Home baking sells out :-)

It's nearly August and I still have over a grand to raise to reach my £4000 target so I thought it was time to hold another cake stall at work. Since my Valentine's cake bake, many of my colleagues had been asking if I would do another and my lovely colleague Aleks told me I was her favourite baker in the UK ;-) With such interest and rather OTT praise I decided to make the most of my holiday leave on Monday and spend the day baking, this way I wouldn't be up all night like last time!

 

It's important for a cake stall not too make anything too obscure, people want things they recognise and so I made the following: Chocolate cake, fairy cakes, cupcakes (with butter icing), carrot cake, cherry cake, 'top-hats', brownies, lemon drizzle, 'jammy-dodgers', milk chocolate crispies, white chocolate chip cookies and flapjacks. I also steered away from using nuts in any of my recipes as I didn't want to inadvertently cause an emergency in the office! I also thought about making scones and tiffin but after 12 hours of baking I was done in and had run out of containers to transport anymore anyway! My dear Mum came through to visit me too and willingly lent a hand with the baking and more importantly, the washing-up! lol In such a small kitchen it's vital to clean and clear as you go! My love of baking stems from childhood when Mum actively encouraged my sister and I to bake to our hearts content and I am lucky to have learnt so much from her! I had never made lemon drizzle cake before and only had limited experience of flapjakes so it was great to have help from the expert! Thank you Mum!

 

It was fun and games getting 16 tupperware boxes and tins full of my cakes & biscuits to work in the morning, along side paperplates, napkins, knifes, posters, cake stands and the all important money box but somehow I managed it! As before I set up my stall in the coffee lounge with the help of Kirsty and Katrina and despite it being a few days before payday my stall was well received. People seemed impressed everything was home made as there was so much to choose from and were generous in their donations. Before I knew it it was time to return to my desk and get on with some work and so I popped by reception with the few remaining cakes and an 'honesty jar' and the lovely guys on the desk, Jimmy and Tam encouraged passers-by to indulge in a sweet treat for a good cause! It turned out to be a fruitful idea as this brought in nearly another £20!

 

All-in-all another successful cake bake, raising £155 on the day and a further £10 later in the week by sharing my secret chocolate cake recipe with a collegue so she can make her daughter's birthday cake this weekend!

 

Thank you to all you supported this event and remember I'll happily make cakes or cookies to order in return for a donation! With recent donations and the proceeds from my cake stall I am currently sitting at £2780, let's try to hit the £3000 milestone by the middle of August! All donations gratefully received at www.justgiving.com/trekforwater2013, thank you for caring!

 

Sx

 

A hot day on the hills

THE COBBLER

Last Sunday was my latest walk with the Sunday Brunch Club and this time we had a new member, my friend and colleague Gordon :-) He has recently completed the Caledonian Challenge and loves to get out and about on the hills. I warned him that I wouldn't be able to keep up with his pace but he would be very welcome to come with us. That's one of the great things about this hill walking group - everyone is free to walk at their own pace without having to slow down or speed up for other people, it works really well! As long as we all stay in eye-shot and congregate at the summit of our intended peaks we can all enjoy the walk as we find most comfortable. Naturally some people find going uphill easier whereas others find the descent easier and so there is also ample opportunity to speak to different people at different points on the walk. I would be nervous going out into the hills myself for fear of getting lost or having an accident so I feel fortunate to have found such a great group with common interests!

Our planned walk for the day was The Cobbler, at the head of Loch Long over in the West. The Cobbler, or to use it's correct name, Ben Arthur, is just short of a Munro at 2900 ft but due to it's distinctive skyline, clear pathways and breathtaking views it is one of the most popular hill walks in Scotland. Ben Arthur is one of a group of mountains known collectively as the Arrochar Alps and is commonly known as The Cobbler as the rocky summit features somewhat resemble a cobbler bending over a shoe. The abundance of large rocky surfaces also makes The Cobbler very popular with rock climbers and in-fact we say a couple of lads doing just that!

As usual our group met outside the Dome here in Edinburgh at 9am and the great weather encouraged a few more walkers than Ben Vorlich, 17 this time. We all piled into cars and this time it was my turn to drive, Gordon, Paula and Karen all opted to come with me and we reached the village of Succoth just after 11, having to stop for fuel en-route. Geared up we were on our way up the mountain by 11:40, following a purpose-built pathway and zig-zagging through an area of forestry and up the hillside. This gave us a more gentle ascent but I still felt the heat tremendously as it was mid 20s already by this time and the ferns and bracken amongst the trees seem to hold the heat! The path then followed a lovely burn, passing the Narnain boulders and becoming steeper. I was ever so grateful for my platypus as it carries 2 litres of water and with barely a cloud in sight the heat was making me thirsty! I was also pleased with myself for taking my baseball cap as it was a great sun protector, being Scottish I am not built for the heat and too much sun, often results in a headache! Anyway, the views were stunning on the walk up and I really enjoyed being out of the city. I predominantly walked with Paula and we enjoyed great chat and each other's company as we plodded on. Stopping at times of course for the odd wine gum (energy boasting qualities ;-)) or to reapply the sun-cream!

