Thursday Thoughts #34

Happy Thursday!

Some crafty motivation for you this week. Anyone else get super excited when they complete a project or make a great achievement...

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...I do! And reading this makes me want to begin another project so I can feel that sense of achievement again!

♥  

ZoFlo

Sunday Baking // Chocolate Mallow in the Middle Cakes

I saw these on Pinterest (which led me to TheShabbyCreekCottage Blog) & thought it was the best idea & sounded soooo yummy! Me & Nick were hosting a Birthday BBQ for some friends so I thought these would be perfect birthday cakes for everyone to eat post BBQ! I'll admit, I was feeling a little lazy so I picked up Betty Crockers Devils Food Cake Mix instead of making my own (sorry) but you could make your own chocolate cake mix from scratch. So here is my lazy version of Chocolate Mallow in the Middle Cakes... 

You will need:

• Betty Crockers Devils Food Cake Mix
• 3 Eggs
• Vegetable Oil
• Marshmallows x 2 Packets
•  Betty Crockers Chocolate Fudge Icing
• Wafer Butterflies to Decorate (optional)

1.  Heat the oven to 180°C & line a cake tin with 24 cases.
2. Following the steps on the Devils Food Cake Mix packet, mix all your ingredients together in a mixing bowl (or you could obviously make your own cake mix)
3. Spoon the mix into 24 cupcake cases, filling each case half full with mixture.
4. Gently push a marshmallow into the centre of each one & pop them in the oven for 15-20 minutes
5. When they come out of the oven, they will look like a fat mess. But don't panic - it's okay (according to TheShabbyCreekCottage) ! Pop another marshmallow on top of the original one & put the cupcakes back into the oven for a further 2 minutes.
6. Leave them until they have completely cooled - I think I left mine for about an hour - before adding Chocolate Fudge Icing to the top (or, again, you could make your own icing). Decorate with Wafer Butterflies - or any other edible cake decoration of your choice!

 And you're done! They are so simple & yummy. What do you think? They would be perfect to make with the kids on a rainy day during the summer holidays...!

 I absolutely love them & would also recommend the Betty Crocker Cake Mix if you are feeling lazy. I have never used a cake mix before so wasn't sure what to expect but in all honesty, it's so dreamy. And the Chocolate Fudge Icing is amazing too! The Marshmallows are a great little surprised too for those who aren't expecting it!

Let me know if you have a go at making these - I would love to see how they turn out for you!

♥  

ZoFlo

101 Things in 1001 Days #59

Go Without Chocolate for 2 Weeks

 I am not overly sure what I was thinking when I was putting together my 101 Things list, but this one is a cruel one! I am a great lover of chocolate, as is Nick. Although I don't eat it everyday, we usually have some form of chocolate in the house so that if we want it we can have it (not that it stays in the house for long when Nick sniffs it out). Anyhow, after eating all sorts of rubbish at Glastonbury, I am currently working on eating healthier & exercising more, so now would be as good a time as any to cut chocolate from my diet too! So here is my journey of not having chocolate for 2 weeks...

Day One:

Day 1 of no chocolate - I met my Mum for Lunch & almost ordered a luxury hot chocolate in M&S. Ooops!

Day Four:
We had dinner at my Parents house this evening, as my Aunty & Uncle are visiting from America. They handed out After Eight Mints & I almost had one but Nick reminded me (rather smuggly might I add) that I couldn't have one. Damn it!!

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Day Six:
Treated myself to a Blueberry Muffin - I forgot these existed. They are so yummy & such a great alternative to standard chocolate. Definitely my new favourite!

Day Seven:
Just finished my lunch & I am dying for a yummy, sweet, chocolatey treat to help get me through the afternoon. It is actually really difficult to find a sweet snack in the shops that doesn't contain some form of chocoalte. 1 week left.

Day Ten:
I got Nick some chocolate for our Anniversary - he is now sat eating it & keeps offering me pieces. I can smell it. It smells amazing.


