Church Fayre baking

Been up early today baking for the church, I always always always use the same recipe and method for a basic sponge and its the one I learnt at primary school when my teacher said my fairy cakes were lovely and light and in my head I became a baking legend.

Ingredients (basic recipe)

50g Self raising flour

50g Butter (room temp)

50g Caster sugar

1 egg (room temp)

Some vanilla essence.

You can add whatever into this. Cocoa powder etc. If I'm adding fruit or nuts I coat them in flour and put an extra half spoon in the mixture to stop them going to the bottom during baking.

Then just increase to whatever size you need, for example cream sponge was 175g flour, sugar, butter and 3 eggs and that was plenty for the two sponge.

I'm not a fan on the all in method, I know it works for a lot of people but its not for me so I mix the butter and sugar. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl with vanilla and add it to the butter and sugar. Then add the flour and mix mix mix until its nice and lights and just about falling off the spoon.

In the oven at 180 until its done I can tell by looking at them now so i guess 20mins??

Anywhos, made 2 coffee and walnut cakes (added 2tsp of coffee in the measuring cup and just enough boiling water to melt it to the original mixture and a touch extra flour to make up for the extra liquid), 1 fresh cream cake and another batch of brownies...not bad for a mornings work!

Now really need to bank reconciliations as new month tomorrow means VAT returns need to be done!

Emma. xx

Superhero party

Went to a superhero party with Aurelia today, it was fab! Aurelia looked amazing although not all of her costume stayed the course.

The costume was made by Helen of Happy Handmade Heros you can find her on facebook  https://www.facebook.com/HappyHandmadeHeroes or on etsy. So well made and looks fab. You don't have to buy it all so you can pick and choose and she has lots of colour and styles.  This is the back....lush!

Super chuffed. xx

Gluten free brownies

Found some time for baking with the small one today, we made gluten free brownies and as you can see from the pictures Aurelia was eager to get into the chocolate.  Here's what we did...

Ingredients

100g butter

150g dark chocolate

100g gluten free plain flour

1tsp gluten free baking powder

180g caster sugar

3 eggs

And any extras you fancy, we added marshmallows and milk chocolate chunks but you can add anything for example my husband like white chocolate chunks and cherries or fudge pieces and nuts. You can experiment lots of different things here, I love smarties in brownies and they look great.

What to do

• Melt dark chocolate and butter on the hob over a pan of hot water (don't have the hob on too high, that way you can complete the next stage with the chocolate going crazy!)
• In another bowl mix flour, baking powder and sugar
• Add the eggs one at a time and mix well followed by the chocolate mix which should be finished now.
• Stir in your extra ingredients and add to a lined tin (mine was 33 x 24cm but you could probably go a touch smaller) I'll be honest...i'm not sure Aurelia managed to get as many marshmallows as I'd planned in the brownie!
• Bake at 180 degrees for around 20-25 minutes but every oven is different so keep an eye on it.  25 minutes should give you a spongy brownie but closer to the 20 minute marks means they are still gooey inside.
• Cut into slices and eat warm or cold...I always taste my food warm it just wouldn't be baking if I didn't taste it before anyone else get their mits on it.

Enjoy!!

Emma and Aurelia. xx

Gluten free meatballs

Since I was told that wheat and gluten were a no no I've been so busy with work I've only had whatever said gluten free on the packet but last nighti really fancied meatballs.  Had no gluten free pasta so had to makr do with wedges. 

I cooked some spring onion, courgette and chorizo in a frying pan and when they were cooked I put the in a mixing bowl with minced beef, garlic and some salt and pepper.  Used egg to bind and rolled into balls. Yummy!

Not much to look at but so good. Quickly made a sauce with passata, cherry tomatoes and basil. Xx

Working early doors

Its 5.10am and I've been working for around over an hour already while my family sleeps, I always think I work for Aurelia and her future and that's true, I want the world for her and like many other parents I don't mind putting the hours in for that, however; I work for me too.  Working and my company is so much a part of my identity and how I value myself I can't slow down or stop, Aurelia comes first when shes awake and I accept that although I will sometimes work and she sits at her desk (right next to mine) colouring over old invoices or letters that are destined for the bin chattering away about the economy or who still hasn't paid up...or so I imagine anyway. Aurelia also comes on the road with us although I limit her travel hours and look for activities or half days out on the journey and we cram as much into her two nursery days as possible.

We're doing well in business, we are busy and have been in a time when others haven't and I just keep thinking about the mortgage and how much we could pay off while the interest rates are low, if we kept this pace for 2 more years.  Sometimes I think this juggling act will kill me and around the assessment period for my MBA last year I was ill with exhaustion and anxiety but I wouldn't change my life or my work.

Anyway I have less than an hour before madam wakes and I want my invoices up to date by then, and I think we need to take a trip to Doncaster which will be exciting as Aurelia loves trains!

Emma.xx

Nursery Cookies

Aurelia has just moved up a class at nursery and i was trying to think of a relatively inexpensive present that is personal and Aurelia could contribute to, then I remembered at Valentines Day I had a jar of cookies and whilst ours would not be as professional they would be yummy.

Aurelia loves baking.. As soon as I get the mixing bowls out she drags a chair to the kitchen sink to wash her hands so she was very excited to be making cookies, she did a great job with the cookie cutter and icing her own little selection. I hope she bakes with her children in the future and remembers us having fun in the kitchen.

Here's some of the cookies we made, there was a second batch i forgot to photograph!

We also had a play at decorating the jars. Aurelia loves to glue and stick so she was in charge of the labels. 

All in all, good project we had lots of fun and it kept us both busy for the entire afternoon and although I didn't taste any of the biscuits (can't eat wheat or gluten!) Aurelia and hubs ate all the left overs and the breakages.

Emma xx

My baby is now 2!!!

My baby girl (am i still allowed to call her that?) turned 2 last month and its has come with a flurry of development, her speech and just general knowledge is blowing me away. I'm also struck at by how much she imitates mine and my husbands behaviour...phone calls, working on the computer, also wanting to be in the cars etc.

When friends told me time would pass too quickly I didn't believe them, mainly because I was so tired and mummyhood was a massive shock to my system,  but I am big enough to admit I'm wrong, it has and i spend each night before going to sleep recalling her life and the image of her all brand new.

My girl is a joy and everyday the intelligence and mischief in her eyes and smile make life seem so simple and worthwhile!

Happy (belated) birthday Aurelia xxx

Hi

Hi!

My first post on my blog! I've read lots of blogs in my time and got lots of useful information from them mostly about parenting or food.

So I'm a self employed mummy. I run a partnership and a Limited company as a motor trader and am also completing a MBA part time. I would like this blog to be about balancing mummyhood and all its trials and joys with working from home and the balancing act that becomes.

In addition to this I'm also love baking and cooking so alot of post will have some form of food content.

Thanks for reading.

Emma.xx