Baking, blogging & books...

Is how I've spent my weekend... Hibernating at home and avoiding the rain! (which hasn't stopped for most of the weekend.)Can't believe it's nearly May and this week has resembled mid winter!
To brighten my morning I made some banana breakfast muffins (my version of Starbucks rise & shine muffins, which are my fav) recipe to follow.



Also this weekend I caught up on some blogs that I follow and some reading. One of the blogs that I follow is Chicklit Chloe and was intrigued to read Chloe's review of the book that is taking America and now the Uk by storm... The trilogy was number 1,2 & 3 in the book chart in sainsburys at the weekend.
I am of course talking about E.L.James ~ Fifty Shades of Grey. Here's Chloe's review



so Saturday I downloaded the book and can say that I get what all the noise is about, it is a great read. I never got the twilight thing, but get how this is being compared, because you get drawn to Christian immediately, in the same way that people got drawn to Edward. Yes it is sexually graphic, but it does fit the story, however the bigger story is Christian's and Ana's...
particularly Christians (Mr Fifty 's)
The cover is slick & stylish...Sales of grey ties increased by 500% in New York on release of this book, and yes it is relevant to the book...
Now looking forward to reading part 2!... although not sure is one for the tube!
Saving Jenny Colgans sweet shop of dreams for tomorrows commute
Hope you all had a lovely weekend x
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Location:Baking, blogging & books...

Doorstep treats!

I, along with many bloggers who bake search far & wide for a gastronomic delight to talk about, when sometimes some real treats are right under your nose!
It's not often that I blog directly about the big yellow store but today I thought I would share with you some recent treats & sweets that I stumbled upon in a small corner of the food hall.

Nestled between the magnificent Macaron's from Pierre Herme and the delightful cupcake bar from Lola's is the Yellow stores bakery.


Along with the bakery basics, you can now purchase the Borough market famous St Johns range, a must for any bakery connoisseur. The Eccles cakes are melt in the mouth moments, having the ability to transport you back to another era instantly. Delicious...
Recent additions to the cake & patisserie bar are Kookybakes cupcakes, described as 4D cupcakes, it's layer upon layer of flavour & textures..

I've only tried the blueberry cheesecake cupcake, but can honestly say its probably been one of the best cupcakes that I've had. It's a feast on the senses...

All look amazing and are a great addition to the range, along with a selection of cupcakes from Ella's bakehouse (aka Lorraine Pascale) and cake pops from Molly Bakes.
A selection of bagged treats, & brownies have been available from Konditor & Cook for some time, but these have recently been joined by the yummy meringues and marshmallows from Beas of Bloomsbury.

The media is constantly looking for the 'new' cupcake and marshmallows seem to be 'on trend' at the moment along with meringues.They look gorgeous, I have the raspberry meringues and Passionfruit marshmallows to try!... The Baileys marshmallows are also on my "to try" list!
Nothing for me will replace the cupcake, but believe a goodie bag of marshmallows and meringues have a place in the bakers heart, even if you just only admire the complexities of baking and getting them 'just' right!
So if you are passing through the big yellow store pop in and try some new sweets & treats....all an indulgent delicious treat..enjoy!
Beas of Bloomsbury
St John Bakery
Kookybakes
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Cupcake book club...

Two of my favourite things have been combined by Kelly over on An American Cupcake in London
cupcakes & books!....

....Kelly has started a Cupcake book club.... check out Kelly's blog for the rules...
Tomorrows commute will be that much sweeter starting with this months read... and hopefully next week a spot of baking inspired by Roisin Meaney's book

Semi sweet is the Irish publication name, this book has been released under the name Love in the making in the uk...enjoy
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TV Treats.....

I fell out of love with the TV for a while, there was little that I watched in 'real' time thanks to my BT box... however over the past few weeks I have become a little hooked on a few programmes. I'm not a huge reality fan and avoid most of them like the plague.. so weekend viewing is often a struggle!... this has changed with the discovery of a fabulous box set just been released to my vision box and a couple of dramas grabbing my attention...
The box set in question is the fabulous Blue Bloods... bought to the small screen by the writers of The Sopranos its not only a great crime drama set in New York but a story of an Irish catholic family and their sibling squabbles... all culminating around a dinner table at some point during each episode... great cast featuring Tom Selleck and Donnie Whalburg, I'm hooked.... can't wait for season 2

The TV programme keeping me completely hooked on a Sunday night is the fabulous Homeland, I know that I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, but it just gets better and better each week. Its a roller coaster of a drama, has an American operative in Afghanistan been turned?... you swing from yes to no each week, cant wait for the finale and surprisingly I haven't googled and spoilers because I don't want to know until its aired!



