Sheffield 'Star', My Bake is Chocolate Heaven...

Evening my beautiful foodies,

Just a little update about my progress and this week has been quite busy - no change there! I was in the Sheffield Star Style supplement on Wednesday (see pictures below), featuring my Nan's chocolate yogurt cake, which I must say is pretty scrumptious! If you do fancy giving it ago, check out the video I did online at my University kitchen, giving you tips and step by step support in the kitchen.  Chocolate Yogurt Cake, RVB Style.

The videoing was rather daunting and me and George, my partner, found it a rather tight turn around. However, I have decided to step up a YouTube channel and plan on filming over the summer, for your enjoyment - so watch this space!

 Also, I featured in the 'My Guilty Pleasure' section. Obviously, my beautiful Candy Apple Red KitchenAid is my guilty pleasure and my kitchen's pride and joy. You could say I am one step away from taking it to bed with me! I don't like it being out of sight...

Plans to feature in future articles are in the making, so I will try and let you know before hand, so you can keep an eye out. If you make the cake, feel free to send in pictures (jessicaaleisha@hotmail.co.uk) or comment with your ideas and tips. I would love to give you my recipes, but that would be like giving away my business, but this beautiful cake, replacing butter with oil, natural yogurt and golden syrup, really is a tasty teatime treat.

After a week of poor back pain, I am starting to feel a little more optimistic. The future is always bright, if you look towards the sun :) ...

Keep calm and keep up to date with the daily Red Velvet Baking adventure...

Twitter @redvelvetbaking
Instagram @redvelvetbaking
Pinterest @redvelvetbaking (be nice, I'm new!)
Facebook: Red Velvet Baking

Much love, remember I'm the optimistic elephant ;)

Jessica,

RVB

xox

Quarky Product Launch!

Evening foodies!

Sorry for the delay with this post, time just disintegrates, I swear! Better late than never though and this is sure worth reading.

Last Thursday I was invited to the launch of a fantastic, versatile product called Quark. You may have heard of Quark before, some of you may have even eaten it, but the quality and texture of The Lake District Cheese Co. Quark is in a whole new food heaven.

I was so excited for the launch, as I have used Quark in the past and it was my first official product press launch. I took a day off my ever busy schedule and went down to London, first thing, to be greeted with a sea of warm faces, a glass of cava and Quark baked breakfast muffins. Nothing quite tops that!

 Press pack goodies!

 The beautiful Baker Brothers did a fabulous demonstration, showcasing the fabulous product. With original flavour, lemon and a velvety vanilla, the possibilities are truly endless. 

Recipes including Quark flatbreads, carrot cake, cake frosting and salad dressings. I even got to try the cheesecake and some delicious soup. With only 19 calories, in comparison to philadelphia's 132, including being naturally fat free, Is this a miracle or what?

Over the coming weeks I will be experimenting with this fantastic new ingredient, available in most major retailers, trialling the product in healthier recipes and home cooking, although I could actually just eat it out the tub! Why not reduce the fat and calories, increase the protein and still enjoy great flavour? Win all round if you ask me!

Another few products I bought whilst in London, were the Clearspring Green Nori flakes. This fabulous sea vegetable is crammed full of health boosting vitamins and can be added to any dish, replacing the need for salt. Delicious and healthy.

Also, I bought some Agave syrup to trial on my cake products! Although I love my luxuries, having a sweet tooth and a desperation for a smaller waistline means drastic measures. I cannot and will not compromise flavour, but I will try and create perfection, with a little help from natural sources!

I'll be online shortly, having had a hectic week and with it being my birthday weekend, everything is all up in the air. Please get in touch if you have trialled any of these fabulous products, especially the delicious, creamy Quark and I shall be giving you some top tips and recipes, to really spice up your home kitchen cooking.

Keep calm and Quark up!

RVB xox

Back & Meaning Business...

Hello again my fellow foodies!

I guess you can say long time, no blogging and I am sorry for my lack of food support over the last few months. It really has been a hectic few months, with starting university and moving out etc - but it's a NEW YEAR, now, and a better time than any to get on with spreading my love and passion for all things foodie :).

I hope that you have spent a lot of time cooking up Christmas and New Year delights! Over the next week I will be posting some of my favourite little miseltoe muffins and deliciously dark chocolate roulades, for you guys to try at home and develop into family favourites over the course of this wonderful year ahead.

Christmas and New Year have been the most exuberant yet, this year - I think people are really going all the way with food, celebrations and SPENDING! I mean I can honestly say that my first Christmas as a student, has been by far the most expensive!! How ironic! But...I did get some beautiful gifts; including a blow torch (how unberlievably exciting...can you wait for creme brule?) and a new Whoopie Pie book. Do not fear, I shall be sharing my exciting new kitchen experiences with you guys too!

Also, this Christmas, I finally bought my Dad a mini blender thingy, for shreding stir fry vegetables and making pestos and soups. It is amazing, however, within a few days of having it my Dad has already managed to slice his hand up!! Be careful in the kitchen kids! Even spoons, these days, seem to cause some form of damage, aha!

As for future blogging plans...I think it's fair to say you'll be hearing a lot more from me :). I can't wait to get baking and experimenting and would love to hear your feed back or recipe responses - so get messaging! Any ideas or requests are also welcome. In the next few months I am subjecting myself to a little further food educating, hoping to master the art of chocolatiering and branch out in to the wonderful world of artisan breads. I have read many articles on baking schools but if you're familiar with any super schools - get messaging too.

As for now i'd like to hope you've all made some epically original and spicy New Year foodie resolutions and would love to wish you the best with baking this 2012.

Keep calm and eat a cupcake kids and lets get baking,

with love,

Red Velvet <3