Peachy Review: Parragon Books 'Make, Bake, Cupcake'

At the start of the month, I mentioned that I was going to be a Book Buddy for Parragon Publishing - mostly reviewing some of their fabulous cook books.  I was really excited to receive my first book a few weeks ago and, well, what a book it is! 

Make, Bake, Cupcake! is a fabulous baking book, featuring lots of novelty cupcake recipes; from cocktail inspirations through to cute animals and gruesome Halloween ideas.  As someone who used to bake cupcakes for a living; this book could not have been more perfect for me, in terms of injecting some much needed fun into cupcake baking again!

The book has a really great look about it, with fun clear images of the finished cupcakes themselves and a few 'process' shots to guide you along the way.  The book is divided into five chapters; 'Cocktails and Mocktails', 'Feisty Flavours', 'Fun and Frosted', 'Scary Cute' and 'Hidden Surprises'.  Each section is separated with a cute cupcake divider and the book itself is really fun to navigate, whilst you're getting your ideas together!  

Each recipe is fairly simple to follow and the cake baking itself is pretty straightforward.  Much of the cake decoration requires ingredients such as candy melts and food colourings, so planning in advance has to be a must.  Nevertheless, the decorations are so much fun - it's difficult to choose which to do.  

As part of the review, I thought I would try my hand at one of the recipes and decided to try the 'Belly-Up Bear' cupcakes, just in time for Mr Peachy's nephew's First Birthday!  This was one of the easier recipes to follow and only required some basics for decorating.  I found the recipe (and believe me, I've followed hundreds in my time) really simple to follow and the results, even though I was very pushed for time, the result wasn't too bad (not my usual uber-perfectionist standard) and I loved the fluffy effect of the dessicated coconut.

Overall, I love this book, it's a real welcome addition to my brimming recipe book shelf and has really introduced some exciting ways to decorate cupcakes.  The big question is, what do I do next?  I'm thinking some Squished Witches for Halloween, followed by some cute Dabbling Ducks!

Make Bake Cupcake by Love Food, Edited by Parragon Books is available to buy now! 

Disclaimer: I was sent this book by Parragon Books to review for this blog, all opinions in this review are my own.

Peachy Review: EllieBearBabi Nursing Scarf

If you have read my blog, you will know how much I LOVE to review new things - I have already had the pleasure of reviewing wonderful music from Bad Bad Me and The Barnum Meserve, I've also used Life is Peachy as a platform to promote some fantastic small and handmade businesses that I have discovered in my Twitter roaming!  So I was absolutely ecstatic when I was asked by the lovely Vicki, from EllieBearBabi, to review one of her handmade nursing scarves.

EllieBearBabi, or Vicki, is a relatively new handmade business set up in Vicki's hometown of Belfast, Northern Ireland; after she discovered that the family crafting gift had been passed down to her when she made some lovely blankets and bibs for her little one (now 7 months old).  After her transformation from self-described 'Jack-of-all-trades' to Stay At Home Mum, Vicki decided to make more of her lovely handmade goods and, in July, her Etsy shop for EllieBearBabi (named rather beautifully after her Mum's lovely old sheepdog) went live!  You can view, browse and perhaps shop to your heart's content at Vicki's Etsy shop HERE

I was sent this very on-trend aztec print to try out, Vicki does two sizes in her nursing scarves and I went for the Medium size, as I am sitting at about a curvy size 12, right now.  I must also publicly thank Vicki for the little bib she added in too - it's a hit with Little D!  

Nursing/feeding, has been somewhat of a blessing and a nightmare for me.  I think it's a perfectly natural thing to do (and what choice do you have when you are feeding 'on demand') yet there is still a

stigma attached to breastfeeding in public and I, for one, still find it an uncomfortable experience under the watchful eye of the public.  Cue EllieBearBabi's nursing scarf!  Taking the scarf out with me on my usual trip to the local park what I noticed, first and foremost, was just how light and wearable the jersey/lycra mix was to wear - I'm certainly not one for layering up in the heat, but this felt really comfortable around my neck.  

