I've always been a bit put off by the whole puff pastry situation. Everyone says that you may as well just buy ready made pastry - even Mary Berry says so - and that it's nothing to be ashamed of. Making puff pastry from scratch is tricky and time-consuming, so it makes perfect sense just to roll out the ready made stuff. It's not that I'm snobbish about it, but …

My dad often sends me links and things that he discovers on his travels around the internet, and sometimes I think I need to share that with others - but never quite get round to writing a post about it. Instead, here's a compilation of five recent links and bits that I found quite interesting. A List of Books. I'm working through my own select list of reading material, but …

I was a little wary ahead of this year's Christmas Special. The festive episodes have not always been the best, and when they are charged with ingratiating a new character into our lives as well, the pressure is really on. Thankfully, all my fears were unfounded as what we had here was a fantastic episode in its own right, plus a continuing mystery regarding the new companion as well. The …

These are so good. So delicious. I really need to work on my dusting technique though. It's not very even, and far too much in some places.

The Thanksgiving Black Friday sale business doesn't really reach the UK, although the internet's ability to shrink the globe means we do get to see some deals. I spotted one such deal on the Amazon site, where they had reduced the Kindle Fire to just £99. Now, we don't really need another device in our lives, but I was interested to see what it was like, and we could always …

It turns out that Mr C is a bit of a fan of cherry cake, so I added it to my baking list and this week that was the recipe that popped up. It's a good ol' Delia Smith recipe, but I must admit to being a little concerned at the idea of putting a cake in an oven for an hour and a half. It's a reasonably low heat, …

Mr C reckons this trailer reminds him of Prometheus which is very worrying to me. I can see what he means, but also... it looks brilliant! And there appears to be distinctly less lens flare than the previous outing. Phew! Star Trek Into Darkness

I'm a bit late on writing this for November, we're almost halfway through December already, but there's plenty to catch up on before the festive season begins (and we have to endure Lynda's latest creative endeavour). Of course, the main story over the past few weeks has been Ed, Emma and their lack of funding. George dropped them in it a bit by demanding the more expensive cereal whilst shopping …

Naturally, as we are heading rapidly towards the festive season, where mince pies and yule logs and turkeys are the order of the day, I decided to bake some Hot Cross Buns. It had been in the back of my mind a while ago, and then when I made the chocolate chip cookies, I remembered I had dried mixed fruit that needed using up. So, I waited until the end …

Gangster Squad Where do I begin with this? Oh yes, Ryan Gosling. Mmm. And Emma Stone with her proper red hair. And the guy who was incredible and freaky in Men in Black 3. And Ryan Gosling! Oh, and the film looks okay too.

Spotted this on Kottke and had to share. As Kottke says: "When the hand reached in to turn the Rubik's Cube, my brain melted and spilled out of my ear and into a puddle on the floor."

I wrote some initial impressions about the Kindle Paperwhite when it first arrived, and looking back, I think I was very generous. It was a disappointment but I tried to temper the frustrations with the knowledge that there were benefits for me (3G and touchscreen), and it was supposedly a cutting edge product - they knew it wasn't perfect. Unfortunately, after a month using the device most lunchtimes, I have …

I wasn't actually planning on baking this week - lots to do and not too much time to spend in the kitchen. However, as I am officially addicted, I looked for a quick and simple recipe that I could do without too much thought. There was also a request from other members of the household for some brownies. Lo and behold. I love chocolate, I really do, but I wasn't …

Some may recall the phase I went through, designing lots of headers for this site. I gave it up because... well, I wasn't that good and I wasn't really getting much better, and I moved on to other exciting creative things. BUT, you know, sometimes, of a Saturday night, you get the creative urge to mess about with Pixelmator. I wasn't planning a new header, but I followed a random …

I stumbled across a post on Wired.co.uk a while back and I thought it was fascinating. Apparently, DC Comics are going to have Superman storm out of the Daily Planet, preferring to take his chances in the online journalism world with his own blog. I had never really thought about the fact that Superman/Clark Kent as a journalist in the Daily Planet was starting to be a bit old school. …

Before I started my weekly baking habit, I did try my hand at a few odds and ends, with a medium degree of success. A traditional Victoria Sponge was one of those that I attempted, and it didn't turn out too badly. I had some odd crinkly edges to contend with but it was okay. I thought, as I am now clearly a baker extraordinaire, that I would try again …

This week, we watched the new reboot of the Spider-Man series with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. It was really very good and when you compare it to the trilogy that came before, I can totally understand why they wanted to ditch that franchise and start all over again. The comic book movie genre doesn't seem to be losing any of the momentum it has gained, with the Avengers planning …

I've noticed a couple of trailers for potentially watchable romantic comedies recently. This is not my favourite genre, but when done well, it's a good way of winding down for a couple of hours. Admission Corny as anything, I know, but I like Tina Fey and I love Paul Rudd. Maybe they can sell it. This also looks pretty cliched. Playing for Keeps I bet he doesn't take the ESPN …

