And the award goes to ...

I am so lucky to have some fantastic friends, most of whom have been with me since my school days. We have all grown up to be thoroughly nice people (grins widely) and all ended up being super creative and involved with all kinds of arts, crafts, enterprise .. and pretty good bakers to boot. One of these people is my friend and wonderfully creative business woman Ruth Bagnall who has recently launched her website The Polished Button. With the recent success of The Great British Sewing Bee (wasn't it fantastic!!?) I hope some of you have been inspired to "make do and mend" or even create a masterpiece with a Singer. Ruths website is a fantastic place to start, there is a glorious selection of vintage inspired fabric, buttons, findings and patterns - and due to Ruths background in theatrical costume many pieces of real vintage loveliness for you to behold .. and buy! I especially love the vintage Vogue patterns, reissued for recreation today. 

I am totally in LOVE with these 1950's apron patterns, as a collector of vintage aprons and tea towels these tick every box for me and may even encourage me to dig my sewing machine out of the cupboard again .. that's me there on the left discussing my next book deal while waiting on my buns to come out of the oven (honest ..) 

As part of my nomination for the award I have been set a few questions to answer for Ruth .. so here goes .. 

1. How long have you been blogging and why did you start? 

I've played around with various blogs for about 5 years. I had a successful blog called Chocolate Concrete where I played with and recreated old school dinner recipes, unfortunately due a family tragedy I forgot about the blog and it slipped by the wayside. I have also blogged about my weight loss journey, I have lost 3 and a half stone so far .. but this was a private blog, just somewhere for me to jot down my thoughts and keep me going, almost like a secret diary 2013 style. Lucy Scott Bakes Alot has come from the fact friends and family keep asking me to write down recipes for them so I decided to start a blog I would also love a career in food one day so I am hoping someone picks me up and offers me a book deal or a lease to an artisan cafe (please ..).

2. What do you do in the real world? 

My "real life job" is about as unrelated to baking as it could be. I am a lecturer in an FE College. I teach young adults with moderate learning disabilities, life skills, english, maths, ict. I do try and slip a bit of baking in where applicable .. I run at least one enterprise project a year where the students make a lot of cakes and sell them to make money for a trip to the seaside. I have a lovely job but it is becoming more and more apparent that I am looking for a change of direction into a more food led career. 

3. In your dream world where money was no object what would you make / create? 

This is EASY! My dream ever since I can remember is to open a community cafe / tea rooms. A place where people with learning disability in the local community can come and learn and work in the cafe to lead to a future where their employability is increased. I would also run cookery courses in bread, cakes and using seasonal produce. I have always wanted to work for myself so if money was no object that is exactly what I would do. I can't see myself ever being a lady of leisure, I get bored too easily. 

4. What area of crafting / making do you like the most? 

This one is not so easy! When it comes to food there is not much I don't enjoy doing. At the moment my biggest passion / challenge is patisserie. I also really enjoy photography, painting and randomly natural wax candle making. 

5. And least ... 

Washing up after a huge baking session!! 

6. What have you made that you have been most proud of and why? 

Recently I had a go at making filo pastry from scratch, it was something I would have never thought to do but needed to try it for a project. I LOVED it, I made Baclava with figs and pistachios and was so proud holding up my sheets of wafer thin filo. It made me realise that with practice and passion anything is obtainable in the culinary world! 

7. What inspires you? 

My inspiration and ideas can come from anywhere really. I do like to recreate tastes of childhood which is why I am currently working on things like walnut whip cupcakes and Tangle Twister cheesecakes. The people that inspire me most have always been my family. I was brought up in a food obsessed brood and my Dad was a wonderful cook. I am also inspired by local artisans. As a child I watched every cooking program I could get my hands on so I definitely have been inspired by the late great Keith Floyd, Delia Smith, Paul Hollywood, Mary Berry, and more recently the wonderful, Hairy Bikers, Nigel Slater and  Greg Wallace!  

8. What has been your favourite blog moment so far? 

Definitely being contacted by Nigel Slater when I ran Chocolate Concrete to say how wonderful some of the recipes were! I still have that email and will probably frame it one day! 

9. Do you have a preferred way of working? Is there a radio station you listen to?

I HAVE to have a spotless kitchen. I can't work until everything is in the right place and sterilized  I am a bit of a hygiene freak. I also like to work systematically and plan ahead, I also have to clean up in between every stage. I love to listen to the radio while I bake, especially Absolute 90s for a bit of nostalgia or Radio 4. 

10. Who is your all time favorite person and why? 

Goodness. This is a challenge! I have to go with my Mom, Dad and Sister .. so that's 3!! We lost my Dad from a rare cancer back in 2006 and we miss him so much, he was incredible and although there is a huge gap in our lives now Mom, Lyns and I stick together (despite my Mom living over the other side of the world in Australia!). I have to pop my husband in here too .. he totally saved me after my Dads passing and puts up with all my wacky ways and chaotic thought processes on a daily basis .. it should be him nominated for an award! 

Now its my turn to nominate some other blogs for an award! The rules are that the blog should have less than 200 followers and I need to choose 10 .. I'm not sure I can get to 10 but ill give it a go! 

My nominations are: 

1. Xi and Bake to your hearts content. 

I met Xi at an audition for a well known baking show and I was blown away by one of the most passionate people about baking I have ever met! I loved the way as a scientist he was so precise and what this man didn't know about chiffon cake you could fit on a postage stamp! 

2. Lisa at United Cakedom 

I follow Lisa on Twitter and absolutely love reading her blog. She is an American baker in the UK so it is really interesting to see the "cross cultural" recipes and the blog is full of really yummy things I want to try. 

3. Emily Coates and Emilys Recipes and reviews. 

Another blog I found through Twitter (Twitter is really great by the way!!) I love the mix of recipes and reviews and the photography always makes my mouth water .. Emilys tweets are always a lovely mix of good humour and delicious food - right up my street! 

4. Jo and The Little Cake House 

This blog should come with a warning .. EVERY time I look I feel inspired to bake and increase my skills. Jo is a perfectionist and creates the most aesthetically stunning bakes. I love the nod to the Far East where on my own travels I was captivated by the beautiful, precise and tasty patisserie. This lady inspires me to pull my socks up and make my creations look better! 

Last but NOT list Kerry and  Kerry Cooks Blog, I came across this blog searching for rainbow cake ideas (which I never made in the end .. all the food colouring put me off but I am sure it's super amazing and certainly looks that way!) and favourited it as a fave daily read, she also blogs about cats and makeup - really a girl after my own heart. 

So, there are my nominations for an award .. and here are my questions to answer if any of you lovely lot want to take part! 

1. What is your favourite baking "discipline" and why - i.e, cakes, pastry, bread .. 

2. ... and your least favourite 

3. Do you watch The Great British Bake Off .. who is your favourite EVER contestant and why?

4. What made you decide to take up blogging, what keeps you carrying on? 

5. When you are not whipping up a storm in the kitchen what else ticks your boxes to pass the time? 

6. What has been your biggest baking success .... ?

7. And disaster .. 

8. From which country do you get your biggest baking inspiration, for example rustic italian breads or the good old British Victoria sponge? 

9. Who inspired you to take up baking?

10. What is the best cake / bake you have eaten and still dream about .. ? 

I look forward to reading the answers and until next time happy baking everyone :) !