Chocolate Philadelphia spread

I did something outrageous and bought Philadelphia's new flavour spread - Cadbury's chocolate. It sounds wrong but this is what happens when Kraft, an American company best known for soft cheese, buys Cadbury's. Nevertheless I was feeling brave.

It looks the same as any other Philadelphia products, except it is purple. I peeled back the foil wondering what would be found there, but all I found was a rather pleasant looking spread, rather like chocolate spread.

My expectation was that it would taste like chocolate cheesecake, which I am not really a fan of, but I was wrong. Instead it tastes like cold chocolate spread with a sour after taste. It is actually quite nice, but then it tricks you and if you end up eating about a teaspoon of it then it ends up tasting gross.

I am trying to figure out what I can do it with though. The serving suggestion is on bread, but I can imagine that will be very sickly. I have heard that it ends up tasting like millionaire's cheesecake if you spread it on digestive biscuits, but I want to use it as an ingredient. My biggest hurdle though is my boyfriend doesn't like the taste of the new spread so this limits my options. In fact I think I am stuck with occasionally stealing bits when I open the fridge door.

In conclusion, a fun experiment but probably won't try it again.

Radiant Rayman

I am about to do something which I have never done before. Write a game review. Now before you get worried that I start calling myself a games journalist it is because I have been crap and not read a book in a few weeks.

Recently I became the proud owner of an Xbox and the best Xbox game I own is Rayman Origins. This is largely due to the fact that it is the only Xbox game I own, but regardless of that it is a pretty damn good game.

The last time I played a Rayman game was on the Megadrive and I was aged approximately 10 years-old. The game has a lot of childhood nostalgia for me and I was worried that a new version of it wouldn't have the same charm. I had no reason to be worried because the game looks beautiful, is silly and creates hours of brilliant fun. It also has save points, which is an added bonus.

So the game is beautiful and a joy to watch but it is also a really good game. It could be written off as a kids game but the challenges are hard. You can soon find that you have spent an hour trying to complete one level to achieve 100%, an enjoyable way to waste time.

The game also rewards you for your hard work. You work hard to get past the increasingly difficult bosses to get an entire level which is just collecting points and bouncing around in fun little world.

In brief it is amazing and I am glad that something from my childhood is still as clever as I remember it.

Photo: Ubisoft

Practise makes perfect

When Channel 4 first announced 10 o'clock Live it was expected that it would become Britain's version of Jon Stewart's Daily Show. Instead it felt more like the combination of four individually funny people doing the same thing they normally would but with other people. There was nothing wrong with that, per se, but it didn't change the world as much as expected.

Luckily the show did get a second series and now seems to be forging more its own voice rather than relying on the reputation of its presenters.

In the first series Charlie Brooker was pretty much doing old Screenwipe and Newswipe pieces. David Mitchell had his soapbox, similar to his rant videos over on the Guardian and Jimmy Carr was doing his opener from 8 Out of 10 Cats. And poor Lauren Laverne was sort of left out it mostly, every now and again given a silly pre-record to do, but sometimes felt a bit token woman.

They also tried discussions, which involved many, many people. Asking lots of different people what their opinion was on something much like a real news programme would do.

This time around there is still plenty of conversation and debate, but it is focused on the four presenters. It may not be informed discussion because they no longer have the most qualified person in the country to talk about that subject. But then they have gained something from it - humour. And I do believe that is important in satire.

However, the show is not quite at running level yet. It also suffers from the problem of relying upon the news and for that to keep on giving quality stories to make jokes about. But the turning point seemed to come this week from Charlie Brooker and his rant about The Sun newspaper. And I am glad that is starting to prove itself.

Photo: Channel 4

The Good, the Bad and the Multiplex

So I have finally gone and done it. I have found the time to read a book. It only took an evening as well.

The book in question is film critic Mark Kermode's latest offering The Good, the Bad and the Multiplex. Although it is a book it was easily devoured in an evening because it felt more like having a chat with Kermode down the pub about his love of cinema. Although there wasn't a really a chance for the reader to talk back or disagree, but I have a funny feeling that is what would happen anyway.

I mean if you did happen to be in the pub with Kermode you would talk about cinema, only a mad man would decide that this was the time to find out his opinion on German fiscal policy. And if you did disagree would you tell him? Or would you let him continue with an anecdote about when he was interviewing Spielberg or when he found out the truth behind those "This is the best movie you will ever see" movie poster quotes?

The book would only really appeal to you if you have a fondness for Kermode, whose rants are similar to those of Charlie Brooker's but with a focus on cinema, or if you have a passion for film.

I fall into the category of enjoying Kermode's rants, my favourite in the book being a short review of the film The Animal (never seen it myself) which said "an appalling affair which made me understand how a fox can chew its own leg off in order to escape a hideous ordeal of entrapment".