When it came to feeding, it was so lovely not to have to faff around with resting a blanket corner on the shoulder, Daisy just sat perfectly in the scarf loop and settled well into a feed, I think I relaxed almost immediately without having to deal with the usual problems of checking nothing was on show, or constantly readjusting for mine or Daisy's comfort.  The material felt dense enough for you to feel 'safe' in that you're not showing too much off and soft enough for baby's comfort too! 

In short, EllieBearBabi's Nursing Scarf was something of a saviour in, what can be, a trying situation for any nursing Mum.  Her designs are simple and stylish - simple in that they work without the need of a degree in Rocket Science to work them out, stylish in that this one will almost certainly find a way into my post-nursing wardrobe.

  In the pictures, I teamed the print with an old favourite, the breton top, as the print had such vibrant colours and looked great against the stripes.  This particular design would add a great pop of colour to a winter wardrobe!

EllieBearBabi's designs are beautifully made, the materials are of a really high quality and each item is labelled with handmade love too!  Her bibs retail at just £3.00, an absolute bargain, whilst nursing scarves are a real investment at just £15.00 - I advise every woman who has ever struggled with public feeding to stock up, it may just change your life!

And I could hardly leave out a picture of Daisy in her new bib either!

Want to keep up to date with EllieBearBabi?  Why not give her a follow on Twitter @EllieBearBabi.

Vicki is also a newbie blogger over at EllieBearBabi, check her out!

Hans Zimmer Meets Pop Rock: The Barnum Meserve

The Barnum Meserve, a three piece pop/rock band from Nottingham, have kept their latest album release very close to their chests of late - so when I was given exclusive access to their new album, I jumped at the chance to review it.


The Barnum Meserve consist of Leon Wiley, Dylan Griffiths and Paul Moss-Pearce and, whilst I can probably make several comparisons to rock/pop and tuneful metal acts of the past; they have a very distinct and haunting sound that certainly wouldn't sound out of place in a stadium or arena.  I, however, had the pleasure of catching them live last year when they shared the bill in a small Derby venue with my beau.  I really enjoyed their performance, but the album brings their songs to life with beautiful use of orchestra accompaniment, soaring introductions (War Games was an instant favourite of mine) and the musical fullness of each song was something to really take in.

The tracks 'Open Up Your Eyes' and 'Colours' were real stand out tracks for me.  Wiley's strong and definite vocals really tear at the piano melodies whilst the subtle harmonies and quiet moments weave in seamlessly.  The Barnum Meserve hit you with the power and passion of musical outfits like Dry The River (my faves) and combine Wiley's full throttle angry vocals and haunting melodies like very early Evanescence or later, more commercial Nine Inch Nails.  If you like your metal with melody, your rock with rhythm and your punk with passion, The Barnum Meserve are for you.

All in all, the entire album has been carefully crafted to showcase The Barnum Meserve in their very best and most comfortable light.  There are moments where you feel as if you are listening to an epic film sountrack, others where you could be kicking back at Download festival.  Either way, these guys are crying out to be heard in a stadium and this album may just bring them the international acclaim they so long for.

You can catch the Barnum Meserve, if you're lucky enough to live in Nottingham, tomorrow night (July 12th) performing at The Rescue Rooms.  Information on the gig is here -->  https://www.facebook.com/events/133552126843724/

For more information on The Barnum Meserve, check out their website here --> http://www.thebarnummeserve.com/

Bad Bad Things: A Review of Bad Bad Me's 'Always and Never'

  
I love nothing more than finding new bands to listen to.  With something of a varied taste in music; from metal to motown, blues to classic pop, if it gets me, it gets me.  So I jumped at the chance to review the new EP 'Always and Never' by Lake District-based Blues Singer, Jim Wade, AKA Bad Bad Me.

'Always and Never' is a collection of rough blues guitar songs with a raw edge, but a 'singalong' quality.  The opening track, 'All or Nothing', picks up the pace immediately with a catchy chorus and a hint of Americana in its production.  Not stopping for a moment, the second track, or snippet, 'Another Number' sets a much darker, more sombre and quiet tone, though not for long as 'For The Last Time' brings the tempo right back up with roaring vocals and more tales of bluesey-woe.  The EP ends with 'Loose Lips Sink Ships', another filthy but catchy number that brings us right back to the upbeat tone of the opening track.

