American Style Pancakes | Baking

Pancakes are a guilty pleasure of mine. If they didn't exist, neither would the tub on my belly, but they're far too good to resist! Everytime I stay at my boyfriends, the 6:30am get up is made bearable by the thought of the generous 15 minute journey to McDonald's so I can devour some pancakes, mmmm.

Today I decided to attempt to make some pancakes. I say attempt, as let's face it, I'm not brilliant at making them - unless I buy them from Tesco and microwave them, then they're perfect. Surely that counts?

The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients

135g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp caster sugar
130ml milk
1 large egg
2 tbsp melted butter or olive oil

Method

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and caster sugar into a large bowl. Then, in a separate bowl, lightly whisk together the milk and egg, then progressing to whisk in the melted butter.

2. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and beat together with a fork until you have a smooth batter. Allow this to stand for a few minutes.

3. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a knob of butter. When this has melted, add a ladle of batter into the pan and wait until the top of the pancake begins to bubble. Then, turn over the pancake and cook it until both sides are golden brown. The pancakes should have risen to about 1cm thick.

4. Repeat this until all of the batter has been used.

5. Serve with a topping of your choice.

I chose to top my pancakes with chocolate spread, lemon juice and sugar. A greedy bums paradise! They look quite gross, because quite frankly, I'll never meet the McDonald's expectations, but practise makes perfect so hopefully I'll get the hang of it!

I hope that you enjoyed this baking post, I look forward to posting more recipes in the near future.

Autumn-Blaze
xxx

50 Things That Make Me Happy | Positivity

Today I came across the '50 things that make me happy tag'. All you have to do is simply list 50 things that make you happy - easy! I love writing a list (or ten), especially when it comes to positivity. It's such an easy way to admire the simple things, and have the opportunity to inspire others with what creates happiness for them.

1. Cups of Tea
2. Writing in my journal
3. Listening to music via a record player
4. Blogging
5. Buying a new book
6. The smell of petrol, coffee and old books
7. Prosecco
8. Sunsets
9. Long walks during the Summer
10. Hot showers
11. Peanut Butter
12. Having a tan
13. Completing a book within a week
14. Composing poetry
15. Watching Hollyoaks
16. High School Musical
17. Having good eyebrows
18. Taking photos on a Polaroid camera
19. Exploring new places
20. Walks in the woods
21. Receiving long texts
22. Late night drives
23. Late night walks
24. Having good skin
25. Receiving good feedback on my blog
26. Travelling
27. Creating memories with friends
28. Driving with loud music
29. Dancing
30. Singing in the car with friends
31. Socialising with my friends
32. Meeting new people
33. Singing in the shower
34. Cats
35. Shopping
36. Buying new make-up
37. Listening to Spanish and Portuguese music
38. Hearing others past stories
39. Learning a new language
40. Making others smile
41. Exploring surrounding areas with Stanley
42. Late night, meaningful conversations
43. Being complimented on my eyebrows (every girls dream, right?)
44. Disney films
45. Being complimented on my creative writing
46. Payday (woohoo!!)
47. Having good make-up and hair days
48. Getting meaningful tattoos
49. Reading
50. Smiling

It was actually quite hard to compose this list, as 50 is a large number and I was trying not to repeat myself, although I could add much more to the list! 

I wish for anyone that would like to do this tag to do so. Make sure to tag me so I can see what makes you happy!

Autumn-Blaze

xxx

Spontaneous Shopping

Shopping is a fabulous retail therapy, and seeing as today was payday and I've been feeling a bit run down, what's better to cheer me up than splashing the cash? I originally wanted to purchase make-up, but what I spent my money on was quite the opposite!

First of all we have these gorgeous tan Michael Kors pumps. I've been prone to buying pumps lately, preparing myself for the summer weather, and I could not resist these! The best bit? They were only £29.99 in TK Maxx. I can't wait to piece these with an outfit, so hopefully they'll be seen featured on an OOTD post sometime soon.

Admittedly, my boobs haven't grown since I was in year 6, and it seems virtually impossible to find nice bras for small sizes (Please tell me I'm not the only one!), but today I came across this lace bralette in New Look. Retailed at only £9.99, I've been looking for a bralette like this for quite a while. The small price and colour instantly attracted me, and I think it'll look great beneath a white blouse. An advantage to this bralette is that the sizing is in those of usual UK clothing sizes (e.g. size 8), therefore I had no need to worry about them not having my size. I cannot wait to purchase more of these!

Here on the left can be seen a floral air freshener from New Look priced at only £1.99. Due to this price, I'm not expecting it to be the most extravagant air freshener, however I am looking forward to having a cute little pug hanging in my car! On the right can be seen some Sugared Cup Cakes from The Hampton Candy Company. These were bought from TK Maxx as they were located next to the till and I was super duper hungry (as always). These cost £2.99 and are probably the most expensive sweets I've ever bought (Tesco value keeps me happy) but it was soooo worth it! They're super juicy with so much flavour, I'll definitely be looking out for these again.

Last but not least, I got my nose pierced! I had this done a few years ago, and I've been wishing to have it re-pierced for quite a while. I find that if I book things in advance, I chicken out, therefore it was a spur of the moment kinda thing. My last piercing was done with a gun (which it's not meant to be) and shattered my cartilage, and this one was done with a needle. Nerves kicked in and I closed my eyes and almost passed out, but it was worth the small dose of pain!

Finally, a tattoo. Yup. A tattoo. Again, a spur of the moment kinda thing. For 6 years I've been wishing to have a butterfly tattooed onto my wrist in memory of my friend, and that's exactly what I did. I originally popped into the shop to enquire about the tattoo and have the colour of my semi-colon re-touched, but somehow this happened! I'm proud of myself for not crying, not due to the pain, but because of how much it means to me. Thank goodness my Mum was sat there or I would've been a mess!

