January core workout

January has arrived which will mean leisure centres all over the world are packed with clients trying to shift a few pounds or sculpt their beach bodies for that summer holiday that's already close enough to grab. Tell me this! if you washed your car daily but never checked under the hood how long do you think it would run for without breaking down? A year or more at most? There's no guarantee really.

With this in mind I encourage you to pause for a moment! when was the last time you weren't thinking about something? Can you remember the last time you felt your heart beat or heard your own breathing. The first time I heard my own breathing I jumped a mile with the fright! How crazy is that? As humans we think more or less constantly and only because of habit. Thinking is an addiction just like drugs or alcohol and what's worse is that we believe these thoughts are who we are. This couldn't be further from the truth. These thoughts are preconditioned into us by circumstances and people involved in our lives as we grew up and also by a thing called the ego.  I had often heard the phrase 'She has some ego that one' but the penny never really dropped as to what it meant. The ego is what causes us to identify ourselves by the job we have, the car we drive, the clothes we wear as well as being very protective by nature and defensive. We are all familiar with Bridget Jones and her introductions with details. Our society is the very same because of ego. This is Caitriona from .... she likes to.... . This is why when we lose a job, our posessions or circumstances change etc we feel we are nothing anymore we have no purpose here. The ego says we are not good enough, or we will never succeed. This couldn't be further from the truth! I believe losing the things you identified yourself with previously is the beginning of an amazing journey. A journey into who we really are. Anthony Moran in one of his recent talks asked the question 'Who are we and why are we here?'. This question haunted me but i now see it was a turning point in my life. It made me look inside somewhere we avoid at all costs.

Try standing or sitting and glancing around without labelling or focusing on any one thing.. just be. This is one way to get a break from the constant noise in our heads. Or try walking in the countryside but be 100% aware of everything around you. The smell, the breeze, the wildlife. This awareness recharges the soul or services the car. Meditation is another wonderful getaway. Once you've discovered this true happiness there is no going back. The thinking and the ego quieten and for the first time we see life as what it really is! An amazing adventure full of smiles xx 

Life's waves

       Life's Waves  

     Swept out to sea 

       by thoughts and fears,

    lost and alone

    swimming in tears

      The scent of wild roses

       the sound of wind in the grass,

     becomes a faint memory 

   of the distant past

Waves come crashing in
sending shivers to the core,
the person I once used to be
I no longer recognize anymore

Exhausted and struggling
i'm pulled underneath,
then thrust in the air
waves under my feet

Catching the waves
all becomes clear,
sometimes you have to fall
to discover why were here

Trying to control life's waves
will end in disaster,
learn to surf them instead
and become their master

Nature's Presence

                                                  Nature's Presence

                                                In a world of chaos,
                                                She stands so still,
                                               Leading by example
                                               for those who will!

                                             Teaching us presence
                                                 along her shores,
                                          Lose focus for a second
                                          and end up on all fours.

                                          Surrounded by reflection
                                               of what lies within,
                                             Pause for a moment
                                  for its like nowhere you've been!

                                            A pathway of rainbows
                                              gradually disappear,
                                       While the dance of the rain
                                                  removes all fear.

                                                  Guided by light
                                      I see waves of clouds above,
                                             I feel a passion inside
                                          only a surfer would love.

                                      Who knew the ego was not me?
                                             Living from the heart
                                                 I feel totally free!

                                                  One final word
                                         and I'll leave you with this,
                                                Say yes to nature
                                            and live a life of bliss.

Coconut bundt

Coconut Milk Cake by Marian Keyes 

Ingredients
170g butter
300g caster sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
250g self raising flour
Pinch of salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
50g dissecated coconut
200ml coconut milk

Syrup
200ml coconut milk
40g light brown soft sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees and spray a bundt tin with easy release spray.

2. Beat the eggs & the sugar until plain and fluffy. Add eggs Individually mixing well. Add vanilla extract. In another bowl mix the sieved flour, salt, baking powder and coconut.

3. Pour 1/3 of the coconut milk and the same of the flour mix into the butter and eggs and mix well. 

4. Add another third of each and then add the final amount.

5. Pour into the pan and bake for 1 hr. 

6. Cool on a wire rack then using a skewer prick the top all over. 

7. Make the syrup by gently heating the coconut milk and sugar together .Then pour half over the cake and few hours later pour the rest and allow to soak through.