Day Twelve:
I'm baking cupcake for my friends birthdays - they are chocolate cupcakes & include a nice big tub of Betty Crockers Chocolate Fudge Icing. This is the worst kind of torture.

Day Forteen:
Final day of this nasty challenge! I am praying that I haven't developed some sort of chocolate intolerance because of this!


And we're done - Go without Chocolate for 2 weeks. Tick. Although I didn't miss chocolate as much as I thought I would, it was still quite hard. Especially during the afternoons at work. I can confirm that I probably won't be doing this again but I think I will definitely eat less chocolate from now on...

♥  

ZoFlo

Thursday Thoughts #33

Happy Thursday!

Another week that is flying by so quickly!

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I love this weeks Thursday Thoughts. It is completely true that those who are happiest make the best of every situation in life. No one has a perfect life. Perfect doesn't really exist. But you can make a happy life by staying positive.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

♥  

ZoFlo

101 Things in 1001 Days #93

Go to a Flea Market

 I have never been to a Flea Market before, but it is something I have always wanted to go to. Luckily I have the Shepton Mallett Flea & Collectors Market about 15 minutes from me, so no excuses to not cross this one off my list. So off I trundle last Sunday with my Gran, who was more than happy to come along with me (although I'm sure it had something to do with the cheap upholstery fabric)!

 

 

I had no idea what to expect really or even how much money to take. But I knew what I was going for - a chair & some fabric - & made sure I only took cash for the amount I was happy to spend. I saw a few nice chairs, but most of them had already been painted & upholstered. I wanted something that was going to be more of a project so picked up this little beauty. It needs to be sanded, varnished & the padded seat needs covering but it's perfect. Just what I was hoping to find & at £25, I really did pick up a bargain!

There was so much other stuff to see & although we weren't there for the Jewellery, Paintings, China or Retro Phones(!) we still had a browse before moving on to the fabric. I knew it was going to be cheap fabric as a friend had mentioned how cheap it was when she went but I didn't expect it to be £1.50 a meter! At first, I thought "you can see why some of the rolls are £1.50 a meter" but then the most beautiful fabric caught my eye. There were three different varieties, all the same pattern but slightly different colours. One blue, one green & one blue & gold. I opted for the blue & gold as I thought it would match my chair perfectly. I would say I only needed around 1/2 a meter for my chair, but at £1.50 a meter it would be rude not to get more...so I got an extra 2.5 meters to keep safe in my fabric stash! You know, just in case.
 

It was such a successful morning & I am so excited for the next one. There was so much more I could of purchased, but I didn't want to go too crazy. I am hoping to make some new cushion covers soon so this would be the most ideal place to pick up some fabric for these. I will definitely update you on my next trip. Have you ever been to a Flea Market before? Did you pick up any bargains?

♥  

ZoFlo

101 Things in 1001 Days #47

Sell Something I Have Made Myself

 If you keep up with my blog posts, you will know from one of my previous posts that I have recently set up my own Etsy Shop. I wasn't sure how it would go, or whether I would even sell anything but it is something I always wanted to try, so decided to take the plunge. Two weeks ago, I actually sold an item. Little old me. I was so pleased it even made it into my 100 Happy Days! And it is another thing crossed off of my 101 Things...

I am so pleased & am hoping that this will lead to more sells in the future (fingers & toes crossed) as it is very exciting sending out handmade items that people like enough to actually buy. It is definitely a proud moment & even if this is the only sell I make, I am still really pleased.

Have you ever sold your own handmade items?

♥  

ZoFlo

Thursday Thoughts #32

Happy Thursday!

This week is flying by, which is great for me as it means I am getting closer to starting my new job.

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It sounds crazy but this was written on the wall when I worked at Disney & it has always stuck with me. There has to be some element of fun in my work. Whether it's in my job, blogging or my crafting hobby. If you're the same as me, then just remember these wise words from Mary Poppins & create a bit of fun in your day!

♥  

ZoFlo