What The #100happydays Challenge Taught Me

As some of you already know, I've been doing the 100 Happy Days Challenge. I've been posting everyday, on my Twitter feed, something that has made me happy or improved my mood. The idea of the challenge is to see if you can improve your outlook on life and help improve your mood. 

Well, I felt that it has had both positive and negative effects on my day to day life.

I'll start off with the negatives, having anxiety, the pressure of posting everyday was a little bit of an annoyance, with a mild bit of panic hitting me whenever I didn't post. Also, I do still like keep a little bit of privacy even when posting on the Internet, so I felt that I didn't want to post certain private moments (like when I ate a whole packet of cookies). 

Moving onto the positives however! After all, this is what the challenge is all about. Even if I had a really bad day, this challenge forced me to look at one thing that make me happy. It could be such a simple thing but it could be the difference in a bad or good day. 

Ultimatly, is it worth it? Is it worth posting everyday, for 100 days? Yeah, absolutely.

Because, it does make you see the positive in anything, even when the day isn't going your way. It can help improve your mood and make you see the fun side of life. I really suggest that you give it a try if your feeling down and out. 

Here are my favourite highlights from the 100 days:

Would you do the happy day challenge? What would make your day happy?

100 Happy Days Challenge-Complete (Round-up of funny pictures)

On the 5th of January I set myself the 100 Happy Days Challenge and on the 15th of April I managed to complete that challenge! All the details are here. 

However, it wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be. There were often days when I had a really crappy day and I thought that it wasn't worth posting any pictures up, however, I always found something to be happy and grateful about. I was often a little late when posting pictures up, but I don't feel that I necessarily failed the challenge. Even if I did, I continued and noticed that in the 100 happy days:

• I found that I was more cheery. 
• It was easier to get out of a bad mood, if I was in one.
• My battery on my phone drained quickly because I took more photos then I normally do. 
• Even the most ridiculous things made me more optimistic.
• I realised that I'm very lucky to have the life I have and have wonderful people in it. 
• I take a lot of pictures of food...

So here's the run-down of the best photos:

Winner of Cutest Text Message: Day 9! Thanks Lucy for this! Miss you too.

Winner of Most Happy Promoting of a Society: Day 12. Don't Becky and I look great with our purple SFOCP T-shirts?

Winner of Most Tipsy Person is Day 17! Afternoon cocktails did this to me. 

Greatest Moonch Award goes to: Day 19. Hannah I owe you a Crunchie!

Cutest Picture Award goes to: Day 34. Rob is quite the minon artist isn't he?

 Most Ridiculous Selfie goes is awarded to Day 74. MOVING ON QUICKLY!

Most Disney Related Picture goes to: Day 86 because memorising the "Let It Go" and watching the film isn't enough!

Blurriest Coffee  picture goes to Day 3! Lauren we need to do coffee more often. Just not as blurry. 

Messed up thing in a tree award goes to Day 29. The picture says it all.  

Best drawing on coffee belongs to Day 32. Harvey looks epic on this latte :)

Cutest couple (bleh) moment goes to Day 33. Couple moment... MOVING ON!!! 

Most MESSED up poem ever written definitely goes to Day 47. Rapidly moving on....

Most Lovable Panda award goes Day 49. Socks + Pandas= Warm Feet!

Most Irish Photo goes to Day 70. Irish guy wearing an Irish tie, thank goodness this isn't a regular thing.

 Bestest Cake Ever Award goes to Day 96! This good design and great taste

Best bubble tea photo goes to Day 83. Miss you Sof! We'll need to moonch our way through China-Town again!

If you enjoyed looking at these pictures check out the album on the Facebook page. Want to start your own Happy Day Challenge? Enlist yourself here. Email me to tell me how you got on. 

Volunteering, Cupcakes and Slow Food

Last Wednesday I went out for Slow Food on Campus Portsmouth to help out with the Volunteering In Portsmouth (VIP) Baking Event for the Elderly. (There's me in purple in the right hand corner) 

 Essentially the idea was teach people how to decorate using fondant and buttercream. It was very rewarding and great meeting new people as well! It was a fun day for everyone and we got some great designs including a Dr Who Tardis!! 

We were practicing make buttercream. We gave out handouts which featured basic vanilla cupcake.

I have to say a big thank-you to VIP and Slow Food for the opportunity. Oh and an even bigger thank-you to Chef Will I would have been all over the place if it wasn't for him! (Hes the super tall one)

The point of this post is to highlight that doing one good thing can not only brighten up your day but the people around you as well. The whole group had fun! If you get a offer like this, you take it!

Bake On!

White & Dark Chocolate Layered Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream

It was this time last year when I made my other half, a Burger cake because of our love of good humour and food. This year due to the amount of university work I've had to make a simple chocolate cake...with a twist! This cake is not for the faint hearted. Its a chocoholic's dream and its so rich and full of buttercream. Diet watchers-stay away from this. 

Lucky for me then because I don't like diets and neither does my other half. Happy Birthday Rob! Hope you enjoy the cake...please let me have a slice I did make it!
My mother came up with this suggestion for the name which made me laugh: Snowed Twirl Dark White Chocolate Cake. I rejected that name for obvious reasons. Its just silly... 