Traditional Irish Apple Cake

Lately I find myself wondering about how our grandparents baked. What kind of stuff did they bake? How did they manage without a weighing scales? A fist of this and a fist of that is the answer I get when I ask. After being given a wonderful present of cooking apples I wanted to try something new.  So here it is.....

Ingredients
3 Cups Plain flour
2 Tsp Baking powder
1/8 Tsp of salt
4 oz Butter
3/4 Cup of sugar
4 Cooking apples
2 eggs
1/4 cup of milk
2 Tbsp of sugar to sprinkle.

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round cake tin.
2. Get an enormous bowl and sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix thoroughly.
3. Slice the butter fairly thick and rub the flour mix and butter together until you either drop or breadcrumbs appear.
4.Add the sugar and mix.
5. Slice the apples into quaters of course making sure they are peeled.
6. Beat the eggs and milk and add to the apples and flour. Mix.
7. Pour the mixture into the baking pan and flatten the top. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 50  minutes.

Not so Marvellous Creations

Until recently I hadn't even heard of these bars. So clearly for baking purposes I tried one and my goodness they are tasty. Inside the chocolate there is wait for it.... popping candy! Wow such a blast from the past along with jellies and smarties. I knew my plan of action with the popping candy and smarties but the jellies were a mystery. I figured they might disappear when baked. So I decided to put jellies in for the full cooking time in 6 cupcakes and try putting frozen jellies in the other six. Neither worked. Oops. However the popping candy and chocolate was delish.

Ingredients
4 1/2oz Plain flour
45g Cocoa
11/2 Tsp baking powder
81/2 oz caster sugar
150ml Milk
75ml Oil
150ml Boiling water
3 boxes of smarties ( some frozen)
30 jellies (some frozen)

Icing
2 sachets of popping candy
113g Butter softened
300g Icing sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla extract
2 Tbsp Milk
Pink colouring

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. In a bowl mix flour, cocoa,  baking powder and sugar.
3. Add milk, oil and egg and whisk till smooth.
4. Add boiling water and whisk.
5.Pour the batter into the cases. Put frozen smarties in all and I put frozen jellies in 6 and regular jellies in the rest. Then bake for 15 min.
6. Once baked allow to cool.
7. I chose pink frosting as there is pink on the wrapper of the bar. Although I wanted electric pink the lack of colouring in my press determined it would be baby pink :).
8. For the frosting whisk the butter for 3 minutes.  Add icing sugar and whisk for a further  few minutes.  Then add vanilla, colouring and milk.
9. Pipe onto the cupcakes, sprinkle popping candy ontop and decorate with smarties and jellies.

I intend to revisit this challenge with some advice a friend gave me so fingers crossed !!

Ferraro Rocher Cupcakes

Ferraro Rocher have always been popular in the Mac Mahon household. The hulk himself wouldn't hold mammy Chrissie back from a box. I wasn't quite brave enough to bake a Ferraro Rocher in the centre instead I infused it with Nutella. I may possibly have shares in Nutella by now! The most sickening thing about this challenge had to be the thoughts of spending a fortune on a box of chocolates when I only needed a few, then it struck me...... remember those wee packs of 3 chocolates hmmm I wonder if they are still about. After some manic searching involving 4 supermarket staff the final pack left in the store was found.

Ingredients
4 1/2 oz Plain flour
45g Cocoa
1 1/2 Tsp of baking powder
8 1/2oz Caster sugar
150ml Milk
75g Olive oil
1 egg
150ml Boiling water
Nutella
12 Ferraro Rocher
Icing
230g Unsalted butter
240g Icing sugar
222g Nutella
3-4 Tbsp heavy cream
2 Tsp Vanilla essence
Sprinkle of salt

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and eat a Ferraro Rocher :)
2. In a bowl mix flour,cocoa, baking powder, sugar and sweat and tears.
3. Add milk, oil and egg and beat till smooth.
4. Add boiling water and beat then pour into cases and bake for 15 minutes.
5. Remove and allow to cool. Eat another Ferraro Rocher and have a sip of wine to wash it down :)
Now using a knife carve a hole in the centre of the cake and fill with Nutella.
6.To make the icing. Whisk the butter for eternity or 3 minutes. Then add icing sugar and whisk. Then add Nutella, cream and essence. Keep whisking until satisfied.
7. Pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes.
8. Now for decor! Grab a sandwiche bag and pop a few chocolates in, then using a rolling pin crush the chocolates by banging them. Then remove from the bag and sprinkle ontop of the frosting.
9. Place a chocolate ontop of each cake. 

I hope you enjoy these as much as mammy Chrissie x