Do you find that spontaneous shopping trips are often the best? 

Autumn-Blaze

xxx

Lunch Date | Outfit of The Day

Today was one of my rare days off, therefore I took up the invitation of going out to a Tapas bar for lunch with my Nanny. It's our favourite place to dine for lunch, and as I'm in my work uniform most days, I decided to make an effort with my appearance.

I decided to wear a dress which I purchased from Topshop recently in the sale for £15 reduced from £38. I didn't realise until I got home, but the dress is actually a petite fit, therefore it would be too revealing to wear on it's own, yet looks great paired with some tights!

Black Chelsea Boots are a must have for every girls wardrobe as they go with almost every outfit. These ones were purchased from Next a while ago, and they are definitely one of the comfiest pair of shoes I own!

For accessories, I used my trusty Kurt Geiger bag which I bought from TK Maxx last year for £29.99. It's fairly small, but still fits all of my essentials such as my purse, diary and iPad mini.

Jewellery wise I went for the usual of my Tiffany & Co. Necklace, Nomination bracelet, Pandora ring, Vintage ring, and a black watch (due to having 'misplaced' my Michael Kors one, oops!).

I'm so in love with this outfit, it was perfect for dining out, and I felt so sassy! To top it off, I finished the look with bold brows, a dark purple/red lip and a smile. 

What do you think to this outfit? How would you style the dress?

Autumn-Blaze

xxx

Creme Egg Brownies | Baking

On Bank Holiday Monday, Kyle and I decided to take a trip to the local town and head to co-operative in order for me to purchase some belated Easter eggs for my Mum and sister. Due to it being the day after Easter Sunday, everything was super cheap, including a box of 5 Creme Eggs for only a £1! I decided to purchase two of these boxes as I have been intending to make Creme Egg Brownies for quite a while.
As today was my only day off work, that is exactly what I got up to!

The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

• 185g Dark Chocolate (I used milk chocolate)
• 185g Butter
• 85g Plain Flour
• 40g Cocoa Powder
• 3 Eggs
• 275g Caster Sugar
• 6 Cadbury Creme Eggs (I used 5)

Instructions:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees, or Gas Mark 4.
• Melt the butter and chocolate together in a bowl over a pan of hot water. This can also be done in the microwave, however.
• Once this has melted, leave to cool.
• Mix the 3 eggs and sugar together using a fork, although this is probably done best with an electric whisk. The mixture is to double in size, and thicken.
• Add the egg and sugar mix into the cooled chocolate and butter mixture. Ensure that the chocolate and butter mixture is lukewarm or cooler before doing so.
• Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, then going on to fold everything together using a spoon.
• Pour the mixture into a brownie tray and place into the oven for around 20 minutes.
• Whilst the brownie is baking, begin to cut your creme eggs in half. This is to be carefully done using a knife, however it does not matter if they split into more than two.
• Once 20 minutes has passed, take the brownie tray out from the oven. The brownie should look fairly soft in the middle, and cooked well around the edge. Place the creme eggs on the half cooked brownie, and proceed to gently press down. 
• Bake the brownie for a further 10-15 minutes until thoroughly cooked.
• Once removed from the oven, ensure to allow the brownie to cool before cutting.

Creme Egg Brownies are super easy to make, and they're also super tasty! I make them every Easter, and can't wait to take them into work tomorrow to share. The brownie tastes great either warmed up or cool with vanilla ice cream, or just on their own.

Have you ever made Creme Egg Brownies? 

If you enjoyed this post, let me know below and I'll hopefully create some more baking posts!

Autumn-Blaze 

xxx

My Go-To Book

As a keen reader, I've found myself scouring book shops during a majority of my shopping trips. Over the years, I have purchased a libraries worth of books, and the collection is consistently being added to. However there is one book placed on my shelf which I always pick up without hesitation when wishing to re-read something once again. I have read this book several times, and I have finished it within days each time, which is rare for me as I often get bored of some books or can not seem to grasp the plot or understanding of the characters, therefore I have to re-read chapters. Each time I have read this book, I have discovered a new love for it, analysing and vividly imagining the scenery and my favourite characters, as if they are all surrounding me.

My Go-To Book is The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks.
I have been a lover of Sparks' work for as long as I remember, and The Last Song is by far my favourite. Like most of his books, this has been made into a film, starring Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth. It is a fabulous film, but of course, I prefer the book. Small detail is missed in the movie, and it is those which create the real imagery of the characters and their surroundings.

Although a typical story about a teenage summer romance, this novel has an unexpected twist to it, and there is various moments which make it unlike the others of this genre. I have always wished for there to be a sequence to this book, and I have found myself composing a story for their lives after the summer at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

If you enjoy Romance novels and are searching for an easy read to touch your heart, then I would definitely recommend this book. It is certainly my favourite book, and I look forward to picking it up off the shelf once again.

What's your go to book?
Any book recommendations?

Autumn-Blaze
xxx

Current Addictions

Addictions are always portrayed to be those such as drug and alcohol substances. During this post, I am sharing my current addictions which I use on a daily basis, however they are creating a positive impact on my mindset. I'm willing to change people's perceptions on addictions, and show that we can use things for a form of happiness rather than aim to damage ourselves.

1. Peanut Butter on Toast - It's unreal how much of this I'm eating lately, I seem to eat between 4-8 slices a day! I don't usually eat breakfast or lunch as I'm on my own during the day, but this easy snack is satisfying my hungry needs. I've put a bit of weight on, but for once I really don't care! I'm loving peanut butter too much to think twice about it.

2. My Journal

3. Pyjamas

4. Films

5. Green Tea