And the rest of the recipe...!

Grate the carrot straight into a mixing bowl, then sift in the dry ingredients to give them a good airing and tip any grains left behind in the sieve into the bowl too. Add all the rest of the cake ingredients and stir well until everything is well and truly mixed, then scrape the mixture into your prepared tin.Bake the cake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour, or until well risen. When cooked it will come about two-thirds of the way up the tin and just begin to shrink away from the sides of the tin. After that remove it from the oven and leave the tin on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before turning the cake out and stripping off the paper.When it has cooled for 45 minutes or so, you can spread the topping on. To make the topping, combine the ingredients in a small bowl and beat until smooth. Spread it thickly on the top of the cake and decorate it, perhaps with additional walnut pieces. Store in an airtight tin or container.

Drool Face

I just wanted to share a really good carrot cake recipe courtesy of Paul and Jeanne Rankin. I made it at the weekend and it was Homer Simpson drool face-licious!

I would make one recommendation about the butter icing. Don't put it all in the middle, as we did, or you'll end up with 2 inches of it. Too much even for a butter icing-pig like me. Split it between the middle and the top. Mmmmmmmy!

Euurgghh would you believe that I now can't find the recipe online. Here's a Delia one which is v similar but I rejected it for being a loaf (personal prejudice only) and looking a bit dense.


Saturday Carrot Cake

Makes a 1 lb (450 g) loaf cake
Ingredients
3 oz (75 g) peeled and grated carrot (about 1 medium-sized carrot) 4 oz (110 g) plain wholewheat flour ½ level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda ½ level teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 fl oz (75 ml) groundnut oil 3 oz (75 g) soft brown sugar 1 large egg, lightly beaten 2 oz (50 g) chopped walnuts
For the topping:
2 oz (50 g) full-fat soft cream cheese 1 oz (25 g) unsalted butter (at room temperature) 1 oz (25 g) icing sugar, sieved 8 walnut pieces (optional)
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 2, 300°F (150°C).
You will need a 1 lb (450 g) loaf tin 6 x 3¾ x 2¾ inches (15 x 9.5 x 7 cm). Brush it with some melted butter, then line the base with greaseproof paper, and brush that as well.

How to Lose an Evening

I can't begin to tell you how good the Wii is. I've neer been much of a console lover (my little brother beat me on them too frequently in my formative years that I just couldn't be a*sed) but the Wii is class. It is so much fun, easy to use, great graphics.

I got home from college at 9:30pm and we played Need for Speed Carbon for the next three hours! The dustbin and bus stop population were quaking with fear by the end.

Awwww how cute are animals in the snow!

Big Kid

How exciting is snow?!! I woke up this morning and London was covered in at least 5cms of the cold, white, fluffy stuff. It turns me into a kid again. L and I had a snowball fight in the garden at 7:15am. It rocked! My walk to work was, unsurprisingly, much more fun (and slippery).


N.B. I did not take these photos but filched them off the BBC website.

Insania

The world has officially gone mad. Too many WEIRD stories to comment on individually but here are the links. Be safe out there!

C Cards for Cats

Emmigrate to Bulgaria?

I'm with the landlord on this one!

And on a sporting note; all hail the return of King Wilko. Can we hold our England Rugby Union heads up again??!!

This weeks obsession - Wii Sports Bowling. So much more fun than real bowling i.e. I rock at Wii bowling and am rubbish at real bowling. Did you know that three strikes in a row is called a 'Turkey'. Haven't made four in a row yet.

How was the Superbowl G? I saw only a few highlights.

Forgive me...

...for I have sinned. It has been two weeks since my last blog!

Notable moments from the last 14 days include;

• A pre-Christmas dinner at my mum's turning into a 2am scotch-fuelled political rant between my mum and L. Very amusing but all our heads hurt SO much the next day. Note to self - I hate scotch and so does every cell in my poor, hungover body!!
• Sunday dinner, after aforementioned rant, at our good friends in Highbury. They have a fine collection of Star Wars memorabilia (for L to drool over) and two of the cutest spaniel puppies (for me to drool over).
• Our new exercise regime on the rowing machine. Top purchase! After 20 minutes on that my legs are like jelly (in a good way).
• Getting all of my Christmas shopping done (almost) without committing fellow-shopper murder.
• Work Christmas party at which I was fairly well-behaved and didn't have to be rescued from by L and carried to a taxi. Unlike last year!

Christmas baking and present wrapping this weekend. I'll report back on my attempt at the Nigella Christmas Cake on Monday. Not sure the world is ready. He he!!

Return of the Mac

I have returned, relatively unscathed, from the hell of exams! One went really well but the other one was really, really hard and I genuinely can't say if I've scraped enough marks to pass. Only two months of agonising before the results come out.

Oh, wait, I forgot that it is now, officially, Christmas party season and I can go out and get wasted and forget all about aforementionables. Wickedy wack!

Christmas shopping commenced last Thursday when I purchased a pair of toy tommy guns from Firebox for my nephew (just an excuse for L to play war games) and continued yesterday when I bought myself some rather fancy knitwear from French Connection. I LOVE me presents!

Saddo!

It's official. I have no life! I spent all last weekend in college and I will be spending all next weekend in college. Needless to say, I'm knackered and grumpy. L did take me to the 'Green & Red' Mexican restaurant for dinner on Saturday to cheer me up. We ate roasted pork belly and crackling - I was in heaven! G, I think we should go there when you're back. Given your meat embargo has been lifted. They had a rather fine selection of cocktails (not that I partook) and over 300 tequilas.

But, I can only dream at the moment. Back to study.