The book covers a range of topics for Kermode to get angry about and equally excited like popcorn (an angry topic) to a bicycle powered film festival (an excitable topic). Throughout the book you also get the sense that he has a bizarre job and consequently a weird life, but seems very normal and down to earth. Ignoring the fanatical knowledge of films. But everyone has a hobby and I am sure his family have learnt to tune him out when he gets into one of his usual rants.

But the thing I have always liked about Kermode is, yes he gets angry, but he equally gets passionate. And he isn't a boring film critic who likes the powerful, Oscar tipped films because everything we do in life should have a meaning. No, he enjoys the Twilight films, is a fan of Zac Efron and cries at The Sound of Music.

His writing makes me realise what I have missed out on from not being a regular cinema goer. I mean to change that each time I read or listen to him, but secretly know that I will not. This means my cinema experience is sitting down in the evening and catching up with Kermode has written of late and for that I am grateful.

No one wins anymore

I still haven't read a book yet this year. This is very bad of me and does need to be rectified. It doesn't help that  on top of that there is no decent television to watch at all at the moment. So instead here is an idea sort of related to television.

It is hard to think of a time when television isn't filled with quiz shows. They come in all varieties. The family quiz shows, the genuinely testing quiz shows and the ironic ones that are loosely based on a quiz show format.

And it seemed that no matter how poor you were on the show then you would be given something small like a pen set, a gimmicky product or even a paperweight. Nowadays you can get to the final of the show and still go home empty handed. Even comfortable, cosy BBC quiz Pointless requires you to beat all the other contestants and then face a final challenge before you even get a sniff at a prize.

The worst examples of this is Channel 4's Million Pound Drop where you face seven questions that you can rationally answer if you have some sense and can get to the last question with a decent amount of money for it to all come down to luck as you guess at the end.

Even more humiliatingly was the final of the sister show The Bank Job. All week contestants tried to out-quiz everyone else to get their place in the final. As more contestants got shoved to the side it led to two people negotiating if they should split the final sum of money between them or just take it all. Funnily enough the finalists said to one another that they wanted to do the good thing and share the money but then chose the box saying they wanted the money all to themselves. As the finalists were awkwardly standing next to one another making the final shots of the series, you could see the contestants who hadn't managed to strive to the end get a share of the money that the finalists had pretty much thrown away.

So essentially like the contestants themselves, quiz shows have become quite selfish. It isn't so much about rewarding contestants that do well, it is showing them off as entertainment and if you can embarrass them in the process that would be great too.

I mean on University Challenge you might feel ashamed but Jeremy Paxman pouring scorn on your answers is hardly likely to get you laughed at down the street. Whereas losing £1million on one question because you wrongly thought that Jedward was a fruit could.

Photo: Channel 4

Too many cooks?

So I haven't had a chance to even pick up a book this year yet - getting adjusted to doing the 9-5 work regime has taken longer than expected. And television wise there isn't much that is decent on at the moment so I am currently watching the whole of Gilmore Girls from series one to series seven.

Although there are a number of cookery shows on at the moment which I have always enjoyed watching since I was young. Now I am also watching them in the hope of finding some inspiration - which has happened with Channel 4's new series The Fabulous Baker Brothers. Although it is obviously a half hearted attempt to get men interested in cookery shows it has appealed more to women who like the idea of two men attractive men interested in cooking and would happily cook for women.

Recipe wise the two brothers have their own interests - Tom is a baker and Henry is a butcher so show off their tried and tested recipes. So I am more interested in Tom's recipes who whips up loaves of breads, pizza bases and other floury treats at the drop of the hat. His recipes are also quite easy to follow, which I have done with some success.

The two brothers are clearly passionate about what they do and then someone decided that this would be a good television show. So sometimes their 'brotherly love' does come across as awkward flirting - which raises a lot of questions.

The complete opposite of this show is How to cook like Heston - which doesn't have awkward flirting or easy to follow recipes.

It feels like we are supposed to see what Heston is like behind the mad recipe ideas and that sometimes he likes to just kick back and have scrambled egg sometimes too. But that isn't the case - he likes to get out pneumatic drills to ground his own cocoa beans or blowtorching food. This is something that obviously everyone can do.

The strange thing is I do like the show but I would never be inclined to make any of his recipes - like the potted plant Tiramisu - but just to see how 'normal' Heston's life is. I mean does he think that everyone has the time, the money or the inclination to copy his mad recipes?

What has sport got to do with cake?

Television now has Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood back on it as The Great Sport Relief is on - so all is right in the world.

The show has been shoehorned in to Sport Relief this year which isn't as awkward as it could have been. All the features are about various baking charities or initiatives that have helped people out. This is much better than the usual parts in charity shows where they make people cry about how their life has changed - which instead of being touching is the moment you decide to get a cup of tea.