Two episodes in and Im warming to Once Upon a Time.... where all the characters in fairy tales have been frozen in time in the town of Storybrook... very clever twist on the fairy tale... from the makers of Lost I am sure it will be filled with hidden clues and sub plots.... and easy watch...

Fourth treat in is the fabulous Good Wife... now onto season 3, its a real cat and mouse within the legal and political world of America... Its the LA Law of this decade... I love it, especially now Alicia is now caught between Peter and Will....(anything with My Big in it is always a winner for me!)

and my final treat is not a TV show but and advert... its the fabulous dancing flame from EDF energy... its been called many things which are not printable on this blog! as it doesn't resemble a flame and it gets very excited with the appliances, BUT it really makes me smile and the song takes me back to the 80's in an instance!

Hope that you enjoyed my TV treats, what have been yours this week?...

Baking mad at Easter....

For the first time in a longtime I made no plans for Easter, I didn't spend my days off running round delivering Eggs on behalf of the Easter bunny!... instead I stayed home and hibernated.Which considering the weather was by far the best option.
A lovely green jug of daffodils was my Easter decoration this year and  brightened a gloomy weekend...
Also with some time on my hands I baked a few treats for Easter.... as previously blogged breakfast was Egg & Soldiers the Waitrose way.... love waitrose recipes and this was so easy to make and delicious too. Easter eggs with crispy egg & bacon soldiers

My Easter treat bake was a tray of Mini Egg brownies, courtesy of the lovely Great British bake off Queen ~ Jo
really easy to make and are delicious.... very sweet so small portions advised!... Mini Egg Brownies

and final bake of the day was the delicious Hot Cross Bun & Butter pudding.... bread & butter pudding with a twist... absolutely scrumptious and will become a Teresa tradition for Easter...

Recipe courtesy of bbcfood...

Hope you all a had a lovely Easter..... what did you bake?

Egg & Soldiers for Easter...

Happy Easter to everyone...
My Easter breakfast has a best of british military theme this morning... Egg & soldiers!
My chocolate breakfast is courtesy of Mulberry with the assistance of Hotel du Chocolate... Egg & soldiers.. Yum yum...



This was followed by my Easter breakfast of Egg & soldiers... With a little assistance from Waitrose.... recipe here



I hope that you have a lovely Easter whatever you are doing... And that the Easter bunny has been good to you!!!..... Loving the Mulberry Bayswater bunny



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It's the little things....

that make me smile.....
Last week was a really tough week for me. It's three years since I lost my Gramps and this year I found the anniversary the hardest since he's been gone. So as not to dwell, I've decided to share with you all some things that made me smile last week.......

I'm a twitter junkie, so how surprised was I to see my name & picture in print in this months Delicious magazine (thanks Anne cupcake for the heads up!)

Saturday I spent the day on the terraces of Wembley stadium watching Saracens 'v' Harlequins battling for supremacy at the top of the league... Alas it wasn't Sarries day but we were part of a World record breaking crowd of

For a rugby club game.... Great fun had by all.

The fabulous award winning Homeland TV show, I'm completely hooked and addicted.... I love it! It's the only thing I watch 'live' at present so that I don't risk any spoilers...Which is then followed by replay on my IPad! Last nights episode was fabulous...

I've coveted a Kitchen aid mixer for sometime, and was lucky enough to get one a few months back, which is a lovely pale pink, however how envious was I when I saw this blinged up beauty photographed in the recently opened Georgetown bakery on New York.... It's a TOWIE kitchen aid!!!....

The complete & mindless panic for petrol.... ( not helped of course by some inconsistent advice from the people in power)

i could not believe the Q's especially as we arent even in a strike situation yet... Its not something you can stock pile safely! However if you would like some suitable fire prevention advice you can always call on these guys....

( now thats certainly worth getting stuck,in the bath for!)?......
I hope some of these have put a smile on your face.... What's made you smile this week? Tx
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All ladies should ...

Own a little piece of Chanel!.... It oozes style & glamour and even in the smallest packages can make you feel fabulous. Alas my wardrobe is not brimming with Chanel but my make-up draw is.. I am a Chanel junkie especially their nail polishes.
Last week saw the new launch of their "blue" collection and due to being completely undecided on which colour to buy, all 3 fell in my bag!...



I'm loving all 3, Blue rebel will look fabulous with my navy capsule collection for work, Coco Blue will look cool in the summer especially on toes, and Blue boy is a yummy denim blue colour great with jeans.
These little black boxes of loveliness will be adding to my already growing collection:



My favourites are Particuliere & Black satin... I'm loving the recent commercial for Chanel nail polishes..its a Very clever little Ad...Chanel shades...
before I go I will leave you with a little piece of advice from Coco herself....