10 Facts you may not know About Red Heads

Now, being a 'Red Head' myself, I Love my hair color. (Oh, that is not me in the picture opposite! If you haven't guessed it Amy Adams the actress.)

Yet, as a child growing up with white hair, which I truly loved and didn't want it to EVER change color - but sadly it did!

I did grow up going through school with the usual name calling, from ginge, ginger, carrot top, Duracell... Etc. And as a child, it's hard to just blow those names which were meant as an insult, off our small and fragile shoulders. But now as an Adult - I love, did I say LOVE my hair color and not for a million dollars or pounds, would I ever dye my hair. My younger sister has red hair too, and we both have BLUE eyes. Check out what it says in fact #4!! Woo hoo :)

Anyway, for anyone out there who is struggling with their different shades of wonderful Reds, just remember - We can and are envied for our hair color :) So embrace it and don't shy away from it.

Read this article and see the 10 unbelievable facts you may not have known about us 'Red Heads'

I'm the one on the bottom left -  Gap between front teeth, white hair and tons of freckles!!

( My sister's may not forgive me for posting this pic - they are the ones on the right. The girl on the top left was a friend) Love you Judith an Alison :)

The lovely lady in the middle is my mam xx

Me aged 6

My Hair had already started to change color.

Here I am with my family, i'm the youngest :) See how much my hair color had changed. 

Aged 10 years old

Again, my fab sisters  -- I love you :) Check out our hairstyles !!! I must add also my mother made all of our dresses, including hers. She was a good seamstress. I am glad I have the same talent.

Ah, my Lovely Red Hair as it is now :)

Even though this picture was taken a few years back.

If you don't know me - I don't like having my pictures taken, ESP when those dang chocolate bars have shown their ugly calories on my tummy area!! LOL

And this little beauty is my granddaughter, Hannah.

She is adorable 

Her hair is an amazing color, don't you think!

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Just for Laughs

With Carys teething and needing every spare bit of my time, I haven't done much crafting or baking. So when I saw a video from the Tonight Show Jimmy Fallon, I thought I'd do a quick post.

For those who ever watched Fresh Prince of Bel -Air you may get a kick out of one of the dance moves :)

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Strawberry Victoria Sponge Heart Cake & Cupcakes

Happy Valentines Day 

So I posted a day ago how to make your own Cake Stands -- see that post HERE -- and I mentioned in that I was going to use one to display a cake that I was going to make for Valentines Day, well here they are displaying my yummy cakes and cupcakes.

I also wanted to make a traditional Victoria Sponge Cake, which I learned how to do in school during my cooking classes. I actually made an orange and lemon one for part of my final cooking exam (which, may I add passed with flying colors) It has been quite a long time since I made this sponge cake, but when I sat down to eat a slice.... Oh my!! Memories came flooding back of my childhood and being at my grandmothers for tea and out would come the homemade Victoria sponge cake, although it didn't have all that cream and chocolate and fresh strawberries, all over it like mine does, but in those days it was just sponge filled with a jam and dusted sugar, if you were richer - it was powered sugar. And my cookery teacher would be quite proud of me - I still remember how to make the cake & use wax paper to make piping bags!!

I will say, when you eat this cake, it is not like the cakes you get from Costco, or the store bought cakes, all full of puff and air and you look at ALL the ingredients listed!!! WOW -- this cake is simple and yes, you can read all the ingredients too. 

It's light and moist and can I say yummy!!

Yep, I can - it's YUMMY!!

So without further ado, here's what you need to make this Victoria Sponge Cake.

I have to apologize - its nor in cups - this is my recipe from school in Wales.

CAKE

• 10 Oz unsalted butter, softened
• 10 Oz caster sugar
• 5 medium eggs, beaten
• 12 Oz all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, sifted
  lis
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 to 3 Tbsp milk
• Creme Mousseline
• 3 medium eggs
• 4 Oz caster sugar
• 1 Oz flour
• 8 1/2 Oz milk
• 4 1/2 Oz unsalted butter
• 1 tsp kirsch or 1 tsp strawberry flavoring
• 2 drops vanilla extract

Line the tins you want to use with parchment paper.

Mix the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then one at a time add the eggs and whisk. Add vanilla essence last.

Add all your dry ingredients  and milk and fold the mixture using a wooden spoon.

Divide the mix between your tins and pop in the oven. Now for the cupcakes, they will only need about 15 mins - the smaller hearts took about 20 minutes and the larger heart took 45 mins.

To test press down lightly and if the cake bounces up they are done or push a toothpick down into the center and if it comes out clean it's done.

Now, while the cake is baking, time to make Creme Mousseline

Put eggs, milk, flour and sugar into a pan and heat, whisking as you go, until it thickens

Whisk, whisk, whisk.....whisk, then it starts to thicken yeah!! 

Add half of the butter and whisk, then let it cool.

Once cooled, add the strawberry flavor and the rest of the butter and whisk well till it's fluffy.

Now my camera, died, so I had to charge it and don't have a pic of the finished creme.

Leave to chill in the fridge, until our ready to use it. 

Now to make quick strawberry Jam.

1 punnet of strawberries

1 juice of a Lemon

2/3 Cup Sugar

Place in a pan and cook on a slow heat for about 25 minutes, once cooked empty into a dish and leave to completely cool in the fridge.

Now my smaller hearts are done and cupcakes. Turn out the cakes and peel off the parchment paper and toss away. Leave to cool.

Next was to melt chocolate and dip strawberries!!

And make some chocolate hearts. Pop them into the fridge to set.

Cream Cheese Marshmallow Frosting next.

1- 8 Oz packet of Cream Cheese

1 cup of whipped Heavy Cream

3 1/2 Oz of Marshmallow Fluff

Whip up the cream.

Whisk the cream cheese

Next, add the cream cheese and whipped cream and whisk well. 

Next, add the marshmallow and whisk well.

Nice and creamy. Leave in fridge till you need it.

TIME TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKES!

So for the smaller heart, I sliced a little of one of its top as I wanted it to lay flat.

Then on the top half I cut out a heart shape - keep the cut out heart for later.

I did the same for the cupcakes

I filled some of the cupcakes with the Creme Mousseline, popping a heart inside.

So with both of the heart cakes, Take the strawberry jam you made and spread over the bottom layer of the cake. Oh sorry I forgot to mention, I sliced the larger heart cake in half.

The smaller heart cake I dolloped the Cream cheese frosting over the strawberries.

For the Larger heart cake, I dolloped the Creme Mousseline over the strawberries.

For the smaller heart - remember the heart, I cut off the top - I filled it with the creme mousseline, then piped over it with the Cream Cheese frosting. 

For the larger heart, I just piped the Cream Cheese Frosting over it.

Then, using the chocolate decorations and chocolate strawberries, I decorated the cakes.

Strawberry Victoria Sponge Heart Cake & Cupcakes

Oh Yummy

SCRUMPDILLYUMPTOIUS!!!!

The smaller Heart Cake we gave to our Neighbors and wished them 

A

Happy

Valentines

Day

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