Recipe: The White Chocolate Cake (Adapted from Primrose Celebrations)

·       115g white chocolate

·       115g plain flour, sieved

·       100g unsalted butter, at room temperature

·       100g granulated sugar

·       2 large eggs, separated

·       1 teaspoons vanilla extract

·       1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, sieved

·       110g semi skimmed milk with 5ml lemon juice added (that’s about 1 tsp lemon juice)

Recipe: The Dark Chocolate Cake (my own recipe)

·       225g unsalted butter, room temperature

·       225g caster sugar

·       160g self raising flour, sifted

·       50g dark cocoa powder

·       1 teaspoon of baking powder

·       2 large eggs

·       1 teaspoon vanilla

·       15ml semi skimmed milk

Recipe:White Buttercream (Adapted from PrimroseCelebrations)

·       100g white chocolate

·       55g unsalted butter, at room temperature

·       30ml semi-skimmed milk, at room temperature

·       ½ teaspoon good-quality vanilla extract

·       250g icing sugar sieved

·       3 tablespoons double cream

Recipe: Dark Chocolate Buttercream (Adapted from Cupcakes from Primrose )

·       175g dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa solids

·       225g unsalted butter

·       1 tablespoon semi-skimmed milk, room temperature

·       1teaspoon vanilla extract

·       250g icing sugar, sifted

Options:

·       Chocolate decorations or sprinkles

Equipment:

·       Bowl x 4

·       Electric hand-held whisk

·       Sieve

·       Saucepan filled with water

·       Heat proof bowl

·       2 cake tins lined with silicone paper and then wash them up / 4 cake tins lined with silicon paper

·       Wooden spoon

·       Metal spoon

·       Palette knife

·       

To make White Chocolate Cake:

Step 1. Grease the cake tins

1.    Pre-heat oven to Gas Mark 4/350f/180c. Grease the cake tins.

Step 2. Melt the chocolate

2.    Break the white chocolate into small pieces and place into a heatproof bowl over a simmering water on the hob, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir occasionally until smooth, creamy and melted. Set aside to cool.

3.    Sieve the flour and bicarbonate of soda together in one bowl and set aside.

Step 4. Cream the butter and sugar together

4.    Cream sugar and butter together in a separate bowl, until creamy. Add the egg yolks one at the time.

5.    Add the melted white chocolate and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture.

6.    Gradually beat in the dry ingredients and milk and lemon juice alternately mixed until just incorporated. 

Step 7. Whisk the egg whites until stiff

7.    In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form with clean beaters.

8.    Fold in the egg whites, with a metal spoon, into the cake batter until all the white streaks are gone.

Step 9. Cooling on the wire rack

9.    Pour the cake batter into the prepared tray and bake for 20 minutes. Once baked leave in the tray for about 15 minutes and transfer carefully, to a wire rack.

For the Dark Chocolate cake:

Step 1. Cream the butter and sugar

1.    Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and smooth.

Step 2. All the dry ingredients 

2.    Sieve all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Step 3. the cake batter with the added egg

3.    Add the eggs, one at a time, into the creamed mixture and beat after each addition. Add vanilla extract.

4.    Add the dry ingredients and the milk in alternating order and mixing until all incorporated.

Step 4. The baked cakes

5.    Divide the mixture into the 2 cake tins and bake for 25 minutes. To check if its cooked place a toothpick in the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean-its cooked.

Its best to make the dark chocolate buttercream first as the white chocolate buttercream goes solid really fast.

Dark Chocolate Buttercream: (Go to this link for the pictures and method... again...)

1.    To make the chocolate buttercream, melt the chocolate as in step 2. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, milk, vanilla extract and the icing sugar until smooth-this can take several minutes using an electric hand mixer. Add the chocolate and beat until all of the chocolate has been incorporated. This should be easy to pipe in a piping bag or spread with a palette knife. Sieve the icing sugar into a big bowl and pour the chocolate butter mixture into it.

For the White Chocolate Buttercream:

Step 1. Melted white chocolate

1.    Break the white chocolate into small pieces and place into a heatproof bowl over a simmering water on the hob, making sure that the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir occasionally until smooth, creamy and melted. Set aside to cool.

Step 2. Add the icing sugar a little at a time

Step 2.  Almost finished buttercream...

2.    Combine all the ingredients, apart from the melted chocolate and cream and beat until smooth and creamy. I found that its loads easier if you add the icing sugar a little at a time or it flies all over the place!

3.    Add the melted chocolate and cream  and beat well again.

Step 5. Finished buttercream

4.    Ice cake straight away (If it gets really solid, microwave it so its liquid and beat again and let it set out for a little while).

Finishing off the cake off

1.    To assemble the cake, place the white chocolate cake and smooth the dark chocolate buttercream on top.

2.    Place the dark chocolate cake on top of the white cake and spread some more dark chocolate buttercream.

Step 5.  The cake layers

3.    Repeat with the next 2 layers so you’ve got alternating layers filled with dark chocolate buttercream.

Step 4. Dont be tempted to leave the cake like this...

4.    With the white chocolate buttercream spread all around the cake with a clean palette until you get the desired finish. Decorate as you like!

Theres on more thing I'd like to say: 

Have a great weekend baking lovers 

Bake On!