 

The 2 or 3 hundred feet to the lowest part of the summit ridge became a rocky scramble, with immense rocks all around us. It was easier at this point to do away with our poles and use our hands to pull ourselves up large slabs of rock that could only be described as lethal in wet weather! We finally reached the summit ridge and followed one of the many tracks to the top of the Cobbler's head. The panorama was stunning, over mountains and lochs, going as far as the Atlantic and beyond! A perfect place for lunch and a well-earned cup of tea, thanks Gordon (Gogs)!

 

The view to the west is dominated by the outline of the centre peak a rocky outcrop of which the top marks the true summit of this fabulous mountain. Only some of our group were daring enough to attain this true summit as a very good head for heights is needed and as I found long legs would help to! To climb to the top one has to crawl through a hole (known as the needle) in the rock formation and clamber out onto a ledge, only 1m wide with a vertigo inspiring 150ft drop on the other side. This ledge is inclined and a definite scrambling ability is necessary to negotiate it and eventually get to the top! This is frequently referred to by climbers as "threading the needle" or "tackling the eye". Disappointingly, despite my best efforts I didn't make it, I 'tackled the eye' ok by passing the hole onto the ledge but couldn't manage to pull myself up the last stop onto the true summit, short tired legs coupled with the sheer drop was too much of an obstacle! Karen and Gordon made it though, along with a few others of our group and Gogs impressed us all by standing upright with arms outstretched! Naturally a perfect photo opportunity for his fb profile pic ;-)

 

After lunch we made our descent, re-tracing our steps in the increasing heat of the afternoon sun. Descending the rocky features of the Cobbler was even more difficult than going up and everyone could feel it in their knees but slowly but surely we made it back to the original track and followed the burn back down to the forestry and eventually to the carpark. After a 6-hour walk in the heat it was unanimous that we should head to the pub to celebrate, so to the village inn it was. Non-alcoholic drinks for the drivers of course! We enjoyed sitting out in the beer garden for about an hour but soon the realisation hit us all that it was a two hour drive home and we all had work in the morning so we said our goodbyes to the Arrochar Alps, pleased with what we had achieved and made for home.

 

Sx

 

 

 

 



Thanks to Kiehl's Skincare

I have recently passed the £2500 mark with my fundraising but still have a long way to go before I reach my £4000 target and so I am researching further fundraising ideas and hope to get another event under way.

 

From past experience Raffles are always popular and so I have started writing to more companies to ask for their help. One of my favourite retailers, Kiehl's enthusiastically replied to me and I was delighted to meet with the Edinburgh store manager, Shona Walker, last week. She kindly donated a gift box of goodies, worth approx £40 and beautifully wrapped.

 

For those who are not familiar with this brand, Kiehl's is an American cosmetic and skincare retailer specialising in premier skin, hair and body care products . It was founded in New York as a single pharmacy in 1851 and respects it's old-fashioned values to ths day. Furthermore Kiehl's is committed to giving back to it's communities and is actively engaged in charitable initiatives both locally and globally. I am impressed by their mission and that these values have filtered down to store level and encouraged the staff at the George St store to support me in my fundraising endeavours for WaterAid!

 

 

Thank you Shona & Kiehl's!

 

Sx

 

 

 

 

These boots are made for walking....

I recently invested in a new pair of hiking boots and was keen to try them out properly on the hills, a weekend back at my parents' provided that opportunity :-).

 

Although the boots I had on the Great Wall of China served me well they let me down on the West Highland Way as it turned out they weren't waterproof in the slightest! For walkers boots are the most important piece of gear you'll ever buy, they do the most work and provide more security than any of the other climbing gear on the market. Moreover, they must fit perfectly to avoid a world of pain! And so Tiso it was....

