Scrumptious Saturdays #6 - Vanilla Oreos

I found this recipe online a couple of weeks ago, and was dying to try it out. I love Oreos and vanilla flavored things, so these sounded perfect. I tried to make them and I really liked how they turned out.

Cookies: makes 24

10 tbsp butter, room temperature (I used 150g)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups of plain flour

Beat butter in large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and salt and continue beating for another 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add egg and beat until well blended. Reduce speed to low and beat in vanilla. And the flour and beat on low until combined. Gather dough into a ball and Seperate in half. Flatten into disks and wrap in glad wrap. Keep on fridge for a minimum of 4 hours.

Remove one disk from fridge and roll out on over a sprinkle of flour with a rolling pin. It is quite tough to roll but you will get there eventually. Use cookie cutters to cut out some round shapes, and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake at 170°C for 10 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned. 

Icing:

Icing sugar

Boiling water

1 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Sift icing sugar into a bowl. Push to one side and add the butter. Boil some water in a kettle and pour over the butter. Stir to melt the butter. Mix the water and butter with the icing sugar. If you need more water, add some more. Add in the vanilla and mix again until combined. Spread onto one cookie and top with another cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used up.

*The pictures are not mine because I forgot to take photos. They are from 'Cupcakes and Cashmere')

Have you ever made homemade Oreos?

Au Revoir xx

I Love Cupcakes!

Yesterday I joined my amazing friend Sheridan from Sheridankate (www.sheridankate.blogspot.com) to make cupcakes! I don't know a person who doesn't love cupcakes, they are the yummiest things on earth! So fluffy and sugary and mmmmm... After much debate we decided to make vanilla cupcakes with fondant icing, (featured on Sheridan's lovely blog), and orange cupcakes with buttercream icing, that I'm just about to write about here.

To start with we went and picked up some baking supplies from the supermarket. Then we made all of the cupcakes, vanilla and orange.

I'm focusing on the orange cupcakes, so I'll tell you about the recipe. It's called the Stephanie Alexander Afternoon Orange Tea Cake, (unfortunately I don't have the ability to make links, here on my iPad), and it is a really great recipe. It makes really fluffy, light, and delicious cakes or cupcakes with a really simple recipe. You can use a food processor or an electric mixer to make it. 

After we had made the cupcakes and left them to cool completely, we got started with icing. We got a little bit carried away at the supermarket and decided to buy the Betty Crocker vanilla buttercream, because we both love the taste of it and because buttercream is really annoying to make. We loaded up a piping bag with a star nossel, and set to work. We did swirls going from the inside out, and then sprinkled on some little pink and white sugar butterflies. 

They turned out amazingly pretty and yummy, but I think the star of these cupcake is the orange cupcake itself, not the icing. It is just so bouncy and fluffy and beautiful and yummy, and the buttercream is so soft and creamy and they complement each other perfectly. 

I had a great day over a Sheridan's and had so much fun making these cupcakes. I would definitely recommend making these cupcakes, they are so easy and taste amazing. Make sure to go and check out our vanilla fondant cupcakes over on Sheridan's blog! Here's a sneak peek:

What is your favourite type of cupcake?

Au Revoir xx

Currently I'm…

I thought I'd take a leaf out of many peoples books and do a 'currently I'm' type of thing. I just thought it would be nice to share some of the things I've been enjoying lately with you :).

Currently I'm: 

Reading: I'm reading Matched by Ally Condie which I have been looking forward to reading for a while, and of course I'm reading lots of blog posts.

Watching: I'm currently watching Pretty Little Liars, The Carrie Diaries, The Block (which just started again!) and I'm probably going to start Teen Wolf soon too.

Enjoying: I have been really enjoying several websites including Urban Outfitters, which I have yet to order anything off of, A Beautiful Mess which is a really cool blog, and the Topshop website which, unfortunately we do not have an actual shop of in Adelaide. I also really like the shop Valleygirl, as I have found quite a few bargains in there lately.

Wearing: I have currently been wearing a couple of tshirt dresses that is picked up from valleygirl, and have been loving my Cotton On denim shorts. I also really love messy buns at the moment!

Working on: I am working on a gift I'm making for my friend for being a great friend to me this last year, and I'm making some school book covers for the coming year.

Eating: Nothing out of the ordinary really, but I've been loving Swing ice creams! 

Doing: I've been enjoying the last few days of summer holidays by catching up with friends and going to the beach. It's nice doing that when it's starting to get very hot again.

What have you been getting up to currently?

