Friday Food for a Fiver (or Less)

Food for a fiver this week, is a yummy post, mini Victoria Sandwich bites.

Kids love them, I love em, hubby loves em from 1-101 they are a sure fire winner.

Ingredients:

4oz self raising flour 45 (smart price 1.5kg)

4oz butter/margerine 44 (Asda best for baking 250g)

4oz sugar 87 (silverspoon 500g)

2eggs 91 (Asda smart price 6 eggs)

Icing sugar to taste 1.05 (silver spoon 1kg)

Jam any you like 38 (smart price jam)

paper cases 49 (Asda own)

Total 4.59 - prices as of Asda website 15th Jan

You can put all of the ingredients in a blender and mix but I always like to do it the long way round.

pre-heat oven to gas mark 5 180C

Soften butter, mix in with sugar with wooden spoon until blended, whisk eggs together and add to butter mix bit by bit.

Fold in sifted flour bit by bit with a metal spoon, gently to keep as much air in as possible.

divide between paper cases, and put in oven for 15-20min

to check if cooked top will spring back if pressed

leave to cool

for butter cream, soften the rest of the block of butter/marg and add sifted icing sugar to taste (it will probably be about 6oz of icing sugar) add more or less depending on how sweet you want it. add a TINY bit of water just to lighten the mixture.

cut the top half of the cooled cakes off spread jam on 1 half and a spoonful of butter cream, put the top back on the cake and sprinkle with icing sugar.

dont forget the prices are for whole packs of ingredients assuming that you have to buy everything from scratch, but most of these items are store-cupboard staples which will bring the costs down, or you will have enough ingredients to make a MOUNTAIN of cakes !!!

Many many calories, but ideal as a treat or for kids parties !!

So many thoughts, so little time

I have come to the conclusion that as soon as I had my kids I have become the queen of lists, I write a list of what I need to do then write another list of lists AAGGHH - lists of lists!! I have no time which is why I write lists at least it gives me a sense of some organisation - - One list that I do write and try to keep to is that of the new years resolution, although it is March, I dont think that you have to start in January as long as you take the time at some point throughout the year - (preferably before december and the next new year is due up) which is why at about the end of Feb/Beginning of March after all the festivities have calmed down (and we also have daughters birthday January sons at the end of February) I take a morning to sit down and take stock on what I want to achieve throughout the following few months, which is where I am today.

My mid-year resolutions

1. Start a blog - and to take at least 15 min per day to get to grips with blogging and to learn as many tips as I can to make this the best blog that I can for my own personal achievement

2. Start to scrapbook - I have so many photos all in wallets/folders fro our wedding, Children born, Holidays, relatives no longer with us, and what better way that to take the time to arrange them in such a creative way and what better way to reminisce as you are arranging the pages together with loved ones

3. Learn how to make cupcakes - I've got the baking of the muffins/cupcakes down - no problem but I love the way that they are decorated with the buttercream on top and to also learn how to decorate cakes I would love to have the discipline to sit down and to take the time to make icing/marzipan roses.

4. To chill out more and to not live by the lists as much as I been !!

5. and the old favourite ----- to declutter as we go along so that I dont need to have a full blown blitz every couple of months, logic says do it as you do along, practicality says - I'll do it tomorrow. not no more - down in black and white now (even though that goes against number 4 about the lists - o oh ! its started already !!!)