (Julie and Julia) but I want to learn to make bread, butter, croissants, perfects pies, tarts, pasties, eclairs, millefeullies and to recreate the stunning tray bakes.

This could cause a little weight gain… So I won’t do sweets everyday. But I love b to have a homemade cake/biscuit in her lunchbox each day rather than a processed biscuit. And Ben loves (absolutely and more than is normal for a 2year old boy…) chocolate. So it’s only fair this baby bump has the best start and gets the benefits of chocolate, desert and good home
Cooked food whilst growing;)

I know I usually don’t complete challenges that I set for myself. Something about my personality not being a starter/finisher (sigh) but I just realised that its been a delightful year of blogging: I wrote 134 blogs in 365 days. That’s a completion of something…. We were chatting about it on Christmas eve and that it’s been quite a fun way of documenting my 29th year. Then we tried to work out what I did with my time before I blogged. I couldn’t work it out so glad I enjoy writing:)

Today we are off to make sticky maple
Apple tray bake (thanks Mary berry great british bake off pg92).

My only rule is that I have to bake with items in the house. So if it’s a cooking/baking day and I have no eggs well then it’s a no egg recipe. (lol. My rule is funny-I live this way!) I hope that over the next 20 weeks I learn to make perfect bread and so much more. I will try post more photos to document my
Sweet / savoury journey:)

And after 20 weeks I shall be so pregnant and ready for baby bb3… Love a xox

£100 challenge

As we are trying to save up for Christmas treats, gifts, two birthdays on 23rd december. Ryan and I have set ourself a challenge.

to spend £100 a week for the next month – not including dd.

That’s it. To spend (ONLY) £100 per week – on the following:

1. food (we usually spend £30-60 pw)
2. petrol (we have 2 cars so that’s about £10-£20 pw)
3. nappies (usually £13 a fortnight)
4. meals out/dates/coffee (this is going to hurt ME so bad…………)
5. days out with the bbs (£5 pw)

Okay. It is totally possible, even if I spend £60 at the shops and £20 petrol. It leaves £35 for coffee, clothes, fun. This could hurt some but if I do it and keep it up for a month then I will be celebrating with a night in a hotel (or two!). Which is more than worth splurges in primark, starbucks, playcentres, takeaways and meals out.  Send some love! xxx