My Day as a Tourist in London! #TravelexTourist

One of the best things about being an expat (expatriate) is still getting to play the tourist. I have been asked before, from fellow Americans, what there is to do in various cities around the UK. Of course the most popular being London.

Answering that question is hard there are three things that need to be taken into consideration. 1. How much time are you spending in London? 2. Do you have any specific interests? and 3. How many people and age groups?

If someone is not into art then I wouldn’t send them to the art museums, but I would point them in the direction of the science or history museum! If you have children with you I would suggest the same, who doesn’t want to see dinosaurs? London can be tailored to anyone! That’s how much stuff there is to do in London.

Travelex asked me to spend a day in London as a tourist with a budget of $150 (American dollars). On the day of exchange it equalled £114.53. Could I manage a day in London, on my own, with that budget? Let's find out!

Shakespeare’s Globe 

£15 adult entry + £6 gift shop

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is an open theatre and has mostly a summer season aka the Wonder Season which runs from April 30th - October 16th. So, I was unable to see a performance, but the exhibition is open all year long (see dates on the website). It was very informative and entertaining, my tour guide was funny and knew everything there was to know about Shakespeare and the history of the current globe theatre. For more information visit the website linked above! Before I left I picked myself up a couple of magnets with Shakespeare quotes.

Instead of going right next door to the Tate Modern, I took the tube from Blackfriars to Monument, (tube stations are named for a reason - Black Friar Pub and the Monument to the Great Fire of London are both right near the tube stations) in search of the Sky Garden. If you don't book a (free) ticket there are weekday walk-in tickets. They are available from 10am to 11:30am and from 2pm to 4:30pm and are given out on a first come first serve basis, so I wanted to get there before 2! I was early so I stopped to get coffee and cake. Also an excuse to get out of the rain!

Konditor & Cook 

(The Gherkin) - £9.45

This bakery has been on my “to visit” list for ages, because they have a cake called the curly wurly cake (nothing to do with Cadbury) that is suppose to be amazing! It was pretty amazing. Soft and dense dark chocolate cake covered in just enough vanilla frosting. Paired with a latte it was just what I needed after walking through the rain! The above cost also includes a take away fudge brownie that I shared with my partner when I got back.

The Sky Garden

Free (need ID)

The Sky Garden is a rival for the London Eye. Having been on the London Eye a few times, I would say that the Sky Garden is by far superior. There is no cost, you’re free to roam around, and there are places to relax, eat, and visit! The gardens are full of pleasant smelling vibrant green plants. Did I mention the view is amazing! You can literally see all of London, it was a cloudy day for me so I bet I could have seen further if it was a clear day! The observation deck was closed due to the rain, but I don’t think I would have wanted to go out there with it all wet and slippery…….

Tate Modern

Free + £5.50 gift shop

Is my favorite museum in London. There was a time I could walk into the Tate and tell you all about the artists and their time periods, but that time was when I was fresh out of college where I studied art. Also, the current exhibits are a lot more modern artists as in the last couple decades. Which I really enjoyed seeing and experiencing. I would gladly spend a whole day in the Tate! I bought another magnet and a couple of buttons for my girls.

St. Paul’s Cathedral

Evensong - Free

There are many churches and chapels in London, but St. Paul’s is probably the most popular. It does sit on Ludgate Hill, which is the highest point in London. It has a deep rooted history in London having been built in 1708 and it still runs as a functioning church with daily services. Services which are open to the public aka who ever wants to attend. Tours are available, but I find the best way to experience St. Paul’s is through the Evensong. A beautiful choral service that is a great place to sit and relax after a day of sightseeing.

Burger & Lobster 

Dinner - £35.16

I was really hungry when I walked into Burger and Lobster! I had researched restaurants near St. Paul’s and Burger & Lobster isn’t right next door it’s near by. It’s also something I don’t have in the town I live. For £20 you can have a burger with bacon and cheese, a lobster, or a lobster roll; served with fries and a salad. Drinks and dessert not included. I had the lobster roll in a brioche bun that was delicious, I cleaned my whole plate and then had a lemon cheesecake for dessert. Although I wouldn’t have called it a cheesecake. It was more lemon mousse like with crumbs and a lemon jelly/jello like substance at the bottom. It was good; tart and refreshing after a rich meal is just want you need!