Au Revoir xx

Divergent Series: Review

Lately, because it's been holidays, I have been reading quite a lot. My friend suggested I read this Divergent series, and I am so glad that I did. I enjoyed these books so much, it literally took me four days to read all of them. Note: I'll try to keep spoilers to a minimum!

Title: Divergent (1), Insurgent (2), Allegiant (3)

Author: Veronica Roth

Genre: Dystopia

Divergent

As the first book of the series, Veronica Roth created an excellent setting and history. It made me feel very connected to the world that the main character, Tris, was in. The storyline of this book is amazing and I felt that there was always something happening, so it wasn't boring at all. If you like books that are a little bit scary or creepy then I'm sure you will like this as there is quite a lot of guns and violence and what-not. The way that the book was written was extremely captivating and it was really good being able to see Tris grow and change and discover her own history. This book was my favourite of the whole series and I would give it a 10/10. There is actually nothing I would fault about this book!

Insurgent

In this book you are taken away from the scenery of the first book and get to explore the city more. It is much more about the city and other people rather than focusing on Tris. It starts and finishes in a very good place and starts to explore more about history of the city and some unknown secrets. I really liked this book as well, it wasn't quite as inventive as the first one but it is still an amazing book, so I will give it a 9/10. 

Allegiant

This book was very different from the first two as it takes place in a different setting and strays even further from the development of Tris as a character, as it is told from the view of Four as well. This book contains many shocking twists and turns, and I felt that some of them were very unnecessary. I think that Veronica Roth had a lot of choice and could take this book in many directions as the last of a trilogy, but unfortunately it fell short of what I was expecting. With so many fans of this series, she had a lot of pressure to produce a great 3rd book, but this one just wasn't as good as it could be. I'm giving this book a 7/10.

Overall, this was a fantastic series that a really enjoyed reading, even if the last book was a bit shocking and controversial. This is now one of my favourite series, and I'm sure I will read it again in the future!

Au Revoir xx

Scrumptious Saturdays #5 - Macaroons

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/14336/french+almond+macaroons 

Macaroons are always the sweet dessert I go for if we go out for dinner, or have morning tea at a cafe. They are so smooth and crunchy and delicious. In the last couple of years I have tried to make them on multiple occasions and they have always turned out not quite flat or smooth enough.

I'm not going to share a specific recipe because I haven't found one that really works yet, but I'm going to keep trying and I'll definitely share one when I find it! 

My favourite flavours of macaroon are salted caramel, strawberry, rasberry, and vanilla. What are a yours?

Au Revoir xx

DIY Body Scrub

Finding a good cheap body scrub is quite hard in my opinion. The majority of them are essentially sugar and way overpriced, so I've really got to love it for it to be worth the money. I think I would love soap and glory scrubs but unfortunately they aren't sold in Australia.

However, I'm always up for money saving tips and DIY's, and this body scrub definitely qualifies!

1 part olive oil (I used 1 cups)

2 parts raw sugar (I used 2 cups)

15+ drops of your favourite smelling essential oil

1. Add the olive oil and sugar into a bowl and stir.

2. Add in your essential oil, using more drops if you want a stronger smell.

3. Scoop your mixture into a jar/container/pot and you have a new scrub!

There are several benefits of using a body scrub including exfoliating away dead skin and cleaning yourself of dirt, but this scrub contains olive oil which is very nourishing to the skin. So buff your skin with this (almost) free scrub and have yourself a pair of silky smooth legs!

I do find that the oil leaves a residue on my skin after using the scrub so I find it helpful to use body wash afterwards. Don't worry if your scrub separates in its container, it's super easy to just mix it back together before scooping out some of your scrub to use. I wouldn't recommend using this on your face as it is too rough for a face scrub.

This is by far the best value for money you can get when investing in a scrub as it only costs what you can find in your house! It leaves my legs feeling moisturised and smooth, and I would really recommend using this DIY body scrub!

Au Revoir xx

Love Lush

For Christmas, I was lucky enough to receive a few bath goodies from Lush. I have been wanting to try out so many since I first discovered the shop a few months ago, and now I finally have!

The first one I tried was Secret Santa Bath Ballistic. The scent is slightly citric and floral, and I though it smelled great. When I put it in my bath it fizzed away into nothing and the bath water turned a bright orange. It left my skin feeling extra silky and nice-smelling, and it made me feel very pampered. 

The second one I used was the Mango Bath Melt. This smells not very Mango-y in my opinion, but still very nice. I urge you not to trust my smell-describing skills, but I would describe it as floral and fresh and fruity. Not that that was very descriptive at all. This was more luxurious than the first, turning my water a silky, smooth yellow. I would recommend using all of it. I only used half of each of these products, and for the bath bomb it was more than enough, unlike this one. Still, I came out of the bath feeling like a princess, and would definitely recommend this to anyone.