 

I had researched various boots online and was keen to try a number of boots by Scarpa, Hi-tec and Saloman. Most of the boots available these days seem to be made in Italy and that pushes the prices up as the Euro doesn't go far. Still, I had recently worked a bank holiday at work and set aside my double pay for the privilege ;-) After trying on at least 6 different pairs of boots at Tiso and seeking the advice of a member of staff I eventually decided on the new Baltoro from Scarpa. combining elements of previous ranges to produce their most comfortable, lightweight boot yet. The Gore-tex XCR membrane prevents water getting in, whilst allowing breathability and the Vibram sole which I love on my Merrell trainers provides a great level of grip. Added to that these boots actually look attractive, especially with the the pink bits peeking through the grey :-)

 

I wore the boots around the flat initially just to break them in but to be honest, being fabric rather than leather they are already quite flexible and didn't need much breaking-in. However it wasn't until my Dad agreed to climb a Munro with me that I had the opportunity to wear them on the hills. We decided to climb Shiehallion, just past Aberfeldy. Situated in higher Perthshire, Shiehallion is one of Scotland's best known Munros and also viewed as one of the easiest. With this in mind Mum decided to join us and we were all impressed with her efforts, conquering the summit in good time.

 

The walk certainly started off easier than the previous Munros I have faced with a well constructed path gradually climbing, however the terrain become tougher as we neared the summit with thousands of quartzite boulders littering ridge and slowing progress. Added to that the elements were against us with drizzle and mist and a strong wind. At times I was sure I was going to take flight and Dad nearly lost his hat! We enjoyed our picnic at the summit but soon felt the colder and the fleeces and gloves had to put on hastily! On our descent the weather improved and we were treated to views across Loch Tummel and towards the Ben Lawers massif. My new boots did me proud and it was great to tick off another Munro in my training programme for Peru :-)

 

My new boots :-)

 

Sx

 

The training continues .... (and a 3rd Munro 'bagged')

Quiz success all round

    

Last night was my quiz night and raffle at the Fiddler's Elbow and I was really happy with the turn-out! Setting up took a little longer than anticipated as I was held up at work and then when I had arrived at the venue I discovered the staff weren't quite ready for me. Due to double booking my event ended up being put in the basement room, which although it still had a bar, was on the snug side! Moreover, there was no-where near enough tables and chairs. So it was all hands on deck to bring down more tables & chairs from the hotel, put up posters & banners advertising WaterAid and blow up balloons. Those who arrived early kindly helped out and my gorgeous assistants Ruth, Laura & Fred did a sterling job of collecting in pre-paid tickets, selling more tickets and promoting the raffle.

Finally at 7:30 the Quiz was under way, 9 rounds in total, with a bonus water-related question at the end of each round. Half-way through I held the raffle with 16 wonderful prizes up for grabs. These were all items I had collected over the last few months from various companies who have been so supportive and generous and to whom I owe tremendous thanks! I think people were impressed by the prize on offer as a lot of raffle tickets were sold including some at work during the day.The majority of winners were there on the night but 3 from work also won - Frank, Ivy and Noreen and I am sure they will be delighted to receive their prizes next week!

As the night went on, the drinks flowed and the questions got a little harder, the noise in the room increased and I was glad to have my microphone to be heard. Apologies for the 'feedback' from the amp when I stood to close to it, by the third time you would have thought I would have learnt my lesson! <g> All in all however, people were respectful and quietened down to hear each question. I also took a few minutes to explain a little about WaterAid and why I am doing this challenge and then to promote my 2 auction items. Fred was a great help, carrying the Coulson painting around to each table and showing it off! Thanks Fred :-) Due to time I decided it was best to hold a silent auction and asked those interested to pass me a note of their bid. At the end of the night the 2 items went to the highest bidder with the stunning painting fetching £130 and the membership for the NTS £40! Not bad at all ;-)

The Quiz finished at around 10:30 with the winning team announced as "Quiz Akabussi" and a bottle of Piper Heidsieck champagne was presented in celebration. The team that finished last were also presented with some Tunnock's chocolate goodies. All-in-all the Quiz was a great success, a few people strolled in during the course of the evening and joined some teams but at my last head-count I had 44 participants! With the late-comers I think some teams ended up being bigger than the suggested 5 per team rule but it wasn't school, I wasn't going to make an issue, lol! I'd like to shout out particular thanks to Gillian, one of the PAs at work for kindly sending round an email in the office to promote this event and for coming along herself and joining the SBC :-) Thanks also to Ian & Bill with the Sunday Brunch Club for also promoting my event and getting a couple of teams together, much appreciated!

As the evening came to an end, I had some great feedback about how much people had enjoyed the quiz and the staff at the Fiddler's Elbow were really kind in offering me the chance to host another event there in the future. Although setting up the room was rather last-minute and with my numbers we were all very cosy, the staff were thoroughly helpful and pleasant and I really appreciate all the did for me. I was particularly touched when Jason commended me on my fundraising efforts too!