All four tracks on 'Always and Never' showcase Bad Bad Me's range of vocal ability and punchy lyrics.  It took me several listens to work out who his voice reminded me of. There is a hint of Cobain's painful beauty in his voice, tinged with elements of his Northern dialect.  I would even suggest a sprinkling of early Gomez at some points during 'All or Nothing'.  But Wade's voice has a somewhat unique timbre to it; clearly influenced by classic blues, but his music and subject matter speak very very much of the now.  Bad Bad Me has adopted the ever-popular 'storyteller' vibe in his music and made it truly his own.

To say I was impressed with 'All or Nothing' is an understatement.  I loved the range of tones, the signature abrupt endings to his songs that have a tendency to leave you wanting more (intentional or not) and the catchy riffs of his music make the perfect soundtrack to an evening BBQ or warming up at a festival.  

'Always and Never' is available for purchase from Spotify, Amazon and iTunes and I would THOROUGHLY recommend buying a copy, I predict big things for this lad!

You can also catch Bad Bad Me playing on the Woodlands Stage at Kendal Calling at the end of July - more information here --> http://www.kendalcalling.co.uk/

He will be appearing at Talk of the Town in Manchester on 10th August and Salford Music Festival in September.  MY question is, will he be heading to Nottingham anytime soon?

Are you an unsigned musician?  Would you like me to review your EP or Album? Email missemmaberry@gmail.com I would love to hear from you!

 

Ashes To Ashes: A Review of James Herbert's 'Ash'

Fan? Much? My cluttered bookshelf

Earlier this year, one of my favourite author's James Herbert, one of the most well-renowned horror writers, passed away.  He was 69 years old, no cause of death was published and, in my opinion, he has left a gaping hole in the world of horror fiction.

'Ash' was Herbert's last, and potentially his most controversial, novel to date.  A mammoth paperback at nearly 700 pages long, Just this fact alone set it apart from his usual quick-scare paperbacks.  The artwork was a mark of Herbert's usual foreboding, ghoulish imagery, but the tone of the book immediately felt slower paced, easing you in with several character introductions.  All this from a man who, in 'The Dark' (my first descent into Herbert-madness), shocked his reader with a particularly nasty killing by a 4 year-old, just 5 pages in.

Herbert chose to re-visit one of his familiar characters, skeptical and moody psychic investigator David Ash,for this story.  Those familiar with his character, will no doubt remember the traumas he suffered in 'Ghosts of Sleath' and 'Haunted', yet his indifference and quest to find rational explanations for strange goings-on remains un-perturbed.  Ash is hired by a mysterious group of people who run the equally mysterious 'Comraich Castle', a secret home from home for the both very rich and very disturbed, when a terrible and seemingly supernatural murder occurs within the grounds.  Cue exposed secrets, reams of 'dead' celebrity psychopaths, some particularly nasty and bloodthirsty wildcats and the suggestion of a secret royal son residing in the grounds, as the reader is taken on a twisted journey with Ash and his sudden sidekick, psychologist Delphine.

All in all, Herbert's last masterpiece is everything you would both want and expect from a horror story.  Herbert manages to provide his usual mix of grisly murders and intrigue throughout even if, at times it felt as though some of the most important characters and plot points were glossed over in favour of love scenes.  There were still plenty of shocks, gore and scares to carry me through the pages, though I didn't stay as gripped as I had done his other books, The Magic Cottage still being an unbeaten favourite.

I don't know if I felt this because I read this book post Herbert's death, but there was something chillingly finite about this book.  The controversy of the inclusion of such characters as Lord Lucan and other notable murderers from history, alongside Herbert's own dig at his previous works such as The Rats, suggest to me that he may even have known his time on this earth was limited, hence giving himself the freedom to push even more boundaries.  Either way, the lagging pace at certain points didn't make this book any less than enjoyable than the others and if Herbert wanted you to ponder the blurred line between fact and fiction ever after, he succeeded in doing so, in his unique, horrific way. 

Coming soon: A review of Jeanette Winterson's 'Why Be Happy, When You Could Be Normal?' 

Do you have book you would like me to review?  email missemmaberry@gmail.com