That was the end of my day, if I had been a proper tourist or a Londoner, not someone who had to get back to “reality” I would have seen a show, but I had a train to catch and if I had stayed for a show I would have missed my last train back!

The Verdict: With a jam packed day of mostly free events I still spent £71.11, with £43.42 leftover. The majority of what I spent was on food. As I mentioned before everyone’s priorities or interests are different. I find food, when exploring a city, is a must and something I’d always happily spend a little bit more on. Note that I did not include travel into my total spending. Because I traveled in I bought an all-day off-peak travel card prior to arriving in London. For tube/bus travel I highly recommend getting a hold of an Oyster Card, it’s the cheapest and easiest way to get around London.

Final Thoughts: I went to London with a vague plan and nothing pre-booked. Which is a great way to spend a day in London wondering around, however if there are things you want to do plan ahead. A lot of websites offer discounts if you book online, this may keep you to a time schedule, but will save money. I had a great day out and would love to do it again .... with all new things to see and do!

notes: In association with Travelex UK & Travelex USA  - #TravelexTourist and their connecting with your favorite bloggers campaign. All opinions are my own, the only compensation was what was put on the Multi-Currency Cash Passport card on the day. It was super easy to use and a great no stress way to convert and carry money abroad. Please see my contact/policy page for further information.

Follow me @unitedcakedom on Twitter and Instagram for more images and news about my day. There is also a short video on my YouTube Channel check it out! To find other bloggers and how they spent their day search #TravelexTourist

Olive Oil Orange Bundt Cake

Once in a while one creates something that you know will be re-created time and time again. In a book titled Baked Explorations by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito there exists a cake titled Mom’s Olive Oil Orange Bundt. It wasn’t originally Renato’s mom’s cake, but a French neighbor who passed along the recipe.

Then they put it in their book to share with the rest of the world or the parts of the world who read their book.

I myself was sitting around one Saturday and I decided I wanted a cake. More specifically an uncomplicated cake. Nothing fancy and show-offy just a deliciously plain cake. After looking through one of my many baking books I took this book off the shelf and found Mom’s Olive Oil Orange Bundt.

It was a matter of two things that made me settle on this cake 1. I had oranges in my fridge that were looking a bit sad, plus other cakes required me to go to the store which I didn’t want to do, which bring us right to number 2. it suited my uncomplicated need. With minimum ingredients and little effort this is one of the best cakes I have ever made.

Going full circle, there is a reason this cake has been passed around from neighbor (who knows where the neighbor acquired it) to son to us, it’s that good. The passing around of the recipe is testimony enough for it, there are no other words. I hope one day my girls will call it Mom’s Olive Oil Orange Bundt with the mom in reference to myself and then they make it and pass it along too.

Olive Oil Orange Bundt 

3 cups all purpose flour (plain flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup plain buttermilk
3/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
freshly grated zest of 2 oranges
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
confectioners' sugar (icing sugar) for dusting

Heat the oven to 350F/180C - prep the bundt pan with a little of the oil spreading around with your hand and dust lightly with flour or use a cake spray.

First mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.
Using a standing mixer (paddle attachment) beat the egg yolks until they are lighter and thicker, then slowly add the sugar, I did this one tablespoon at a time, until it’s completely combined. Add the buttermilk and olive oil and beat until combined. Mix in the orange zest and vanilla. Beat in half of the flour mixture, scrap down the sides and the bottom before beating in the rest until combined.

In another bowl beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in one large spoon full of the egg whites into the batter. Gently and patiently! Continue to fold in the egg whites large spoon full by large spoon full. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the bundt pan halfway through. Use the skewer test to insure cake is baked through. Leave to cool in the pan until the bundt pan is cool enough to touch. Gently loosen the sides before placing a plate over the bundt and turn the cake out onto the plate. Leave to cool completely before sifting the icing sugar over the top! Enjoy!

notes: Cups are no longer hard to find in the UK and to keep the simplicity of the recipe I used cups! I bought my copy of Baked Explorations years ago - all opinions are my own please see my contact/policy page above for more information!

Day Out in Bath, United Kingdom

One of the reasons I love the UK is because of its history. The USA has a history too, don’t we all?? However, the history of this country is much older and it’s reflected in pretty much every town you visit.

