Tuesday 17 April 2012

Update Time!

Wow, its been a long time since I have updted anything on here. Might as well start off by stating the obvious...I didn't complete my challenge. It seems my toddler got in the way of things a bit.

I still love baking and even though I haven't been blogging or always trying new recipes, I can assure you the cakes have still been flying around my kitchen. Recently I have made the Peppermint cupcakes (twice) the Chocolate, Caramel and Hazelnut Cheesecake (although it didnt turn out as well as it did the first time, the choc and caramel layers mixed into one), the Caramel cupcakes and the Lemon and Thyme Loaf. Most of these were at the request of my family in Cornwall, I have just returned from a 2 week break down there with them.

As for what happened with the challenge itself, it for one started to become a bit of a chore. Trying to find a recipe I liked the look of and wasn't too difficult was hard. I had got to the point where i had picked the ones I fancied or were relatively easy and now was faced with all the unusual flavours or several page instructions.

Along with this slip up it was also becoming harder to bake in the days and also evenings, with my daughter rapidly growing and become a cute if naughty toddler. Her naps had become brief and that time was spent manically tidying. Once awake she cannot be left alone for a second, with all the 'exploring' of my furniture, window ledges and anything she can get her hands on that she isnt meant to touch. Just popping to the kitchen to get her a drink saw her feeding her crisps to our 8 month old puppy and to date I have found her one the bay window sill, trying to climb from the armchair onto the top of the baby fire guard and this morning she came wandering in with the lightbulb from our side lamp, a screw in one no less! How she managed to get that out i will never know.

With all this going on, the baking unfortunately got left behind and has become a nice passtime for me when I have an hour or so to spare. I don't mind it so much, with stress of trying to keep up with the 2 recipes a week for the challenge was starting to take its toll and take the fun out of baking and it is something that i never want to see as a chore. I always want to be proud and relaxed by my accomplishment than relieved its over.

So..where do we go from here, my fellow bakers? I am hoping to continue with this blog and update on the rest of the Cake Days recipes I have yet to tackle but this time I am not putting a time goal at the end of it all...Life just desn't care about your plans, even if they are of baked sugary goodness.

2 comments:

  1. Well said, and a sensible step. I for one, will look forward to your future exploits. And I now own this book too, so will bake from it myself now and then!

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  2. Hi Steph, just stumbled upon your blog while looking for comments on the Hummingbird Raspberry Trifle Cupcakes. Had a wee laugh to myself as I too have set up a new blog using the same blogspot as you with the same background ....making Hummingbird Recipes!! Mines is a total work in progress though and I havent even posted half of the photos of the things I've made.

    I've spent about 2 hours glued to your blog and have found it really interesting reading about what you've made.

    I've been dying to try the black and white cheesecake recipe so after reading your comments I'm definitely going to give it a go.

    I bake a lot for work and we sell it for charity so today I've dropped of a batch of the caramel cupcakes which seem to be everyones favourite.

    So far from the book I've made:
    Butterscotch Pecan Cheesecake
    Vanilla Cupcakes
    Caramel Cupcakes
    Chocolate Cupcakes
    Blueberry and Soured Cream Loaf
    Pecan Pie
    Hazelnut Praline Muffins

    Need to try some more things soon!

    Keep up the good work and let us know what you make.

    I will try and attempt to do a bit more on my blog in the future.

    Julie (Crumbscakes-juliew.blogspot.co.uk)

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