It's been a tricky couple of weeks, particularly this last weekend. I'm getting to the point where most of my running is going to be done on a weekend now, because of the lack of daylight hours. I had a four day weekend but spent most of it tucked up inside with an extraordinarily painful sore throat. No running for me. However, before that occurred, I had managed to complete …

My tea tasting adventure has taken me to lots of new brands that I hadn't been aware of previously, and the next to fall into my path was Tea India. They were marvellously kind to send me a package with some new flavours to try that should be in the shops in the UK soon, if they are not already. "The range includes a premium Black Tea and three authentic …

There have been quite a few bunker items in the news and wider media recently, none of which I have managed to write about. So here, instead, is a summary of five of the most recent. This was pointed out to me by Mr C who saw it on Twitter from someone else (crediting is hard when you have terrible memories like us), but as the end of the world …

It's been a while since I last went somewhere for the alphabet adventure, but I had this trip in my mind for a while - it was just a matter of getting the logistics together. My P plan was either going to be in Portsmouth or Plymouth. I had wanted to go to the Historic Dockyard, but the Mary Rose still isn't ready, and I want to go when it's …

Somehow, baking something no matter how big or small seems to have become a weekly habit and there's no escaping it. I keep thinking I'll take a weekend away from the kitchen, and then my ingredients cupboard calls out to me and there I am with the mixing bowls, creating something else! This week, I went back to the treacle tart that I made during the Bake Off fun and …

This week I spotted two trailers for films and both of them are about zombies, but they each take a completely different form. The first, World War Z, plunges Brad Pitt in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. The trailer looks okay but it doesn't really give a hint to any kind of actual story. World War Z There was also these tweets from Molly Wood: I haven't read the …

My love of all things bunker/fort/island led me to googling everything I could find about Spitbank Fort. Aside from the fact that it's not the greatest name ever, it's also a round concrete fort situated off the South Coast that's been turned into a hotel. It's amazing! Photo credit: Anthony Abbott As the website states: "Spitbank Fort is the most exclusive venue on the south coast, and is its own …

I've wanted to go to a ploughing match for ages - ever since I heard the antics from one on The Archers. I like country and farming stuff, but I couldn't quite imagine how a ploughing match would work. My parents have been keeping an eye on when and where ploughing matches have been taking place, and finally all the stars were aligned (read: I got myself organised) so that …

This week's bake was chocolate chip cookies that I have been dreaming of making for a long while, since the middle of the actual Bake Off marathon. I sourced a recipe and, once again, was happy that my ingredients cupboard featured everything I needed except chocolate chips. I decided to buy both chocolate chips and chocolate chunks and mix things up a bit. Oh my god, they were so good! …

There's a new trailer for the sequel to Despicable Me. If you did not enjoy the last one that included some incredible/awful singing, don't worry. This one only has a few seconds of much more tolerable minion singing. Despicable Me 2 I am very concerned about the final clip though - with the minion opening the door to what appears to be a friendly face, only to be attacked. No …

This month has been all about Ed and Emma and their lack of funds. They've both been trying to find extra work but it is not easy to find. Expensive things keep happening - broken cars, trips to London, vet bills - and there's only so many times Susan and Neil can reach into their pockets. What this is really building up to is yet another battle between Ed and …

I recently spruced up my Life List page, adding some handy links to the yearly reviews at the top, and then splitting the to-do items into tenuous categories - things to do, things to see, that kind of thing. It's surprising to me to realise that I'm heading rapidly towards the end of a third year of life-listing, but then again, I've tried all sorts of crazy things in that …

One of the appeals of writing books exclusively in a digital format is that if you need to update your book, it should be simple. Whether it be for a mistake, or additional information, or simply a bigger and better second edition, ebooks are perfect for updating. Rather than printing a huge batch of paperback or hard copy books then realising you've made an error, it should be easy to …

I love projects and creative thinking that solve problems - even if they are problems that I don't always relate to or understand. This is one of those: encouraging people to exercise when they are using the computer too much. Can there possibly be such a thing?? The video explains it all, with tons of information here. I like the concept, I think being instructed you should do something based …

The Great British Bake Off came to its conclusion a week or so ago (not that you'd know it as their are masterclasses and "revisited" episodes galore!) and I was sure that I was going to take a break from baking too. Except, then Mr C requested jam tarts and I had a look at a recipe and compared to some of the things I've been doing, it seemed the …

On the very day that my Trailer Tuesday post was due to go up last week, the new Iron Man 3 trailer was released. I meant to go back and update that post, but... I didn't. And then I thought, actually, this deserves a post of its own, even if it is a week late. Iron Man 3 Firstly, it looks incredible. That bit with the house falling down the …