For my birthday we went to Bath for the day and we were lucky that the weather was beautiful! We got there just in time for lunch. We ended up at Wagamama because we were all hungry and when feeding kids it’s sometimes good to go somewhere we all know and love.

Then because it was my birthday we went to The Jane Austen Centre. It is located on the same street that Jane Austen lived on when she resided in Bath. I could be wrong, but I believe they told us that Bath is mentioned in all of her books. Of course if you’re a fan like myself you know that in Northanger Abbey and Persuasion her heroine’s visit and reside in Bath. All the staff at the center wear the name of one of Jane’s many characters and they will answer any questions you have. I found a lot of the information available I already knew from reading up on her before, but there was also a bit more on her family and herself that I wasn’t aware. It was interesting and enjoyable!

Right out side The Jane Austen Centre is a little park and lucky for us that weekend there was a sort of pop up/kickstarter children’s event called Forest of Imagination. There was a lot going on and the girls had a lot of fun jumping around on space hoppers and writing their names on the giant rabbit and more! I would love to see something like this in Reading.

After that we went in search of Sally Lunn’s. Still full up from lunch we took some of the famous bun’s home with us along with some homemade cinnamon butter. We were instructed by the lady on the till to split the buns in half and gently toast them under a grill before spreading with the cinnamon butter and grilling again to get the cinnamon butter smell throughout the house! That’s what we did and we weren’t disappointed! We also stopped to get Bath buns from The Bath Bun. There are so many tea places in Bath and there is no way we would have gotten to them all in one day.

We stopped for ice cream and while we ate our ice cream listened to some street music. The human statues were also fun to see! Then before we left we stopped at an art gallery, Rostra Gallery. There were some prints in the window that drew my attention and as a fellow/former printmaker I had to have them. The simple style of imagery is inspiring and I highly admire this type of art. The best part is that Ruth Broadway, the artist, is local to Bath. I don’t know why that makes it the best part, but I like the fact that she’s a local artist.

I think that’s what I loved about Bath the most, the art. It’s everywhere including the architecture! I can see how it inspired Miss Austen to create her work.

Places I have been in Bath before:

The Roman Baths

Bath Abbey

The Royal Crescent

Hands Tea Room

Walking Tour/Bus Tour

Things I’d like to see and do next time:

Richard Bertinet Bakery and Cookery School

Jane Austen Festival (September)

The Pump Room
Alexandra Park.

notes: All opinions are my own: for more information see my contact/policy tab above.

Glam Doll Donuts in Minneapolis, Minnesota

I want to use jet lag as an excuse for not blogging and/or baking as much as I did before I left, but the reality is life has taken a priority!

For the time being anyway. Sometimes life just needs to do that.

I have a few more posts that I want to share with you what I got up to when I was in the states visiting my family and friends.

My parents moved us to Minnesota when I was 15, at that age I was not very impressed with that. However like all teenagers I managed to adapt, but I made sure my parents knew exactly how hard it was to do so.

So, when I go “home” I go to Minnesota. It is also where I tell people I am from when asked. It’s just easier.

Minnesota isn't a bad place to go home too especially as it has this place in Minneapolis called Glam Doll Dounuts.

That’s right Glam Doll Donuts and they are pretty damn Glam!

My girls loved the place immediately because as you can see it’s all pink! That and you could smell the sugar sweetness down the road!

We had a hard time choosing between all their different flavors. But the gentleman behind the counter was very patient with us while we decided. The girls finally settled on the

Darling: vanilla cake donut with sprinkles and they had the

Femme Fatale: fresh raspberry curd filled with vanilla icing. My sister choose the

Chart Topper: a peanut butter and Sriracha donut and I picked the

Daddy Dearest: a surly cake donut, surly blender glaze and bacon crumb topping.

They were all super delicious. I know because I commandeered a bite of each one! I wish I lived closer because I am sure I would be a regular, much to my jeans distress. So, it's probably a good thing I don't live closer! 

If you find yourself in Minneapolis here is their location:

2605 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55408

And if you don’t ever plan on making a trip to Minneapolis, Minnesota then you can just drool over their donuts on their website where you can see the many different flavor combinations they have! Or check them out on their social media sites!

notes: All opinions are my own; my sister recommended it so we went. For further information please see my contact/policy page! If you don't know what Sriracha is... well you should! My next post is all about another place I visited in Minneapolis, so stay tuned! 

