Cake Decorating and Think Thin Thurs

I spent my time this week making and decorating a cake for a friend at my Theatre group. It was his mums 70th Birthday and he asked if I could make her a cake. I asked him what his mum was interested in hobbies etc, so I could get an idea for the design. He said she loves cats! I asked him if his mum liked gardening......she did so I had the beginning of an idea!

I wanted something cute! Kittens playing, flowers, plant pots that type of thing, I browsed the web for inspiration and found this cute image, I painted him on the side of the cake using food colours. Butterfly's and flowers were the theme and repeated around the cake...
Run-Out Work The design on the cake top is a run out, this is icing piped around the design shape, then filled in with a runny consistency royal icing. The design is left around a week to set then I painted the design with food colours. I enjoy this technique, any design can be re-created this way!

The other side of the cake - Kitten with a butterfly on his nose!

I really loved painting the design on this cake, the day was sunny, I was in no rush, I put some good music in the cd player and I just enjoyed the time........ The painting was the last to be done on the cake as there is an order to decorating it goes like this...

1. Make the run-outs/decorations around a week in advance
2. Make the cake - To keep this fresh usually only two days before cake is due

3. Roughly two days before the due date, Butter cream and cover the cake in Fondant/Icing It need a whole day to set before any painting can be done (we don't want knuckle or finger marks)

4.Paint run-outs.let dry... Paint any designs on the cake...

5. Remove run outs and place on cake - Do any final piping !

6. Finished in good time,usually the evening before . Place in box and finished!

Depending of the decorations and design a cake takes around a week to complete, as so many things need to set, dry etc. It can take a lot longer if making figures they are more complex!

'In an English Country Garden' that is the song I thought of whilst painting the cake, around the back of the cake I painted, Hollyhocks, lavender and other flowers...
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Think Thin Thurs

I am updating early, late wed night. I am happy with this week I still managed to walk and do the exercise vid, but not walk as much with the cake taking most of my time! I walked twice at 20 mins each. But I did a lot more dancing around the house and stretches etc

I am sure I am losing weight as my pants feel a bit more loose! The snacking has not been so bad either, I took more notice of the clock and managed to eat the last thing before 9.00pm, but not always....

So my goals for next week are

1. To get back to walking 4 times a week

2. and No eating after 9.00pm !!!

Yes they are the same goals as last week, but this week was a bit out of whack! ha,ha

See you all again soon

Priscilla x

Think Thin Thursday Week 1 results...

Think Thin Thursday a day late! I have been having blogger issues, has anyone else? I wanted to check in anyway and let you all know how I got on with this weeks goals....I am happy to say I stuck to my exercise plan! to walk 4 times this week around 20 mins, and I did I walked 5 times!! and worked out to some music, and my exercise vid once.

I haven't lost any weight, but that's ok, I tried some new bread and yogurts this week.......but didn't eat the rest. I read the labels to find........with shock....the brown seed bread had 4g of fat a slice!! That's a lot for one slice! and a well known brand low fat yogurt has 10g Sugar!! So no wonder I didn't lose weight, I couldn't walk off a few slices of bread and 4 yoghurt's in a week, So I have taken them out of the diet (I only added them thinking they would be good for me).

It really shows you have to check the labels, so many foods are advertised as low fat /low sugar and they are NOT. So I am sticking to fresh snacks.... and checking everything! ha,ha

My goal for next week is very similar to this one..

1. Walk...4 0r 5 times a week, work out to music, move my body as much as I can
2. No eating after 9.00pm! I don't sleep till late so this tends to catch me out, So I hope to stick to it

See you all again soon!

Priscilla x

Think Thin Thurs... Week 1 !

Hi everyone, Here I am with my goals for week one of Think Thin Thurs.

Before I add the weeks goals I d like to talk about my overall goals....and here the list begins!

I would like to lose 2 st at the end of this journey, or near to that

To Exercise more! This is where I lack.... I hope to walk more or even dance around the house!and dust off all those old exercise vids!

Shake up my diet...... try new foods recipes etc,Eat more veg on a regular basis

To live a more healthy, Active lifestyle

So my goals for this week are manly exercise related...

