Cake, cake and more cake!

So early on Saturday morning me, mum and a cake set off to Manchester, 3 train journeys and about 2 hours later we arrive at Manchester Central. The train journey was good apart from noisy sexist man on the train who while talking to another man (possibly his friend but it was difficult to tell) described every woman in the conversation by their body shape or beauty level. So we were quite happy to get off the train at Manchester Picadilly and change train to go to Oxford Road. This train went to Liverpool, on Grand National Day, it was rammed!! It was worse than any tube I have been on and all the time trying to protect a delicate cake.

Arriving at Manchester Central with the cake, I decided rather than queueing with everyone else (it was a very big queue) we entered through the competitors entrance waving the cake at the security guard. We are in! It is a lovely venue, and very busy. I spotted the Clandestine Cake Club stand and abandoned my cake. We were told judging was at noon. So off me and mum set into the show. We walked around the stalls and decided to watch a demonstration by Mich Turner who runs the Little Venice Cake Company. She is tiny but very instructive so I learnt a lot.

My cake was entered into the Clandestine Cake Club competition along with 8 other entries. It was judged by Peter Sidwell.

Here is Peter testing my cake with Lynn Hill from the Clandestine Cake Club. 

I didn't win :( but never mind it's the taking part that counts. I then went and bought lots of bread flours, I want to try making some different breads. I also bought some fancy textured mats to make embossed icing for cakes, lots of coloured icing and a rolling mat and 2 new books.We didn't buy light things, we were silly.

At 4pm after watching the Baker Brothers we headed out in to the Manchester sunshine. We stretched our legs and took in the amazing architecture. Then home!

Only one  change heading home and a Chinese takeaway too. So it was a pretty good day.

My next cake session is to bake a cake for Debbie at work for her birthday, I will be using a recipe from one of my new books. My flikr site has more pictures from the show, there are some truly amazing cakes!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30thingstodoinmy30thyear/

So this is 2 more challenges off my list, visiting a new city and going to a show, still many to go! But I don't have any money this month so I wont be doing many this month. 

I have a few other things to update on but I will leave that until the weekend.

A quick summary list of tasks.

1.Start a blog to keep track of progress and report back. - doing :) 

2. Read a book every month (or 12 in the year) and post a blog comment about it  - 1 done, on with no.2 and 3 at the same time.

3. Complete a cross-stitch design every month - 5/12 done :)

4. Run a reasonable 5km run - no running, unless you count a treasure hunt around campus. As it gets warmer I shall try harder.

5. Visit a new city in the UK - going to Manchester next week and this is a new city for me.

6. Go to a rugby game - need to decide on a game and someone to drag along -  this might have something lined up

7. Listen to a new band as recommended by someone else - thanks to Hayley for recommending  one - so this task is complete but I will always be on the look for new music

8. Try a new recipe from my recipe books each month and blog about it - tried a new carrot cake recipe so 1/12 completed.

9. Go to a ballet - nothing yet

10. Go to a Classical concert - same as above

11. Have a facial - I should just book one, and see if I like it!

12. Track day  - not looked yet

13. Get a tattoo - needs to be a sensible decision and not rushed, advice welcomed, thinking stars or butterflies.

14. Go to a 20-20 cricket game - nope

15. Eat in a Michellin Star restaurant - nothing planned

16. Get a new qualification - starting a MOOC next week for 6 weeks so hopefully complete sucessfully 

17. Go on a steam train - was going but the snow stopped me, might wait until the weather improves.

18. Go to Centre Parcs - probably later in the year, holiday booked in June though!!

19. Give something up for lent - completed :)

20. Learn to knit a scarf - scarf course at shop in Headingley so need to book on to it,

21. Ride a horse, even if its just a short ride - a fair weather task

22. Do a course of some sort maybe painting or crafting etc - must see what the new lists are, might do a cake decorating one.