Coconut Lover Coconut Cake

There are either coconut lovers or coconut haters. It’s a rare thing to be an “in-betweener” when it comes to coconut.

It’s like having a rare blood type.

I happen to be a coconut lover. I love it in baked goods and in savory dishes. It is also one of those flavors that pairs well with a variety of fruit.

But for this cake it was all coconut: coconut cake with coconut frosting!

I actually made this cake a while back when I was hosting my friends with a chili night! It all started when I was asked if I made cornbread.

Of course I said yes and then before I knew it my girlfriends were round for chili with cornbread and a coconut cake for dessert. I felt like staying with the Southern American feel of the meal.

The cake was soft and spongy and the frosting was smooth and silky both with the right amount of coconut flavor! 

We had some great food that night, if I do say so myself. That coupled with the great company was a very good night! Who could ask for more?

They did ask for the recipe, which I still haven’t gotten to them so I thought, might as well pop it on here!

Coconut Cake:

235g plain flour

4 tbsp corn flour

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

170g unsalted butter, room temp & cubed

6 egg whites

240ml coconut milk

120g sweetened shredded coconut

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Heat the oven to 180C. Grease two round (8in) cake tins lightly flour, tap out any excess flour.

Sift the flour, corn flour, and baking powder into the bowl of a mixer or a large bowl if hand mixing it. Mix in the sugar and salt until combined. While mixing on a low speed add the butter cube by cube and mix until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.

In a separate bowl beat the egg whites, coconut milk, shredded coconut and the vanilla paste until well combined.

Add half of the wet mixture to the dry and beat until combined. Scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl before adding the rest of the wet mixture. Mix on a medium speed for about 25 seconds, it should be light and fluffy.

Divide the batter between the two prepared cake tins. Bake for 30-40 minutes. The tops should be a light brown and should spring back when lightly pressed. Let cool completely in the pans before removing.

Coconut Frosting:

300g caster sugar

6 egg whites

342g unsalted butter, room temp &cubed

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

160ml coconut milk

While the cakes are cooling and not before because the frosting needs to be used pretty much right away and it won’t go well on a hot cake!

In a heat proof bowl mix the sugar and egg whites together, place on top of a simmering pot of water (make sure the bowl does not touch the water) and whisk for 6-8 until the sugar dissolves. It will thin out as the sugar dissolves.
Then place the mixture into the stand mixer and whip with the whisk attachment for 6-8 minutes on a medium speed until it’s cooled down and turns into a light meringue.

Turn the mixture down to low and add the butter cube by cube. Once all the butter is incorporated turn the mixture up to medium and whisk for 4-5 minutes, it will look curdled at one point, but keep mixing it will come together to be smooth and glossy.

Then add the vanilla extract, salt, and coconut milk and whisk for about 1-2 minutes or until smooth.

to finish:

120g sweetened shredded coconut

Remove the cakes from the tins and level them if necessary. Place one layer on a serving plate or cake stand or whatever you have before dolloping a bunch of frosting on top of the layer.

Smooth it on the top and down the sides before carefully placing the second layer on top, upside down so the sharp edges are on top.

Add a thin layer of frosting as a crumb coat and let it set before adding the rest of the frosting. Once it’s frosted coat the cake in the shredded coconut!

notes: This recipe is adapted from flour by Joanne Chang. 

Bea Arthur Cupcake from Robicelli's: A Love Story, with Cupcakes

Earlier this week I made Cinnamon Bun Cupcake from Robicelli’s: A Love Story, with Cupcakes. I had loads of leftover French Buttercream so I made more cupcakes…

…I didn't want to waste the frosting!!

Honest! That and I wanted to try another recipe.

The Bea Arthur cupcake is Black Coffee Chocolate Cake with Cheesecake Buttercream and an Espresso Ganache.

All I had to do was add some vanilla to the leftover frosting and I had Cheesecake Buttercream. It was the perfect combo.

I hadn't left the cold buttercream come to room temperature before whipping it up with the vanilla (I used vanilla bean paste) so it wasn't as smooth as the previous cupcakes.

Ah well, they were still delicious. Soft and rich and delicious! I was a lot happier with these cupcakes.