The celebrity version works nicely - everyone respects the show, I mean one of the contestants is from Radio 4 so you shouldn't really expect a riot. The contestants mostly just want Mary Berry's approval ... and let's be honest isn't that what we all want?

Along with the usual fun of watching people craft cakes the celebrity version has finally revealed that the contestants have weaknesses.

One round involves a technical bake where you are to follow the instructions to make either a Mary Berry or Paul Hollywood recipe. Most times people follow these instructions rather well aside from maybe decorating it differently or making the cake bigger than it was supposed to be.

But no all four celebrities managed to make a disaster of the banana loaf and then serve it up the creator of it. Thankfully Mary Berry took it all in her stride.

There is one slightly distracting factor though. Ever since normal Bake Off became known for a random cutaway with a squirrel that had huge genitals whenever there is a cutaway to a squirrel you get the instinct to shout squirrel and look at its nethers. 

Photo: BBC

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Over the Christmas holidays I read as much as I could before I was thrust back into the hectic world of work.

I had wanted to read much more than I did in the end, but there is only so much you can absorb in 10 days. I also did want to talk to my friends and family over Christmas too.

One of the books I was most looking forward to reading was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. And although it was very good, it was lot more rapey than I thought it would be.

Although I have heard a lot about the book, most recently because of the Hollywood film with Daniel Craig hitting the cinemas, I didn't really know what to expect.

Being a journalist I found the beginning quite interesting as publisher Mikael Blomkvist was being tried in court for libel for saying bad things about a millionaire and not quite having the evidence to back it up.

After stepping down from his job he ends up playing detective in a small village trying to find out the mystery behind a missing girl.

The story and the mystery of the crime is really good, but all the sex for no meaning and then the descriptions of the rape of the girl with the dragon tattoo, or Lisbeth Salander, did help for the reader to get an understand of why she is like how she is. But when you are sitting there counting down to the New Year surrounded by family reading about her rape was weird.

That may be my own fault for choosing to read the book. But I also read the latest Dexter book surrounded by my family and every page is practically a description of dismemberment and hacking bodies apart but it just didn't sit right with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Overall very good - but might wait a while to read the next two books.

Photo: tantillus via Flickr

Starting a new year

Last year was my first attempt at a one a day blog. It was a photography blog to encourage me to take more photos. It worked and I gained, I like to think, respect for my pictures of Sackboys.

Sackboy pretending to be the Doctor

I lasted until October which was when two of my grandparents died and although I had found it fun to take pictures of my everyday life, pictures of funerals didn't seem to fit into that well. So I stopped.

But for 2012 I am taking up the task of a daily blog again, but seeing as I am no longer a student focusing on my dissertation I am free to do whatever I want so I have made this as complicated as I can. Each day will be a different task.

• Sunday - a blog, about anything I want. More than likely a rant.
• Monday - picture of a duck, I have a growing collection of rubber ducks and I was told a blog with pictures of ducks would be popular.
• Tuesday - a newsy rant - linking to a story I have found interesting or has annoyed me.
• Wednesday - a picture
• Thursday - review, either a book review or television show review
• Friday - what I food I made, plus recipe
• Saturday - and I haven't really thought this through but a sound, I did radio at university and haven't managed to find something to allow me to mess around with editing and sounds yet so I shall think of something creative to do.

It should be fun and hopefully I can do it for the year. 

So to start of 2012 with a blog.

2011 was a bit of an up and down year for me. As I have said two grandparents died in one month, plus there was a lot of other family issues happening. Regardless me, and my family, have got through it.

But reflecting on nicer things I became the editor of my student newspaper The Linc, which was a brilliant experience. I had two print issues that I was in charge of and I was extremely proud of them.

I also graduated from university.

Me in my gown outside Lincoln Cathedral. Photo: Emma Dearsley

It was a great three years of my life, but in a way was glad to get it over with and just start the real world.

I got a part-time internship at The Lincolnite and my second day at work involved an encounter with Jeremy Clarkson and James May from Top Gear.

Unfortunately the real world did lead to unemployment and fun dealings with the Job Centre. But it also led to me and my boyfriend living together in our lovely little house.

I filled my summer by starting up a television review site, called TV Talk Blog, with my friend Emma. I began driving lessons passing my theory test in September.

I also decided to teach myself some cheap skill which is when the baking began. Since the summer I have made gingerbread, a French apple tart, scones and a variety of cupcakes. Most recently I made an unconventional Christmas cake which was chocolate cake covered in white chocolate buttercream.

Eventually a full time job came along in October, but the baking hasn't stopped as I was given many recipe books for my birthday and Christmas and I am going to show my weekly treats off here.

With any luck 2012 should be a good year, my boyfriend will graduate from university and, although we have nothing planned, it feels exciting that come the summer we will be able to do anything we fancy.

So one blog down, just 365 to go. And good luck to you if you are starting a one a day blog as well.