23. Go to a craft show or game fair - Cake and Bake show next week 

24. To take more pictures - I now have a flickr site here

25. Eat one meat free day a week - Must try harder!

26. To attend at least 6 WYNTV tasks - Must try much harder

27. Build a sandcastle at the seaside-  need sunshine for this one.

28. Attend more talks after work  - tried but got ill so couldnt go, need to try harder

29. Ride my bike - still in the garage

30. And finally work to get my contract extended or find myself a new exciting job. - this is the hands of those above me, but I am beginning to poke them

One down, 29 to go!

Well this is a bit of short update as I have achieved one of my targets. I gave crisps up for lent and as today is Easter Sunday I have successfully completed one of my 30 challenges, and as a treat I might have a bag of crisps :)

Also I have completed a further 2 cross stitches, so I am well on the way to completing this task.

 

To raise money for comic relief at work, we asked to create a show stopper based on the school (Earth and Environment). Here is my cake, after getting such positive feedback about my cake and with some encouragement from my work colleague Debbie, I entered it in the Clandestine Cake Clubs competition. The cake was short listed and now has to be re-made to go the Cake and Bake show in Manchester for judging. The ESSI cake is a new carrot cake recipe from my National Trust Traditional Teatime book, this is another part of a task complete, a new recipe for March.

This will enable me to complete 2 other challenges, firstly to attend a show and second to visit a new city. I have never been to Manchester! I know this might seem a little strange but I have never set foot in the centre of Manchester and I have never been through it on a train, so next Saturday I will cross these 2 things off the list.

I also start a MOOC next week so this will get me a new qualification, it will only be a certificate of completion but it is a qualification. I have thought about tattoo design, definitely something small and discrete, either butterflies or stars.

I am struggling with some of the other tasks but there are still a few months left in the year to achieve them, and hopefully with the days getting longer and fingers crossed warmer I will achieve a few more. I will post another post next week after the cake show. 

Book one complete and a few other things

So I have finally completed reading my first book..

And I can honestly say I enjoyed it and learnt a vast amount about earthquake history and the issues associated with predicting them and protecting people from them. I think if you want to better understand complexities of earthquakes then read this. It isn't too heavy for the none scientist but does not dump down the subject, a good popular science read. So I now have a copy should anyone want to read it. Next up is 'How Leeds Changed the World', and work appears on the first page :). The Afar project that Tim Wright and Jacqui Houghton among others have worked on, appears on the first page.

I have also been busy baking for various reasons but tried 2 new recipes one for scones and one for millionaires shortbread. The millionaires shortbread went down so well first time I have made 2 batches!

I have also found a new band to listen to thanks to my Twitter friend @ebookslearning , she has introduced me to 'The Hold Steady'. I really enjoyed them and they are now part of my Spotify playlist.

Also this week I am attending 2 after work talks given by staff in the department so I feel I am slowly achieving some of my targets, I have completed another cross stitch(number 4), it can be seen in my flickr account .

I haven't managed to attend any WYNTV tasks yet but I hope to attend a couple of socials includiing a trip on a steam train! (it will be another task complete).

I have been working through tattoo ideas,but my next couple of weeks will be taken up by designing and building a Comic Relief cake for work.

Thanks to Lisa and Fiona for all their helpful suggestions! I am 2 months down and 10 to go but I probably need to get planning, especially on the cricket and rugby front. So if anyone wants to come? or invite me along. I am open to offers :)

B.

Plan of attack and request for help

So here is the list  of 30 things in one place and a little summary of where I am with each one, in many cases nowhere! Apologises for it being a little rambling!



1.Start a blog to keep track of progress and report back. - doing :) 

2. Read a book every month (or 12 in the year) and post a blog comment about it - still reading book one, I have the next title ready but I need to read quicker!

3. Complete a cross-stitch design every month - I have done 3 :) and just started my 4th so well on the way with this one!

4. Run a reasonable 5km run - I ran 1km this week, so thats progress if very slow. Maybe i shall try to do 1km twice this week.

5. Visit a new city in the UK - not got there yet

6. Go to a rugby game - need to decide on a game and someone to drag along

7. Listen to a new band as recommended by someone else - still waiting for one to be recommended

8. Try a new recipe from my recipe books each month and blog about it - not done but the books are out so  2 this month to catch up.