Quite a while back now, Mr C and I ventured towards Manchester to see what all the fuss was about with these new television studios at Media City. The move away from London towards a new settlement a little further north is full of political interest, but that's not why we wanted to go. Just to see all that broadcasting power contained within some beautiful buildings is like heaven for …

How has it been four weeks since I last wrote an update? Very odd. I managed to complete October's 10k. If you'll remember, I was hoping to improve on this: Jun – 1:34:31 Jul – 1:36:03 Aug – 1:30:55 Sep – 1:34:31 And I managed this: So, not a personal best, but close enough. In other personal best news, my thirty minute runs have topped out at 3.63km, which I …

Almost as much as its adventures in space, the final mission of the Space Shuttle Endeavour - to get through the streets of Los Angeles to its final resting place - has captured the minds of a global audience. There's so much about this that still manages to boggle my mind, and now we have some brilliant time lapse videos to see the movement in action. This second video is …

When the new and exciting Kindle Paperwhite was announced, I was keen to try it out. There's not much wrong with my current Kindle, but there are a few niggles that the Paperwhite is meant to solve, and they would make me ebook reading experience even more brilliant than it already is. We ordered as soon as we could, and the Paperwhite arrived on the doorstep yesterday. With just 24 …

Sky have created an advert of sorts, highlighting that never-ending animation series The Simpsons. I haven't seen any episodes for the longest time, and quite a lot of people think it should have ended by now. Regardless, the title sequence is iconic, and here it is done with real life actors! The only bit that doesn't quite work for me is Marge's hair. I get that they're not going for …

For each and every episode of this year's Great British Bake Off competition, I attempted to bake my own version of something seen in the show - either a direct recipe from the show, or a recipe that was inspired by what I'd just watched. My previous baking experience includes a loaf of bread here and there, the occasional Victoria sponge, mince pies and simple bits, plus one iced cake …

It's been said over and over, but Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher is plain odd. I haven't read the books in a long while, so I'm not really able to pass judgement fully, but I know that deep down it doesn't seem right. There's a new trailer which puts a different spin on things, because it looks like a really good film! Jack Reacher If I suspend the disbelief of …

If you've got a smartphone that does all manner of exciting things, you'll know that sometimes you run out of battery before the day is out. When I switched to the iPhone, I was pleasantly surprised by the battery power in the device - it would get me comfortably through the day, and just need a charge up at night. If I was to use it as a camera, though, …

The final of the Bake Off was so good! The balance of baking power kept swinging between the contestants, so that it really was a complete unknown when the winner was announced. Well done John! Brilliant job. Meanwhile, I was left with a decision to make. I decided, as this is the last "Inspired by..." post, I'd go for it and try my hand at the technical challenge. Signature dish …

The final episode of the recent half-series of Doctor Who episodes ended with Amy and Rory together but stuck in time. I wasn't particularly happy with the episode as a whole, and there are plenty of plot points that still confuse me. Overall, though, it seems like a fitting end for the pair, and we're now looking ahead to the introduction (re-introduction?) of the new companion at Christmas. Except, there …

Every now and then, I take a quick look at what is available in the novelty mug market. I don't know why I started doing this, as I didn't really indulge in hot drinks when I posted the first one. Since then, I do boil the kettle more often, but I haven't actually bought any of these novelties as yet. I wonder if there's one I might purchase in this …

We've seen the music industry attempt the occasional "pay what you feel" initiative, where a song or an album is released to the public, and they get to choose how much to pay for the item - giving what they think it's worth. These haven't revolutionised the industry, but it does cause a stir and can be a good marketing technique to draw attention to yourselves. Now, the concept has …

I'm sure it didn't escape your notice that on Sunday Felix Baumgartner jumped from a capsule at the edge of space to freefall back down to earth, and then landed on his feet successfully. What did you do with your weekend? It was an absolutely inspirational thing to watch. I'll admit I didn't sit through the build up, and was a bit of a fairweather viewer - tuning in when …

I've fallen behind in documenting my exciting adventures out and about, although this first one I have to discuss isn't all that exciting. It was a while back, when the days were still sunny, and I decided to get out of the house, go for a walk and make the most of the fresh air. I wasn't really sure where to go, but I had a look online and found …

The Bake Off is getting pretty difficult now, with the semi-final last week and the final coming up. I was pretty confident that I wouldn't be able to make anything they did in the show itself, but I was keen to be inspired. They baked the following: Signature dish - Petit-Fours Technical challenge - Fraisier cake Showstopper - Choux pastry gateaux I figured that chocolate eclairs would be a good …

On 13th October 2002, I was cowering in a doorway from the rain, waiting for the arrival of someone the world now knows as Mr C. It was our first date, I'd bought new boots that I was convinced made me walk like a duck, and my friend was sacrificing herself at the garden gate, getting soaked on my behalf to look out for him. Thankfully, as the evening progressed …