Mr Knightley teases me about my moods when something I make doesn't turn out how I wanted. Basically I’m like a toddler having a bit of a tantrum. Even though my logical mind tells me that I’m being silly for being annoyed, it doesn't stop me from being annoyed.

There is always something to learn no matter if things go according to plan or not. As my daughter’s fortune cookie said “When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.”

The lesson? When at first you don’t succeed try try again? or Look to the brighter side? 

That’s a good enough lesson for me, especially when talking about cupcakes…

notes: My review of Robicelli’s: A Love Story, withCucpakes. Refer to the “about me” page if you want to know who Mr. Knightley is. There are plenty of 

Cinnamon Bun Cupcakes from Robicelli’s: A Love Story, with Cupcakes {a book review}

I had read a few reviews for Robicelli's: A Love Story, with Cupcakes, in various places before staring at it in my wishlist on Amazon, then moving it to the basket, then back to the basket and so on…

I have an excessive collection of baking/cook books. So, its kind rare for me to purchase one, even though I covet loads of titles, these days. I’m running out of space and I do get anxiety attacks.

Basically if I know I have 2 or more recipes for the same type of cake or dessert I’m after I panic because I want the one that’s the best. However I am well aware that if I don’t try them out how will I know which is the best. I just don’t always want to try them all out; I just want the best right now. Then I wonder well, what if there isn’t one that is better then the other? What do I do then? Maybe I should make something else?

Hence the anxiety attacks I get over deciding what to make because I have so many cookbooks. We won’t even go into meal planning…. 

Yet, even though I know all this I still love a good book about food. And that is why this one stood out to me. All the reviews said how well written and funny it is.

Then one day, as I went to stare at it in my wishlist, Amazon informed me that there were only 9 copies left! Well, that just started another anxiety attack and now I am the proud owner of one of those 9 copies! 

I haven’t been back to check if they are fully back in stock, but I would have to assume so.

I read the book front to back and all the other reviews were right it’s laugh-out-loud funny, but what I really liked best was how real it was.

When you read a book or sometimes even blogs only the good things are there in black and white and we think: “How lucky are they to be where they are!” or “There life is perfect! I wish my life were more perfect.” But life isn’t like that. I guess I just appreciated that it shared the good, the bad, and the funny.

As I’ve been homesick lately I chose to try out the Cinnamon Bun Cupcakes first. I do like my cinnamon and these are full of it! They are good, but not exactly what I was expecting. Which I guess isn’t fair, as I really just want a proper cinnamon roll.

The cakes tasted good, but were heavier then I like them to be and the cinnamon goo sunk straight to the bottom. It’s probably due to something I did. I may have over mixed or converted the butter from sticks to grams wrong? The homemade butterscotch was good. So good, that it has finger impressions in it. Usually mine.

Then I thought I’d try this French Buttercream that they promote throughout the book. However, I found it to be a bit rich.  Maybe I don’t have a sophisticated enough palate for frosting that might as well be a slab of butter creamed and slapped on the top of a cake? Maybe it would be better on a different cake like their Bea Arthur cupcakes, which is a black coffee chocolate cake? Maybe I should make them I have plenty of frosting leftover?

If not I will use their tip of freezing the leftover buttercream in ice cube trays and using it for pancakes!

The recipes throughout the book are refreshing and far from the cute cupcakes being sold across the world. They make everything from scratch, but give tips on how to cut corners if you must. I have lots of others I’d like to try despite my not so great first attempt.

One recipe does not a cookbook make.

I will let you know how I get on with any other recipes I try!

notes: I read once that if you have more choice your brain thinks it’s an important decision. Therefore you find it harder to make a decision and likewise easier if you have fewer choices. I need to learn how to make myself proper cinnamon rolls. I bought myself a copy as stated above. Amazon is probably the only place you can buy this book in the UK as it’s a USA publication. Saying that it is in cups, sticks of butter, ounces and there are some things that aren’t readily available in the UK. Like Corn Syrup, I found mine at a big Tesco’s in their World Food section. 

