27th November 2010 - No Batteries

Today I was going to make Rich Fruit Cake but Tesco didn’t deliver all the ingredients Lel ordered for me. =[ I had a rummage through the cupboards to see what ingredients I could find.  Nothing that would help a Rich Fruit Cake! But enough to make other stuff.

I had enough to make some more Chocolate Chip Cookies (NNOOOO the camera has ran out of batteries =[, I must have cursed myself when I said I would take photos of all attempts.  So no photos from today unfortunately. =[)

I also made some Brownies form the Be-Ro book.  Although I re-placed the chopped walnuts with chocolate chips because the kids don’t like them.  These turned out great and were an instant hit with the family =]. 

Lastly a made a small batch of Cupcakes using the Be-Ro recipe for Victoria Sponge Cake but using only half the quantity of ingredients... because that’s all I had left.   They worked out well too... today was good day for a Gamer/Baker =].

22nd November 2010 - The New Batch!!

Today I had another go at the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from the Be-Ro book... Success they worked out well today. Ad, T-Berry, Lel and Alfie all liked them =], as well as my friend Odin (as I know him) at work. =]

Chocholate Chip Cookies - 2nd Batch



I think I am making Rich fruit cake this coming Saturday.... could be a bit too advanced for me maybe. =\ We shall see!!!

20th November 2010 - My First Cake!!! and My First Failure!!!

I used the Victoria sponge recipe form Fiona Cairns book but I used margarine instead of butter because that’s what Lel likes to use when she bakes.  T-Berry baked one too, with margarine like I did, white sugar instead of golden caster sugar, left out the baking powder and for the filling and dollops on the top,  he used Rich and Creamy Icing (Ready to spread), with chocolate buttons placed on each dollop.




Wiggles Victoria Sponge



T-Berrys Victoria Sponge



I also baked some chocolate chip cookies from an old Be-Ro recipe book (39^th edition).  The cookies were a complete sloppy failure.  I possibly didn’t weigh the ingredients accurately... I mean definitely didn’t weight them properly.  They were almost just a cookie soup.  No photo of these because I was so embarrassed they went straight in the bin.




 

17th-19th November 2010 - My First Week

I checked out sites on the Internet for advice on baking and equipment I would need for cake art.  There is a huge amount of information out there in both text form and videos; YouTube is a good site for tutorials. It was also at this time discovered T.V programs about cake bakers/artists – Ace of Cakes and Cake Boss, I liked what I saw =]. 

Lel put a smile on my face today (17^th) =].

She bought me my very first Bake Book, Fiona Cairns, Bake and decorate.

16th November 2010 - My First Day

So today was the day I started looking into Cake Baking and Cake Art.  I know it probably doesn’t sound all that exciting or new to anyone else but it is a huge step for me.  With today being a Monday I would have to wait until Saturday for our shopping to be delivered.  Lel suggested I start baking with a simple recipe called ‘Victoria Sponge Cake’.  I said okay and she then ordered the ingredients.  I wonder if I will be able to bake or even if this 'Life Change' will last until the ingredients arrive???

14th November 2010 - My Cake Diary by Wiggles.........

I am known as Wiggles or Wigz to close friends and family.  I am a 36 year old factory worker, working for McVities as a Technical Operator.  I have no skills outside of the factory and no qualifications except NVQ’s in Information Technology (from about 1992 which is pointless), Basic Engineering (very very basic) and lastly in Business Improvement Techniques (that teaches you how to be organised, or that’s how I remember it anyway, and I fail at miserably).

One skill I have picked up throughout my life is how to be a lazy gamer.  I love playing my Xbox (GamerTag – Wiggles Whoo) and I would be lost without it and my computer, which I am now typing this on.  I can spend 12 hours plus playing games and watching movies easily in one sitting.  I get up at around 1pm on weekdays (I do nightshift in McVities) and play Xbox or watch movies/Sci-fi T.V till 9pm.  At 9pm I spend just half an hour with my wonderful wife Lel (as I know her), before I leave the house for work. 

Saturdays are non-tech days (no Xbox or pc) for me and I spend it with Lel.  We don’t do much, maybe go into town for lunch, once the Tesco delivery has arrived at our door and been put away that is.  On the evening we spend time watching T.V and DVD’s.  A Sunday consists of walking Alfie, our West Highland Terrier (Westie), from around 1pm-ish until 4pm-ish.  When we get home we bath Alfie and feed him and our ginger cat Fudge.  After that I switch on my Xbox and play through the night until 6-7 in the morning.

Along with my ‘busy’ life I have two sons, Ad (as I know him) who is 18 years old and T-Berry (as I know him) who is 15 years old.  Ad is much like me with the same interests and similar personality, and T-Berry is like his mum in both attitude and intellect (which by the way is far superior to me!!!!).

Alfie - aged 4 Months



Fudge - aged 10 years