Happy Easter and Happy Birthday

Happy first birthday to Little Musings! So it was about this time last year that I started this blog and it’s been a wonderful little outlet for me (when I have the time to use said outlet) and it’s led me to look at some other really great blogging sites. I’m pretty sure one of the first posts I did was about my white chocolate Easter cake last year and so this post is going to seem like a little bit of a déjà vu, but with a little bit of a better twist. Yay to cake success!

I hope everyone has enjoyed their Easters, I certainly got far too many white chocolate orientated treats, as you can see! People know me far too well… (not that you see me complaining!) This long weekend business has completely fuzzled up my brain and I don’t know whether I’m coming or going, whether it’s Friday or Sunday! But it’s been fun! This year, I had another crack at the BBC Good Food’s white chocolate Easter cake but put my own twist on it. Since the white chocolate sponge was so hit and miss as to whether it went well or not (plus it was very heavy last year which resulted in a lot of sicky feeling), I decided to go for a plain sponge but mixed it up but stirring in crushed white chocolate. The sponge itself came out perfectly, in fact I think it’s my most lightest, fluffiest to date. And although there weren’t little bit of melted white chocolate as I had envisaged throughout, it had all sunk to the bottom in a nice, crunchy block. I covered with an amazing (seriously, like totally the best thing a white chocolate lover could ever discover) white chocolate buttercream which I found on this lovely site: http://www.4thsensecooking.com/2012/11/strawberry-cake-with-white-chocolate.html The consistency was perfect! Stiff peaks but also spreadable and then I topped with the classic Easter favourites, Mini Eggs. It was definitely one of my best ever cakes. Success!

White chocolate Easter cake- a success!

My second ‘baking’ attempts were cornflake cakes! Taking me back to my childhood, I cooked these treats up in no time. After putting more of the chocolate, butter, syrup mixture in that it originally said, I halved the mixture and stirred a melted mars bar through one which was one of my best brainwaves yet! I feel like I must have heard it somewhere before but it made them so gooey and chocolatey. A traditional favourite made all the more fattening… Sounds perfect to me!!

Somebody knows me too well...

My family deviated from the traditional Sunday Easter dinner this year, since the weekend before I had returned from university and we had the biggest roast dinner known to man… Seriously. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so much… Anyway, so because we decided we probably couldn’t manage another huge one, we opted for a tapas themed buffet! I was actually really good, with different breads and dipping oils, olives, loads of chorizo because that’s my fave, stuffed peppers, cheeses, the lot. And some mini sausage rolls for my fussy brother, many of which I may have scoffed for myself too. I’m sure there’s no need for me to tell you that my keeping-the-weight-off-diet isn’t exactly going to plan, but I just lurrve food. 

Spice Up Your Life

For my friend's 21st birthday this year, us girls finally agreed to go and see the much anticipated Spice Girls musical, Viva Forever! Being avid Spice Girls fans, we had high expectations and believe me, we weren't disappointed!

I'll be honest, it started off pretty slowly and the opening was a bit unconventional. Screens portrayed messages from people saying how much they wanted to be successful and famous. This set the tone for the whole play which followed a girl group competing in a singing competition. I won't give away the plot but it did lack originality and was pretty predictable. But it was the addition of some great characters which truly made this play. Suzi and Minty really stole the show with their interjections of humour, allowing a bit of comic relief from the more serious undertones of the story. And of course, it was this comedy genius which echoed the influence of the wonderful Jennifer Saunders which redeemed Viva Forever for me.

A special mention also goes out to the amazingly good looking Ben Cura who played the love interest. He was a part of an amazing performance of Viva Forever (the song) which basically made me melt. With the accent, the voice and his ability to play the guitar, I genuinely think he could be my dream man. Google him. You won't be disappointed.

The second half definitely picked up as the songs and the storyline livened up a bit. I mean, to be totally honest, I actually think anyone going to see this who is a fan of the Spice Girls will love it just because it gives you the chance to have a boogie to some old hits. But genuinely, the second half was so much fun. By the end, practically the whole theatre was on their feet having a booty shake to Spice Up Your Life. Us girls were on a high coming out of the theatre and sung the songs all of the way home. It was such a feel good musical and I would 100% go and see it again, as would my friends who went with me.

I have to say, the cast were absolutely fantastic. There were some great voices and the energy they maintained all of the way through was unbelievable. If you're a Spice Girls fan, seriously go and see this, it is so, so worth it. It reignited my adoration of my childhood idols and forced me to go and download all of their songs so I could continue singing and dancing at home. The Spice Girls will always Viva Forever in my heart! (Sorry, yes, I did have to go there!!)

My favourite girlies from my course take a trip to see Viva Forever! Happy Birthday Becky!