That Friday Feeling

Hello and Happy Friday! With the return of my favourite program; the Great British Bake Off, I thought I'd share one of my all time favourite things to do.

One of my favourite hobbies to do in my spare time is baking. I absolutely love it and when I can find the time to do it, I feel so much better! My mum loves baking and taught me how to do it when I was younger, but now its nice to bake for my friends and family. Only problem is, being at university means we have a small shared kitchen and there's no room or time to do it, plus baking ingredients are expensive to add to a weekly food shop. It's not practical, so when I come home from university, its the one thing I make time for.

I love the me time I get from it, as I go into my own world whilst baking sweet delicacies. I also love being creative and adventurous. One of my dreams when I'm old and retired is to own a bakery or maybe work there as a small voluntary job. My first paid job was actually working in a bakery, and although I didn't enjoy the 'make sure we make a profit' side, I did enjoy talking to people about our cakes and seeing their faces as they scan the vast array of cookies, pastries, cakes etc.

Another thing about baking is tasting it! Trying the finished project with a cup of tea is the best part. As a little weekend treat, I find time to have a cake and coffee with friends for a good catch up, and its the perfect thing to do on a winters day. Summer brings the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine with some cake and a summer refreshment. 

My advice for keen bakers out there is to avoid baking recipe books as much as possible. Yes they are pretty to look at but most of them don't work, or don't taste as well as they should do. I have a look online from time to time for ideas, but the best cakes come from recipes from my mum and grandma, as well as a little creativity of my own. That way you can bake it how you like, adding your own personal quantities of ingredients to tailor it to your own tastes. 

This week I fancied going back to basics and made some fruity flapjacks. A classic that will be enjoyed by all generations and in all seasons. I've uploaded some photos (not the best quality) for you to enjoy .x