The Best of Bakeries in the Heart of London {guest post}

The city of London has a vibrant mosaic of cultures. Thanks to the esta propelled agility in travel laws today, people bring with them a plethora of fresh and innovative ideas and tastes for us to savor. When it comes to desserts, cakes are a no match. The city itself stands out in terms of the quality and uniqueness of the bakeries it has. Preparing a concise list of the best of the all that the city boasts of is indeed a daunting task. Here are the names which people adore for more than a single reason:

Wild and Wood, Bloomsburry: For those who seek a small break from their daily chores, the ambiance here is perfect. With wood carvings and antique decoration items the food is always ready to complement. It is renowned for its cronut across the country which is usually coupled with a coffee. The impeccable blend of butter and lemon-cream makes the cronut a symbol for the bakery. The presentation is beautiful and in unison with the antiques, done on a wooden slate.

Cocomaya, Paddington: This place is a delight for art lovers. The innovative minds behind the bakery food are always up for experiments and unique approaches to be tried. They have been aptly titled the Gucci of bakeries and every single food item on offer is going to make one's taste buds go restless. Chocolates are their forte and the finest cocoa is their secret ingredient, hence the name. The Silicon Lemon from them is an all time people's favorite.

E5 Bakerhouse: If there is a place which has the best sourdough on planet earth, it's this. They preserve the lineage in the competitive world today; preparing it from local ingredients and organic means, which are considered at the epitome of good hygiene, it is amongst the myriad of items on the menu. They have courses to pass on their secret recipe to the inquisitive. Being situated near to the fields, it is the perfect drop-point for the picnic bounds one to grab a loaf and the famous coffee to complement it.

Patisserie Belle Epoque: Their secret behind the perfect pastries remains undisclosed in the oven today. Adjectives like 'mouth-watering', 'divine' and 'mystical' adorn this bakery as testimonials from returning customers who have fallen in love with the pastries from this place. Cafe au lait along with a slice of tart are more than sufficient for a leisurely hour spent praising the place. Since its inception in 2002, the traditional French bread has never dropped off the popularity charts.

Ayers the bakers: This place defines variety when it comes to the best of breads in particular. The Breakfast platter is heavily sought throughout the week. If you are a cronut fan and running low on money, this is the place to be and relish the best on offer. The flaky pastry layers and the custard blends in the cronut is their signature.

Since the options are endless and the city is growing as a cultural pot, the establishment of ESTA, further aids the tourists to travel and savor these delights. Visiting one would make you come back to the place is what the natives and tourists heartily opine.

Author's Bio: 
Amy Lawson has been writing contents on the web professionally since 2005. She has workedas a tech and business marketing copy writer on various topics. Before she is got into writing, she lectured as a professor on various business topics. She is currently researching on ESTA.

Highland Bakery Tour!

I sometimes wonder how I can call myself a food blogger when I cannot manage to take a picture of all the stuff I eat – especially the sweet stuff. I mean realistically no one would want to see my breakfast, lunch, and dinner including all snacks and drinks although, such a project might make an interesting artistic project?

Looking through my photographs, of my recent stay in Scotland, I didn’t take pictures of half of the things we did, but like a million of one day. Talk about over compensation. Needless to say after all this pointless reflection is that I didn’t get a picture of all the bakery’s and treats I tried. Sorry about that. But here is a quick overview of where I went and what I had.

Harry Gow:

dream ring: pretty tasty fresh cream in a light airy pastry

not sure what this was called, but it was a bad dry meringue thing

mini Victoria sponge: was delicious light fluffy cake with fresh cream & jam

Something Sweet:

Irn Bru icream!! What!?
And some blue stuff that was nothing to shout about.

The Storehouse of Foulis:

I had this perfect genormas meringue with a cup of chai tea.

The Cromarty Bakery:

Yummy coconut tart. Perfect after the lobster I had for lunch! ;0) 

Sweet Treats:

sorry for the poor lighting, but it was more Irn Bru ice cream
better then the one above

Irn Bru fudge: so sweet you can only eat a little at a time

Deas Bakery:

lammington: yum! I also tried a raspberry tart and a ginger and toffee tart
no pics though they were all very good

Lastly I got to try Arbroth Smokies at the Highland Games! Delicious and a good time at the games!

notes: (to self) attempt a picture food log, first see if I can keep it up and second if it gets a following. All bakery/sweet shop names are linked! PS The Cromarty Bakery is hiring!! ;0) I have a few things I want to try to make that has been inspired by my visit to the Highlands. If you haven't already seen them I did make some Cranachan Cupcakes that are inspired by a traditional Scottish dessert. 

