Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giveaway. Show all posts

Monday, 9 July 2012

Book Give-away - "Cake Star" by Jade Lipton

Last year I thoroughly enjoyed watching the popular TV show "New Zealand's Hottest Home Baker". On the show, one of the judges was Australian Jade Lipton, known for creating "CakeStar", a highly successful boutique cake business in Brisbane. Jade's fabulous cakes are highly regarded, Mercedes Benz, Audi and Australian Fashion Week are among her high profile customers, so I'm excited that Jade's publicist has kindly given me a copy of her new book "Cake Star" for one of my lucky readers to receive.

Packed with more than 25 spectacular and show-stopping cakes, cupcakes and cookie designs, all easily achievable by the home baker.  Jade's descriptive instructions and step-by-step photographs teach readers how to create her stylish and skillfully decorated cakes that are sure to impress.

Sneak Peek...



Each of  Jade's beautifully photographed designs vary in skill level teaching you how to achieve the slick, professional, yet fun, look that is Jade's trademark.  "Cake Star", the book, also includes a technique section covering the basic skills and products needed for cake decorating, plus basic cake and cookie recipes. The book is gorgeous and retails for $35.00 through Penguin Books.


To qualify for this fabulous GIVE- AWAY please contribute to "ANY" of the following:
  • "Like" Lee Caroline - A World of Inspiration on Facebook and leave a comment under the cake image on FB. 
  • Become a follower of Lee Caroline - A World of Inspiration (blog), and leave a comment on this post telling me why you would love to receive Jade's book. (see my side bar to add yourself as a follower)
  • Introduce a friend to Lee Caroline - A World of Inspiration, leave a comment yourself mentioning your friend, and have that friend mention your name in a comment beneath and you will have a double chance at winning.

If your already a follower of Lee Caroline, either Google, Linky, twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, or a member of my community, you are still eligible to enter as long as you leave a comment either below this post or on my Facebook page .  I would love my old reader's as well as my new ones to have an opportunity to win ☺


The Giveaway starts July 9th and will finish on the 19th July 2012 and is open worldwide.

The winner following any of the required steps above will be selected by use of a random generator.  The winners name will be posted on Lee Caroline - A World of Inspiration on 20th July, 2012, If the giveaway is not claimed within 3 days another recipient will be selected. 






Labels: , , , , Posted by Lee Caroline - A World of Inspiration at 10:06 21 comments

Saturday, 9 June 2012

No Cook Passion fruit Cheese cakes and winner of Give-away BYO Coffee Cups

Firstly, thank you to all of you who participated in the chance to win some BYO coffee cups, the winner of my first give-away for a  Hookturn Industries BYO Coffee cups is:


Ceara Brigitte Prout 


who "Liked" Lee Caroline - A World of Inspiration on Facebook and left a comment on my Facebook Page.  The winner was selected by a random number generator from all the entries on this blog on the original "post" and on my blogs Facebook page.  Congratulations Ceara, I hope you enjoy the cups, I will be posting them as soon as you contact me with your address.


Years ago when I was going through a bit of a health kick I bought a recipe book called "Not a Load of Old Lentils" by Rose Elliot, the book is full of nutritious, healthy, great tasting recipes, and one such recipe is their simple "uncooked" Lemon cheesecake.

Believe me, this is the only cheesecake recipe you'll ever need, you can easily vary it, and by far it's the best cheesecake ever. None of that tinned sweetened condensed milk, or gelatin effect in this cheesecake, the basis is a  mixture of cottage cheese and thickened cream and it is absolutely delicious. You might think it sounds heavy but the cottage cheese mixed with the cream makes it rich but light and oh so moreish!

One of my variations on the recipe is to make individual frozen passion fruit cheesecakes, the recipe you can find below...

No Cooked Passion fruit or Lemon Cheese cakes

Ingredients:

  • 6oz (170 grams) digestive biscuits (cookies) (you can use graham crackers...see below but I have only made this with digestive biscuits) 
  • 4 tablespoons of passion fruit curd or lemon curd
  • 8oz  (227 grams) carton cottage cheese
  • 1/4 pint double cream (thick cream)

Alternative crust if you cannot get digestive biscuits (I have not used this base, however I think it's difficult to get digestive biscuits/cookies in the USA):
2 cups (200grams) of graham cracker crumbs 
1/4 cup (50 grams) white sugar (note you do not need sugar if using digestive biscuits).
1/2 cup (114 grams) unsalted butter, melted.