Overall, I enjoyed both of these products thoroughly. They smelled amazing, left my skin feeling soft and silky and moisturised, and I think they are definitely worth buying.

Do you have a favourite lush product?

Au Revoir xx

Boxing Day Sales: HAUL!

Don't you just love that time of year when every single shop has a sale? I do and I think I make the most of the sales this year, considering I had a limited spending amount.

I told myself I could only buy what I really love, and the first thing I loved was this cute little macaroon box! Most people probably think it's tacky and useless, but for me it will the perfect little box for keeping trinkets and jewellery in my bag. It was $7.95 from Forever New. 

After that I wandered into Peter Alexander and found this adorable wall hook in the sale section! I don't yet know what I'll use him for, but at only $9 reduced from $18, I couldn't resist! 

I'm a sucker for anything that's stationery, and this planner pad is so pretty! It was on sale from Kikki K for $5! This is so useful, I use it for to-do lists, and I will even use it for homework planning once the school year starts.

These earrings from Collette were a bargain at only $4! These are perfect for me as I don't like wearing heavy, dangly earrings, and the colours are so pretty! 

I also got a pair of comfy, stretchy pants from Cotton On which were $10 on sale! They will be great and light for summer and can be dressed up or down easily. I picked up some bathers from there too, which were only $20. 

Everything that I've bought in the last week I have really loved and can't wait to use! I thought I would share this little haul with you because I've never done anything like it and I'm trying to be adventurous. I hope everyone enjoyed this, I would love to know if you've bought anything in the sale too! Leave me a comment!

Au Revoir xx

Scrumptious Saturdays #4 - Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt Cookies

There is nothing more classic than a choc chip cookie, and while I was obsessing over a blog called A Beautiful Mess, this one really called out to me. I think it's because it has sea salt, and I am a huge fan of salt paired with chocolate. 

This is the recipe -

3 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 tsp bicarb soda

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups softened butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups dark choc chips

2 tbsp coarse grain sea salt

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to beat until combined. In another bowl whisk the flour bicarb soda, baking powder, and salt. (not the coarse sea salt, that's just for topping afterwards). Stir the flour mixture and the butter mixture together. Once just incorporated, add choc chips and and stir until just combined. Spoon onto a tray lined with baking paper and bake in the oven at 180°C for 16-18 minutes or until the edges are browned. 

I can't wait to try this new twist of a choc chip cookie, and I'm sure they will taste delicious! 

Do you have a favourite choc chip cookie recipe?

Au Revoir xx

New Year, New Start

What a couple of weeks it's been! I apologize for my recent absence due to holidaying without internet, but I promise a good deal more posts soon. 

To start with I'd like to wish everyone a late Merry Christmas and a (once again) late Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed yourselves during the festivities, I did too, but I'm sad to see it go. 

Enough of that, I now have some New Years resolutions to share with you! I think they really help me grow throughout a year and make it easy to look back and see how much I've changed. Every year I set myself a few goals but this year I've really gone all out.

• Make the healthier choice. 

That's going to be my motto of 2014, and I think (judging from the last few days) that it is both memorable and inspirational, so it is easy to remember and act upon. 

• Keep having green smoothies and doing yoga as often as possible.

• Stop cracking my knuckles.

I am a victim of this cringe-worthy habit and am vowing to stop it because no one likes it in any way.

• Use my diaries every day.

I got a diary from kikki k for my birthday and a sentence a day diary for Christmas and I would really like to make the most them and enjoy using throughout this whole year.

• Learn to ride a unicycle.

My very close friend and I are both going to learn to ride a unicycle, for no particular reason, just 'cos.

• Spend less time on the internet.

Being social is important!

• Rate myself as 'healthy' by March 22nd.

In my sentence a day journal, the question for March 22nd that you have to answer is: How healthy are you? I'm making it my goal to be able to answer it with 'healthy'.

• Bake, cook, and do craft more often.

I love all of these things but find myself skipping and overlooking them because I get caught up on the internet (um, youtube) and I want to make an effort to do it more.

• Keep my room tidy! 

This one used to be easy for me but recently I've been getting messier and messier, so I want to get back to my usual standard. Anyway, I'm happier when everything around me is tidy.

• Do more photography.

I want to learn to be good at photography and to enjoy taking photos, especially for my blog. (Starting from after this post).

I hope I can achieve these goals, what are your New Years Resolutions? Tell me in the comments :)

Au Revoir xx