1. To walk at least 4 times a week, around 20mins each

2. To work out to my Dance Exercise (Anita Harris) vid at least two times this week

I am Keeping it simple to begin with, then concentrate on the weight loss.

Have you noticed when you truly decide to do something, everything that you need to do it more efficiently tends to find you? here is my little story.....

I have no grill pan, when I moved house it was missing, which didn't really bother me until recently I started eating more bacon etc. I was thinking of buying one of the huge ones, but when there is only me what a waste! At the beginning of this week in a booklet I saw a ......George Foreman Grill, I thought what a good idea, no need for the huge oven. I visited my Grandma Yesterday, and what should she be considering getting rid off........A George Foreman Grill she bought years ago that she doesn't use!!!

So now I am the proud owner of this Ever so Cute Pink Grill !

I will be postng the healthy recipes I try with it!

I am pleased to say I have already cooked bacon in it, and its wonderful, I visited this website http://www.georgeforemangrills.co.uk/recipes.php and they have some great recipes for the grill . Bridgette's task for this week is to give a website or blog that helps you on your weight loss Journey, I hope you enjoy the George Foreman Recipe Link.

Good Luck to everyone who is following a healthy lifestyle and see you all next Thurs......

Priscilla x

I am taking part in Think Thin Thursdays!!

Changes, Changes!!! That is the plan... I just wanted to pop in tell you all how excited I am. I recently found this..... 'Think Thin Thursdays' over at 'The Not So-blog-Blog' It is a way for all bloggers who wish to lose a few lbs, or get fit, eat healthy etc, its been called weight watchers without the Fee! We are each others support and accountability. And I am joining them.

I need to lose weight and get healthier, I have gained 2 St over the last 3 year and really want to lose it again, I find I do really well for around a month, then stop exercising and the l bs pile back on! So I am hoping with support from you my fellow blogging friends I will be able to stick to a routine, and not fall off the wagon...ha,ha

Every Thursday I will be adding my goals for the week...walk more, or drink more, etc and I'll return the following Thurs with how I did! and I am going to weigh myself, which I can now do as I got new batteries for the scale today, and hopefully over time we can watch the scale go down! If you fancy joining in head over to http://www.thenotsoblog.blogspot.com/


I also received some wonderful awards recently.... This Fabulous Award from my dear friend Linda at 'Somewhere In Time', who I can say has a fabulous blog also! Thank you Linda x

Here is what you have to do ,I think I have to list five of my addictions so here goes:

Chocolate (hhmm) could be a problem see above!

Yankee Candles, Cake decorating, Watching Movies, Reading

I pass this blog along to a lovely lady called Marie at Dreaming of Wild roses, Who lives in Canada, and with all that snow makes me wish I did!

I also received this award from Marie Called friends here is the description of the award...

These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these kind writers. When you pass the award along please include these guidelines. I am to choose eight friends to share this with.

I am sending this blog onto 4 of my blogging friends who have been with me from the start...

Victoria at Vintage Tea

Linda at Somewhere in Time

Robin at Bittersweet Pumpkin

and Alison at Vintage Amethyst

I hope you are all having a wonderful week, See you on Think Thin Thurs!

Priscilla x

Twilight!

Last Year I began reading a 'little' book I found on Amazon called Twilight, I quickly came to realise just how popular this book was becoming! I have just finished New Moon the second in the saga and must say I have enjoyed them. Just before Christmas the movie came out and I debated whether to go see it, thinking it could ruin the images I had created in my head of the characters.......if anyone has also read the book you will understand this even more regarding Edward! ha,ha How could a movie do justice to the book?

Well I had my doubts, but I wanted to enjoy the whole phenomena that is Twilight, I watched a few Trailers on you tube and the Movie looked quite good!


I went to see it and was pleasantly surprised, although slightly different to the images I had created, it still did the story justice and all the actors suited the mood of the Movie, edgy and moody. And I guess in keeping with the style of the film Robbert Pattison who plays Edward was good too! I thought I recognised the actor from Harry Potter, and I was right he played Cedric Diggory In Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire!

Bella and Edward

So I am now a fan of the movie..... and look forward to seeing New Moon on screen

The Cullens.

Here is the trailer to the movie....

Have you see the film? read the books let me know what you think....

See you again soon

Priscilla x