Things are plodding along quite nicely round here. Though I’d hate to look back at my life and think of it as a “plod”. Rather that though than a sprint I suppose!
I guess you could call this an ‘odds and ends’ post of stuff that’s been happening lately:
- Ben making carrot cake
This is big, big news people. For so long Ben has been promising to bake for me. But these promises have never materialised to actual calorific-dense baked goods (despite me buying him ingredients and everything). I’m the one who cooks, he’s the one that apparently bakes.
Last week he had the week off as he was starting a new job so he had no excuse. Being a typical man, he left it to mid-afternoon Friday to begin his task. I got regular text updates as to the progress of the cake…
Apart from a minor zest grating related injury (and a lovely photo of it sent my way – in case I wasn’t fully aware of the sheer hard work he was putting in), it all seemed to be going swimmingly.
That is until I got a bit of an urgent phone call: “Anna, I forgot to add the carrot in before I put it in the oven. What do I do??”.
He even sent me a selfie to adequately express how he felt.
Luckily he was able to get the cakes (there were two) out of the oven asap and stir in the hastily grated carrot (no further grating related injuries here thank goodness). Whew. Rectified. But amusing nonetheless 😉
Ta da! How good do they look? As the loaf tin was a little small for the batter, he made a mini round cake as well…with a better cake to icing ratio if you ask me 😉 It tasted divine and it was all I could do to not consume the entire two cakes in one sitting. And yes, there was carrot in it 😉
- New mattress
Ben’s above selfie could also adequately describe the feelings we felt when our lovely new mattress was delivered the other day.
“Pants” would be one word to describe this situation. There are others I could use. Thankfully we can swap it (and pay the extra) for the correct mattress size. Not sure how we got this so wrong really…I don’t know how we both survive in this big wide world pretending to be adults.
- Trips to London
Getting up at stupid o’clock to get the train to London for a meeting is no fun. Especially when it means eating my porridge in the car while my dad drives us to the station.
Lots of things in my life change and new habits form, but eating porridge for breakfast will never change.
And I’m sorry all you lovely Londoners but I detest going there. It’s stressful, busy, crowded…and dirty. Yes I realise most cities (and places in general) are dirty. But I freak out.
Essential requirement for me!
And just randomly, a mini escalator. For all those lonely people who have no friends to stand with…
Room for one only
Or people who are so so busy they need to use the mini escalator to hurry up them quickly, by-passing the more normal sized busier escalator (I found this out as I was dallying around taking photos of said escalator while a man tried to hurry past…).
-
Birthday trip to Chichester
On Sunday Ben and me went out to Chichester to go shopping for a belated birthday trip. Rant alert: I got a little bit angry in one of my favourite shops (Oasis) when I realised they didn’t stock my size is anything I liked (bar one dress). It’s not an obscure size either – a normal size eight. The lady in the shop just shrugged and went “yeah I know” and after a long pause “look online”. Gargh!! I like trying stuff on and I’m there willing to buy stuff NOW. I understand that they can’t stock masses of every size but they had about three size 20s in everything. Your loss, Oasis, was FatFace and New Looks’ gain.
We stopped at one of my favourite restaurants for lunch as well: Trents.
We had a sharing platter (hummus, sundried tomato dip, beetroot dip, stuffed peppers) to start, followed by a Caesar salad for me (of course) and a club sandwich and curly fries for Ben, followed by crème Brule for Ben and chocolate brownie for me.
I had run 10 miles in the morning and I was FAMISHED. Sadly my salad didn’t quite cut it. I enjoyed it but it wasn’t one of the best I’ve tried (no croutons and no anchovies). Ben was struggling so I helped him out with eating some of his sandwich filling (bacon and chicken) and his fries. Win.
That pudding. Oh wow. It could have done with vanilla ice cream to balance it rather than hazelnut ice cream but it was pretty damn amazing. Afterwards I was like “pft, that was easy. Three courses done and dusted.” After leaving the restaurant for a shopping continuation the fullness hit me like a ton of bricks (literally in my stomach). I couldn’t bare to even look at people eating or drinking. I couldn’t eat anything else for the rest of the day and required an hour long nap when I got home. Whew. Pretty good day I’d say!
- Alfie
Kids (and adults) all over the globe are obsessed with Frozen.
Apparently so is our dog, Alfie. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is what he does all day when we’re at work. He just wants to build a snowman…
Do you prefer online shopping or going into the actual shop? I like to try things on because invariably things that I think will look nice look awful. And it’s the whole faff of sending stuff back that really annoys me with online shopping. But it annoys me when a shop is seriously under-stocked in my size for pretty much everything.
Ever ordered a large purchase that turns out to be very wrong?
What’s your worst baking disaster? I could write a book for mine so it was nice that Ben, ‘Mr Baking Pro’ got something wrong 😉
Bahaha! Baking a carrot cake and forgetting to add the carrot is so something I would do!!! The finished product looks lovely though. 🙂
The picture of your new mattress made me laugh so hard too! Whoops!
That sharing platter looks amazing. Dan never shares anything like that with me because he won’t touch any veg or salad items. 🙁 My friend from work used to always share dishes with me but she’s just had baby twins so eating out is off the cards at the moment. Perfect excuse to eat sharing platters on my own though right?…!
Mary recently posted…Food I’m loving and some unexpected gifts
Likewise, I said to Ben it was funny because it would definitely have been something I’d have done – so I was very surprised he made the error hehe.
The mattress was definitely a ‘face palm’ moment.
