VIDEO: What's In My Bag

I finally filmed another video this morning and I thought I'd jump on the ever popular What's In My Bag bandwagon so here's what I carry in my bag:



Let me know what you think and what you carry in your bag! Also, any requests - feel free to leave them below!

Have a lovely weekend!

Vicky xoxo

How To: Red Velvet Cupcakes

Summer from Nothin' fancy. Really. left a comment on my 'Bargains and Baking' post to ask if I would post the Red Velvet recipe I use so here it is :) It is originally from the Hummingbird Bakery book however I have slightly adapted it - mainly with the icing, opting not to use cream cheese.

Ingredients: for the cupcakes

• 120g (4oz) unsalted butter
• 300g (10 1/2 oz) caster sugar
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 20g (3/4 oz) cocoa powder
• 40ml (1 1/2 fl oz) red food colouring
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 tsp salt
• 300g (10 1/2 oz) plain flour
• 240ml (8 1/2 fl oz) buttermilk

Ingredients: for the icing

• 300g (10 1/2 oz) unsalted butter
• 600g (1lb 5oz) icing sugar 
• Approx. 2 tbsp milk/buttermilk

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

Baking time: 18-20 minutes

Makes: 12-16 cupcakes

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 190° (gas mark 5) and line a 12-hole muffin tray with muffin/cupcake cases.
2. Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and use an electric whisk to cream the butter and sugar together for a minimum of 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating with the whisk after each egg is added.
3. In a separate bowl, stir the cocoa powder, food colouring and vanilla essence together until they form a paste. Add this paste into the batter created in the large bowl.
4. Sift together the flour and salt in another bowl, before adding half to the batter and mixing with the whisk.
5. Add half of the butter milk to the batter and whisk again.
6. Add the remaining flour-salt mixture and whisk again.
7. Add the last half of the buttermilk and whisk until the batter has a smooth consistency.
8. Spoon the batter evenly into the cake cases and cook on the middle shelf of the oven for approximately 18-20 minutes or until the cakes are springy and you can remove an inserted skewer cleanly.
9. Set the cakes aside to cool.
10. In a new bowl, use an electric whisk to mix together the butter and icing sugar, adding a small amount of milk/buttermilk to create a thick but spreadable icing.
11. Once the cakes have cooled, ice to your preference using either a piping bag or a flat palette knife.

Tips

• The better quality of your food colouring, the better the colour of your cupcakes
• Using an electric whisk combines the ingredients far more effectively than mixing by hand

I hope that was helpful, if you have any further questions; please ask!

Vicky xoxo

Bargains and Baking

Before I get into this post I just wanted to quickly say thank you for the lovely comments on the '2011 Favourites' video I posted! I'm hoping to film a 'What's in my bag?' and a 'Haircare routine' this week as well as any other suggestions you may have so if there's anything you would like to see - please comment and let me know.

So, work has been pretty hectic for me over Christmas and New Year but when it hasn't been, I've been baking up a storm. Above are Red Velvet cupcakes that I made last week. They were divine!

Meet my new baby... I picked up this coat today in the Oasis sale for a bargainous £35, down from £95! I did see this coat when it was full price and I fell in love but I refuse to spend £95 on a coat when I have an insane amount - I love a coat and a quick mental count on the way home from the shop saw my coat/trench tally reach 15. I think I may have a problem.

I'm not one for sale shopping if I'm perfectly honest - I find the sale items really aren't worth the effort, stress and elbow damage of getting to the bottom of a pile of tops that I never would have paid full price for. When I do browse a sale rail I will always ask myself one main question: would I have paid full price? The answer is rarely yes!!

Have you picked up any bargains in the sales this year? 

Have a lovely week! 

Vicky xoxo

OPI Giveaway Winner!

Firstly, Happy New Year! I hope you have a happy, healthy and wonderful 2012!

As you know, my giveaway closed at midnight last night and I used random.org to generate the winner today and it picked....

CONFESSIONS OF A MAKEUPAHOLIC!

As you can see, I started from #2 because Lonneke who was the first comment opted out of the giveaway.

Thanks to everyone who entered and keep your eyes peeled for a personalised makeup giveaway soon.

Vicky xoxo