How to make; GINGERBREAD MEN.

As I said in my last post, this was never intended to be a recipe blog.  I just love Christmas food so much that I can't resist cooking it, then telling the world about it.  Tonight, I made gingerbread men.  They made my house smell amazing as they baked, and they were really easy, so here's how;

Ingredients:

(once again, I really like to work in American measurements! So much easier.)

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of margarine

1/2 cup of golden syrup

1 egg yolk

2 cups of plain flour

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ginger

a little water

For frosting:

icing sugar

water

Method:

1. Blend sugar and margarine until smooth.

2. Stir in golden syrup and egg yolk.

3. Sift in flour, and then add the rest of the dry ingredients.

4. Mix until all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated, and the mixture is smooth. (I added a little water here to help the mixture to stick together.)

5. Refrigerate for half an hour.  While you are doing this, preheat your oven to 180°C

6. When you have removed your dough from the fridge, sprinkle flour on a clean, dry surface.

7. Roll your dough out to 1/4 of an inch thickness roughly, and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters or a sharp knife.

8. Place onto un-greased baking trays and cook for 8-10 minutes.  When the cookies are done, they will be firm but still soft to bite.

Decorating:

Mix icing sugar and water together to create plain white icing.  Dip the hands, feet or heads of your gingerbread men into the mixture.  Alternatively, you can decorate with tubes of coloured icing, or Smarties.

In the making..

Baking!

Just out of the oven.

Unfortunately some of them broke, so be careful when you're taking them off the tray.

The finished product!

These taste really good with the hot chocolate from my last post! Enjoy.

How to; make CINNAMON FRENCH TOAST.

Usually, I wouldn't post a recipe.  I am a sufficient cook, but I'm certainly no Betty Crocker. French toast, however, is a breakfast which I just cannot resist.  My grandmother taught me how to make it (quintessential, I know) and I can't get enough.  It's also really easy and requires minimal ingredients/skill, so it's perfect for making in college.

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices of white bread

2-3 eggs (depending on the size)

a little milk

a few spoonfuls of powdered sugar

a few sprinkles of cinnamon

butter

STEPS:

Step 1: scramble the eggs and add a little milk, just as if you were making scrambled eggs.

Step 2: pour the egg mixture out on to a plate.

Step 3: soak the slices of bread in the mixture, coating both sides thoroughly.

Step 4: heat up a frying pan, and melt the butter on it when it is hot enough.

Step 5: fry the egg covered bread in the butter on both sides until browned.

Step 6: when the toast is on the plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon (doesn't matter how much, just season to taste.)

This tastes so good with some crispy fried bacon, and maple syrup. :D

WINTER 2010- Warm It Up.

I think it is both safe and justified to say that winter 2010/2011 has established itself as a chilly one.  I'm finding it increasingly harder to drag myself out from under my three-blanket fortress every morning, and to let go of my hot water bottle; especially when I have a lecture at an unearthly hour such as 9am. This said, I've always preferred winter to summer. I prefer the crisp, cold days, the food, the holiday atmosphere, and of course the clothing that accompanies it.

Some of the clothes that are in fashion at the moment, are simply impractical for the harsh winter we're facing. You may presume that just because you are wearing long sleeves and a coat that you will be warm. Think again. To me, warmth is all about how many layers I'm wearing. At the same time, I don't exactly want to look like the Michelin Man whilst I battle through snow fall and icy paths, and I'm certainly not au fait with notions like woolen underwear or thermal vests. Nevertheless, the cold can most certainly be conquered.
Here are just a few things I've spotted recently and have my eye on- who loves me?;

t.b.a Velvet Antique Collar Dress

Urban Outfitters- €196.

Pique Full Woven Skirt

American Apparel- €42.

Pendleton Black Ear Snug

Urban Outfitters- €33.

THE ULTIMATE PLAYLIST; September - November 2010.

Two posts in a day, you say;  has she ditched her 'lazy' vibe?  Has she embraced that 'go-get-it' attitude she always knew she was capable of?  No.  Quite frankly, sitting home all day and attempting to read sociology journals has begun to lose it's sheen, and so I decided to search for something else to write about.

A playlist is something I still haven't done on this here blog, and something it's that I always intend to do.  Music is one of my main interests, and so it would be way to hard to compact all my favourite songs/artists into one primitive list, in one restricting blog post.  For this reason, I have decided to make a list of all the songs which I've had pretty much on repeat since I arrived at college in September.  I will also attempt to limit myself to 30 tracks (I tried 20.. I tried 25..)  They're not all new songs, but they are all great.


LAURA'S ULTIMATE PLAYLIST; September - November 2010 (in no particular order).

1.  Life Is a Pigsty- Morrissey.
2. Change of Heart- El Perro Del Mar.
3. Roslyn- Bon Iver & St. Vincent.
4. Gila- Beach House.
5. Life on Mars- David Bowie.
6. Heartbreaker- Girls.
7. Love You Better- Maccabees.
8. Sunday- Hurts.
9. Cheerleader- Grizzly Bear.
10. Piccadilly Palare- Morrissey.
11. Will It Be This Way Forever_- The Courteeners.
12. The Wrote and the Writ- Johnny Flynn.
13. Watching the Detectives- Elvis Costello.
14. Librarian- My Morning Jacket.
15. Only One- The Cure.
16. Suffocation- Crystal Castles.
17. Wanted- The Cranberries.
18. Nothing Rhymed- Gilbert O' Sullivan.
19. Billie Holiday- Warpaint.
20. This Night Has Opened My Eyes- The Smiths.
21. King's Crossing- Elliott Smith.
22. The Bears Are Coming- Late of the Pier.
23. Veiled In Grey- Mystery Jets.
24. Phantom Limb- The Shins.
25. Graveyard Girl- M83.
26. Under Control- The Strokes.
27. Boyfriend- Best Coast.
28. It's My Life- Talk Talk.
29. Under My Thumb- The Rolling Stones.
30. Underwear- Pulp.