It works well for Ben and me with sharing platters as I had all the veg crudites and olives and he had all the pita bread. But we both love hummus…so it was a fight on that regard!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Things lately
Aw I’ve done that same thing with a mattress before! I thought there were only a few different sizes… but no. Thanks Ikea.
Regardless of issues like that, I still go for shopping online over the shops – mainly for time, but also because I’m less likely to pick up random stuff I don’t need. Slightly less anyway…
Cat recently posted…(WIAW) What I Ate Wednesday #42: I Love My Job
Yeah Ikea are a nightmare. Great furniture but sizes are so out of whack over here.
Yeah random purchases are always more likely to happen when you’re out and about…the temptation is too great and when you’re online there isn’t much really to catch your eye.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Things lately
I love this post! Your life updates are my favorite! 🙂 I’m glad you had such a fun birthday! The brownie looks delicious. Also I would love to see London someday, but if it’s anything like New York City then yes- it’s probably filthy!! DC isn’t too bad, but it’s not clean either.
Chelsea @ Chelsea Eats Treats recently posted…Thursdays are for Thinking Out Loud
I do like doing life update posts I must say 🙂 Glad you enjoy them.
Definitely worth visiting London at some point – it is a great city with lots to see, but I feel like I’ve had my fill of it!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Things lately
I have never actually made a carrot cake before. This post has reminded me that I really should. Maybe something for the weekend 🙂
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy recently posted…Healthy Chocolate Bars
Yes definitely make one! And please make a healthier one too so we don’t feel as bad eating it 😉
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Things lately
Mmmm that sharing platter sounds good- I would have something like that for myself (for main I mean) although Andy has become rather partial to hummus too, so I would have to battle for it!
I love online shopping- I tend to order from places where I know what size to order- I just find shops so busy. I know what you mean about London- I like going there for a tourist day out, but I could never live there or commute in- I have no idea how people stand the underground every day.
Maria @ runningcupcake recently posted…Rediscovering home-made ice lollies
Haha the battle for the hummus. Relationships have ended over less… 😉
Yeah the underground is the pits. I just get so stressed out 🙁 It’s so warm as well, and quite a nasty warm…like sweat and dirt warm.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Things lately
Ha this post made me chuckle- the carrot cake, the mattress and Alfie watching Frozen! I quite like shopping online but it is a nightmare to send stuff back.
Lauren (@PoweredbyPB) recently posted…Cashew Butter + Coconut Granola Bars
Online shopping is good but it’s just so annoying when you buy something it either doesn’t fit or looks horrendous. It just takes so much more time I find.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Things lately
Looks like your man did a great job with the carrot cake, yum!
Tamzin recently posted…Workout Wednesday: Walking
He’s a keeper for sure 😉
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Things lately
Awww Alfie is so sweet! Fab that Ben baked that cake too, we’ve all had problems like that with forgetting ingredients and then remembering at the last minute. They look fab!
I totally know what you mean about clothes sizes, I can often often find size 20+, which isn’t fun!
Claire @ Flake and Cake recently posted…Laughter is the best medicine
I know I can fully hold my hand up to being a rubbish baker so I’m not one to judge hehe.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Week #5 Marathon Training
Well done ben, I hate to see what I ended up with if James baked although you never know he might surprise me! Oh wow that mattress, nightmare! I like online and actually shopping with equal love, although I need to reign in my spending habits!
Online shopping is just so much easier to just click, click, click without realising you’re spending, spending, spending…dangerous!!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Week #5 Marathon Training
You must know that Ben (and you being the writer of this lovely blog) have sufficiently supplied my smiles and laughs for the day. Carrot cake minus the carrots… Oh that’s pure gold 🙂
I did something similar when making the birthday cake for my brother last weekend. It was a kit kat cake and I had just put down the oreo crumb bottom and first ice cream layer… Then I was like “something is wrong” but couldn’t put my finger on it.
OH YA. No kit kats. See, the kit kats are supposed to go on the sides and be all fancy. (Kind of like this one for visual purposes: http://familyspice.com/recipes/recipe/?recipe_id=91). Anywho, I had to take out the oreo layer and ice cream which had started melting at this point. What a mess, and I couldn’t even lick my fingers! Haha. It all turned out well though and no one knew the difference.
Um. Your oatmeal is making me feel nostalgic although it’s only been a month or two since I last blogged. I will be coming back as soon as school starts this fall and I have good internet. But I’m glad to see some things really do stay the same 🙂
Worst baking disaster… I had a cake literally melt and turn complete liquid in the oven. My dad asked “Why did you throw away the cake?” Me: It was inedible. Dad: You’re too picky. I’m sure it was fine. Me: No. You don’t understand.
Clothing in shop for sure vs. online.
Hope you had a good weekend. Good catching up with ya!
Great to hear from you again Madison 🙂 Hope you’re well! Oh wow that is a fairly epic cake creation!!! Not surprised you missed something with so much going on. Bet it was amazing in the end though.
Hehe aren’t dad’s great??
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Week #5 Marathon Training
That cake looks amazing!! What a great baker 😉 That picture of your pup is too cute! Ha, so one time, I booked the wrong flight — I booked it from our destination to home, instead of home to destination. Luckily I was able to call and get it changed!
Lora @ Crazy Running Girl recently posted…Skirt Sports 10 on 10
Oh god what a nightmare!! I hate booking any sort of flights for fear of that happening. I’m even rubbish with train tickets…not good.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Week #5 Marathon Training