Hi my name is Lisa and I'm a Twitter-holic.

When I started my blog I used to blog about anything and everything I did that revolved around baking! I even have a blog post on crème brulee lip gloss… However since I started my twitter account I just tweet most of those things now. I mean why bother going to all the trouble and work a blog post takes when I can just tweet it?!?!

So as I was going through the pictures on my phone I thought I’d do a big round up of products and sweet stuff I've done over the 8 months or so. As a warning this is probably one of the longest posts I have ever done. Also a lot of these things will have been seen on Twitter already. I am a bit of a Twitter junkie! Find me @unitedcakedom! So let's get started with the more recent: 

Join the Realm! I'm a huge Game of Thrones fan! I have read the book and have yet to start the series I will wait and get a box set and watch it all at once. I made this on a facebook app Join the Realm

Browns Restaurant in Reading! Girls night out for a friends birthday! I had to try the Browns Brownie and a couple of the other ladies had Sticky Toffee Pudding. It was a good night out, service was good until they switched shifts and we had a new server, but overall a fun time! I do apologize for the pictures not being of the best quality!

The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan: I love her series of "sweet" books. Starting with Meet Me in the Cupcake Cafe up to this one!! Looking forward to Christmas as the sequel to Rosie's Sweet Shop of Dreams is out! 

Warings Bakery: As most of the locations are local to me it's amazing I haven't been in before! I tried this apple fritter and a Viennese finger sandwich thing. They were both very lovely! Didn't take a picture of the latter. Will definitely be visiting again! 

Pancake Day at Giraffe! Giraffe offered a half off pancakes on pancake day, so a friend and I took full advantage! I think it was only advertised to those who are signed up for the news letter as that's how I was informed. So sign up for some great offers! 

White Chocolate Millionaire Shortbread! This was made by a very nice lady at the toddler group I take baby baker to every week. She is always bringing in treats for all of us. These were cut so big, I could hardly eat it as the white chocolate took it to another level of sweetness! But so good! 

My first attempt at crepes... Not sure why I didn't post this as a regular blog post? So, here they are using the left over raspberries and raspberry cream from the peach melba cupcakes I had made. I think I just used a Nigella recipe? Don't quote me on that as I am slowly losing my memory! 

Haribo Rhubarb & Custard Splats! We found these at our local newsagents and they were good. I love pic n' mix candy/sweets so these didn't last long in a house full of sugar junkies! 

Bake! from Dunelm Mill : What can I say? I am a sucker for cute knick knacks! Hey it was only 1.99! 

Care Packages!! There is nothing in the world like getting a care package from friends who miss you!! 

Thank you Dena!! (October)

Thank you Scott & Katie!! (January)

Lotus Biscuit Spread! I finally got around to hunting this stuff down after seeing it appear on tons of other food blogs. I never got around to baking with it as originally planned. I had thought I would substitute it in some of my favorite peanut butter recipes, but the girls and I just ate it. Sometimes just with a spoon. Shhhhh don't tell Daddy!

The Oracle Christmas Spectacular! I was sent VIP wrist bands because I have done a few reviews for The Oracle in the past. I would link to them, but they are not currently up on the Oracle website. Here were my blog posts for those visits: Jamie's Italian & Patisserie Valerie. It was a fun night out and a great way to get into the Christmas spirit! Afterwards we went for a drink in Giraffe! 

Amarettini: amaretto disaronno, strawberry&pomegranate w/layer of cream  & biscuits on top

Christmas Lumpy Bumpy Cake! from Pausa Cafe in Dunelm Mill. I first discovered Lumpy Bumpy Cake from Boswell's Cafe in Newbury when I meet my friend there for lunch one day. Then a while back I discovered a strawberry version in Pausa and so when I was visiting close to Christmas this version was staring at me. It's more of a coffee like flavor, so good! I love coffee flavored stuff! 

Mochi from Yo! Sushi! My friend and I try to have sushi dates every other month or so as we love the stuff! I hadn't really looked at the desserts because the little Victoria sandwich cake things they serve aren't anything to shout about! Mochi is interesting. I think it's the texture that had me second guessing it. I probably won't order it again and spend my money on the delicious rolls and curries instead! 

And that is the end of that if you like this sort of general information about my baking life, please follow me on twitter. As the title suggests I am a Twitter-holic!