9. Go to a ballet - nothing yet

10. Go to a Classical concert - same as above


11. Have a facial - maybe for my birthday

12. Track day  - not looked yet

13. Get a tattoo - needs to be a sensible decision and not rushed, advice welcomed!

14. Go to a 20-20 cricket game - I must look at this, anyone want to come?

15. Eat in a Michellin Star restaurant - maybe nearer birthday

16. Get a new qualification - nothing yet 

17. Go on a steam train - nothing yet but more of a summer thing, need someone and somewhere to go

18. Go to Centre Parcs - probably later in the year, holiday booked in June though!!

19. Give something up for lent - crisps, it starts Wednesday!

20. Learn to knit a scarf - going away with a knitter in June so might start then


21. Ride a horse, even if its just a short ride - does anyone know good stables?

22. Do a course of some sort maybe painting or crafting etc - looking at ones at both Hepworth and Yorkshire Sculpture park

23. Go to a craft show or game fair - a work in progress

24. To take more pictures - I now have a flickr site here

25. Eat one meat free day a week - not doing well at this at all, need to try harder, it will be easier in summer when eat more salads

26. To attend at least 6 WYNTV tasks - I tried to go to 1 but cancelled due to snow.

27. Build a sandcastle at the seaside- this might be part of the steam train event or June holiday

28. Attend more talks after work  - not achieved this, maybe IGT seminars as I am hopeful of beer after!

29. Ride my bike - still in the garage

30. And finally work to get my contract extended or find myself a new exciting job. - this is the hands of those above me, but I am beginning to poke them

So I am making progress if a little slow in some areas, the next few weeks are going to be hard as I do love crisps. So if you want to help me achieve one of my targets or have a suggestion of where I could go to achieve it let me know! Leave me a comment, facebook me, tweet me or find me at work! 

I addition this week I got red streaks in my hair as you can see from this photo. 

It's sewing!

Short update, here is my first cross stitch of the year completed, it will now be turned into a card for someone's birthday. I will start the next one tomorrow,I like the small ones best as they are completed quickly and I don't get bored. 

With how I am getting on with the other tasks not too well yet but I am enjoying my book. I have signed up for 2 MOOC's
The first one is starting next week! https://www.coursera.org/course/edc, the second one is http://www.alt.ac.uk/events/octel-open-course-technology-enhanced-learning

Both are work related but should be interesting and educational, plus I get a certificate to prove I have completed the course :)

So the next week is more cross stitch, book reading, starting MOOC, and attending an event after work.

On the running 5km I  have a new Xbox kinect game that will hopefully get me a bit fitter before I start running outside, at the moment it is just too cold, icy and dark. I am also going to start with pictures tomorrow and post them somewhere everyone can view.

The final ten.....

As I am stuck at home in the snow I thought I would work through the last 10 of my aims for this year. Before I started I fed the birds they were very grateful although I am not sure I am too grateful to mum for  taking this picture!

Here goes and this is really hard so they may change if I come up with a better idea!

21. Ride a horse, even if its just a short ride.

22. Do a course of some sort maybe painting or crafting etc

23. Go to a craft show or game fair  - they always look exciting but never get chance to go

24. To take more pictures - I just don't take enough, maybe start with one a day and keep a record

25. Eat one meat free day a week - it might mean I eat more vegetables

26. To attend at least 6 WYNTV tasks - I have become lazy and haven't been to as many as I should

27. Build a sandcastle at the seaside -  I know this is childish but age is just a number 

28. Attend more talks after work - I might learn something!

29. Ride my bike- its been in the garage for nearly 2 years, i should use it at least once!

30. And finally work to get my contract extended or find myself a new exciting job.


So that's all 30, hopefully I will get to December having tried some new things, achieved things and had fun doing it. This blog will be my record of the year and I will hopefully blog every time I complete something or work towards one. 2013 isn't going to be unlucky its going to be an adventure.