Method:

  1. Place your digestive biscuits/cookies  into a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin until crumbs.
  2. Place the finely crushed digestives into a bowl and add your "melted" butter and stir until mixed well.
  3. place some plastic wrap across a ramekin.
  4.  Press the plastic wrap down with your fingers lining the ramekin well.
  5. Place about 1.5 tbsp of the crushed mixture into the base of the ramekin.
  6. Press down with the back of a teaspoon, making sure to press into the corners of the plastic wrap and leave to cool down completely to set (best done in fridge).
  7. sieve the cottage cheese into a bowl, mix in 4 tbsp of Passion fruit curd/lemon curd (whichever you choose), then fold in the cream
  8. Fill your ramekins to just below the rim and press down with a spoon to level them.
  9. Place the ramekins into your freezer for around 30 mins until firmly set.
  10. Remove from freezer, warm some passion fruit or lemon curd glazing the top of the cheese cakes return to freezer for further 10 mins if serving or wrap plastic across top and leave in freezer till required.
  11. Before serving gently remove individual cheesecakes from the ramekins using the plastic wrap to lift them out. Place onto a plate around 20 minutes before serving to allow the cheesecake to soften slightly.  I placed a couple of  thin slices of  crystallised  ginger on top. 
Cooks Note:
You can make one large cheesecake if you wish by pressing the biscuit/cookie mixture into a fluted flan tin or ring or round, loose bottomed cake tin. Leave  to cool down and set (fridge is best for this), before continuing with the rest of the recipe.
I like to serve the cheesecakes chilled, don't allow them to warm up too much, keep them in the fridge until just before serving.




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Anthropologie (UK)
Labels: , , , Posted by Lee Caroline - A World of Inspiration at 19:17 12 comments

Tuesday, 8 May 2012

Mothers Day Inspiration - DIY or Buy!

Iv'e been trying to find some lovely Mothers Day inspiration both "DIY or buy" and here are my favourite  finds:

 Love this this cute cake bunting from Sweet Living Magazine. You'll find a link at the end of this post to print out the bunting. You can  then cut out the flags, fold and glue over a piece of string then affix to your cake with wooden skewers.  

 I'm excited to be giving away a gorgeous book from Penguin called "Cake Star" by Jade Lipton in a few weeks time. Jade was one of last years judges on "New Zealands Hottest Home Baker". Jade's book is full of wonderful  ideas and images for cake and cookie decorating.  You can have a sneek peek inside on my Facebook page. If your not the greatest cake decorator in the world, these little ideas I found below are easy for anyone to re-create. (Please note the images below are not from Jade's book  Cake Star).
Some little cake inspiration for Mothers Day...
Love this idea  above from "Best Cupcake Ideas" - You can buy a ready made flower or even place a real rosebud on top or if your artistic enough, make your own flower.

Source via 

Easy Peasy! Individual Berry Sponge Cakes. I love simple ideas and after seeing some little rasperry sponges, I came up with this 5 minute idea which I tried out on my mum today and she loved them as they are so light. 
Image : Lee Caroline - A World of Inspiration

5 Minute Berry Sponge Cakes
Ingredients:
  • 1 store bought sponge cake 
  • fresh raspberries/blackberries or blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons of blackberry or other fruit jam
  • Fresh whipping cream or butter cream (I prefer fresh cream as its light and not as sweet)
  • 1 deep round Cookie or circular metal cake cutter
  • Icing sugar/powdered sugar for dusting
Method:
  • Cut your sponge into 2.5" diameter circles with a deep cookie cutter in the shape of a circle
  • slice the sponges in half, they should be around 3/4" deep for each slice
  • whip your cream and layer on top of half your circles
  • Mix your jam with your fruit and scoop a reasonable amount out to cover the top of the lower sponge
  • Place your second peice of sponge on top of this 
  • Finish with a dusting of icing/powdered sugar
Credit source: Lee Caroline - A World of Inspiration

You could buy these Lavender sea salts from Terrain for $24 or be creative and DIY and tie on a pretty tag (recipe below)


Basic Bath Salt Recipe
Ingredients:
  • 2 cups Epsom salts
  • 2 cups Coarse sea salt or Dead Sea Salts
  • 5 drops of high grade lavender oil
  • Lavender food colouring or mix (5 drops of blue and 4 drops of red colouring together)

Method:
  • Combine Epsom salts and sea salt together in a glass or glazed porcelain bowl.
  • mix the food colourings together in a small bowl to desired colour (I prefer pastel shades)
  • Mix the colouring into the salts mixture stirring thoroughly
  • Spread the salts onto a lined tray or cookie sheet and dry in an oven on warm temperature, this is to prevent clumping.
  • When dry place in your mason jar and tie on a pretty tag
Make sure when mixing the salts that you wear gloves as the lavender oil is quite potent and you don't want to get the oils on your skin or in your eyes.
Love these mothers day cards from Rifle Paper Company, only $4.50 each...


Lovely botanical Journal - $15 also from Rifle Paper Paper Company


Earl Grey Apothecary candle from Terrain $20.00 (Terrain are offering free shipping on Mothers Day gifts)

Earl Grey Apothecary Candle

Lavender organic soy candle from Terrain $24.00

Gorgeous Peony Archival Print from Cush and Nooks - $16.00


Linen and moleskin Rose cushion also from Cush & Nooks


Sweet apron from Vintage Roses Love $38.95





Link for Bunting download...
Download the Mothers Day Bunting  from Sweet Living Magazine
Hope you've found plenty of  Mothers Day inspiration from my finds
Lee oxo
&
Poppy
 

Labels: , , , , , , , Posted by Lee Caroline - A World of Inspiration at 16:17 2 comments
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