 

Back home, my good friend Tracy and I counted up the takings and I am over-the-moon to anounce I raised £582 for WaterAid last night! My current total stands at £2478, so if anyone would like to help me reach £2500 then you can do so my sponsoring me directly through Just Giving - www.justgiving.com/trekforwater2013

 

On a final note:
 

THANK YOU TO THE FIDDLER'S ELBOW, ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN MY QUIZ

& AUCTION & ALL WHO BOUGHT RAFFLE TICKETS!

I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!

                    The Venue

         

Pilates Works

My friend Sabrina owns and runs a Pilates studio in Dundee and often visits Pilates Works in Stockbridge, here in Edinburgh for courses etc. She suggested to me getting in touch with her friend Nora at Pilates Works for a raffle prize. I did so recently and Nora, the Pilates Works Manager and Studio and Matwork teacher kindly donated a 1:1 hour long Pilates session with herself. This is a fantastic opportunity to discover Pilates and I am sure will be a much sought after raffle prize!

Pilates helps to engage and strengthen the core, waist and lower back muscles and helps to improve posture and prevent injury. I have been to a few Pilates classes at my local gym and really enjoyed it, unfortunately work often prevents me getting to the 5:40 class on a Monday but hopefully I will get more opportunities to go now that we are recruiting more staff.

Pilates Works is a fully equipped studio with top-class instructors, offering a variety of programmes, classes and performance based training. For more information visit www.pilates-works.co.uk or email edinburgh@pilates-works.co.uk.

Thank you Nora and Pilates Works for your messages of support and your wonderful raffle prize donation, it is much appreciated!

Pilates Works Studio

1, St Bernard’s Row
Stockbridge
Edinburgh
EH4 1HW

Sx

Thanks to "La Mula Obstinada"

This evening I went for my daily walk as I had missed the chance at lunch and stopped by the Spanish restaurant "La Mula Obstinada" on Queen Charlotte Street. I enjoyed tapas there a couple of weeks ago with my neighbour Barbara and met both the owner and the manager at the time. We got talking about my fundraising endeavours and they very kindly offered me a voucher for a meal for 4 as a raffle prize. It was agreed that I could pick this up one evening nearer my quiz and so I did so tonight.

 

Having eaten there myself I am sure that the lucky winners of this great raffle prize will have a thoroughly enjoyable meal. The staff are very friendly and welcoming, the resturant is spacious, yet cosy and the food is delicious with generous portions! Even if you don't win, why don't you whet your appetite by checking out their menu (www.lamulaobstinada.co.uk/?page_id=83) and paying this family run restuarant a visit soon! Many thanks to Alejandro Moreno and family for their support, see you again soon!

 

Sx

 

 

Quiz preparation & a wonderful raffle prize! ;-)

 

I have spent the last few evenings going through Quiz books from the library and cross-referencing questions with the internet to make sure my answers are all correct and up-to-date. I plan to finalise my quiz this evening, leaving tomorrow night free to go and decorate the function room with posters, banners and balloons, all advertising WaterAid.

 

I am really looking forward to the event although a little nervous about entertaining 30-40 people! I am not known for my quick wit I'm afraid! On top of my Quiz, I am holding a raffle and an auction. Raffle tickets will be sold for 50p or 5 for £2 and I have some great prizes up for grabs!

 

The latest raffle donation I have generously been given is a hardback copy of a book entitled "Dear Olivia", written by Valvona & Crolla director Mary Contini. Described online as "the real story of the determination, ambition and success of two immigrant families whose lives have remained irrevocably linked through unprecedented hardship, tragedy and loss..... Woven together from personal oral histories and extensive research, this is the moving, startling and inspiring story of the founders of Valvona & Crolla". A truly inspirational read I am sure.

 

Mary also kindly signed the book for me today and generously added a £30 gift voucher to spend in store. Valvona & Crolla, an award-wining specialist Italian deli, wine merchant and café bar is an amazing cavern of Italian produce and well-known throughout the city. If you haven't been before or it's been a while I highly recommend you pay them a visit at one of the following locations in:

Deli & Caffe Bar
Elm Row, Edinburgh:
0131 556 6066

VinCaffè & Ristorante
Multrees Walk, Edinburgh:
0131 557 0088

Foodhalls in Jenners
Princes St, Edinburgh:
0131 260 2242
Lomond Shores, Balloch:
01389 753 506

Food & Wine on 4, Frasers
West End, Edinburgh:
0131 225 2472
www.valvonacrolla.co.uk

Sx

Thanks to my fellow 'bag-packers'

A letter of thanks from WaterAid I'd like to dedicate to the following ladies:

Laura Sked, Ruth Stewart, Tracy Quinn & Christine White.

Couldn't have done it without you! Thank you! XxxX