Sometimes recipes require ingredients that I don’t like. Occasionally I’ll follow the recipe as written, try it and am surprised that it doesn’t taste like I’d expect. Sometimes I substitute the ingredient for something different.
I got around to baking the strawberry and banana loaf cake today. Now, I don’t like strawberries but I do like the flavour so I’m ok with that. But bananas. There is nothing about a banana I like. The smell, the taste, the texture. All disgusting. So why bother with using it?
The recipe called for one banana to be mushed into the cake batter. I took a punt and decided to go with it. If it turned out disgusting then C gets to eat the whole thing to himself.
The strawberries were freeze dried so I’m hoping that the flavour will be intensified enough to out do the banana. I won’t know until tomorrow when we taste it.
10 days ago I celebrated my 50th birthday and C pulled out all the stops for a lockdown special day. Today it was my turn to spoil him a bit.
A little bit more awkward as I had to go to work but we started with cards and presents. Lots of good things had arrived from family. Beer, a photobook, a sweet and cake selection, a mystery gift that he has to log into on the computer for, bumper box of Hotel Chocolat treats. I bought him a book about a bellringer who he used to ring with when he was at university and a set of e-bells. The e-bells are so we can ring handbells on the virtual #bellringing platforms. They haven’t arrived yet as there’s a bit of a backlog but I’m sure he’ll have fun when they arrive.
He’s had to amuse himself during the day but I did manage to get off work early.
He usually cooks dinner and we would ordinarily go out for a meal on birthdays but as we can’t do that I suggested I’d treat him to a take out. He opted for a curry and we both went for something different from the menu. He had one of his birthday beers to go with it.
I’d made a small cake, not very extravagant, but stuck a candle on it and took obligatory photo to send to all of his children.
He doesn’t do social media but many people have posted birthday wishes on my media, which I’ve shared with him and for which he’s grateful.
He’s not one for big displays or being the centre of attention but he’s worth it. Happy birthday Mr C. 💞
I don’t very often fail completely when I’m baking but today’s BakedIn Brookies just didn’t work. There has been much comment on their social media page as to people having problems with the cookie and brownie elements somehow mixing and there not being such a definitive line, as per their picture.
I thought I’d try and be clever so decided I was going to part bake the cookie base before adding the brownie mixture neatly atop. Well, that was a stupid idea.
All that happened was the cookie dough was very soft because it was hot so the brownie mix, instead of spreading nicely on top, just plopped in the middle then sank to the bottom. I couldn’t spread it at all. So mine ended up with mostly cookie at the edges and mostly brownie in the centre and a slightly marbled effect where they met.
They tasted ok though so that’s the main thing, right?
Its by no coincidence that my blog site is called Bells, Bakes & Bettering Myself. Today I got to do all three. The holy trinity. The hatrick. Whatever you want to call it.
This morning was spent with friends and family in Ringing Room, the virtual #bellringing platform. A group of us from Essex, North Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire were able to ring together, have a good natter and make some progress in our learning. Bells part 1. Tick.
Early afternoon was taken up by decorating a cake for me and hublet for valentines day. Now, I need to fess up and admit that I didn’t actually make the cake, I only decorated it. A fantastic website called Sweet Success Cakes https://cccbr.org.uk/2021/02/10/the-survival-and-recovery-toolbox-issue-3/ can ship you ready make cakes in any size and different shapes and flavours you like. I’d already decided that I’m going to make myself a cake for my birthday next week and was looking at the site for some inspiration. They were offering 4 x 4 inch cakes, chocolate, red velvet, lemon and plain for £10. No brainer. Therefore, I decided that I would use one for valentines day, 2 for my birthday and have an extra tall cake and the other one for his birthday. I’ll have a rethink when it comes to our anniversary. All of these dates happen within a month of each other. The cakes can be frozen and defrosted when you need them so that’s handy. Cake done, although I suppose not technically baking but… Bakes. Tick.
Then came a meeting with some members of the Central Council and The Big Ideas Company, an organisation we’ve worked with before on major #bellringing projects. We were kicking around some new ideas for regenerating ringing when we can return post Covid. Bells part 2. Tick.
Then there was a little slot available until dinnertime to do a bit of research. I’m currently doing a free online course about mindfulness and wellbeing. See yesterday’s blog for how that went. The course does require you to do some independent learning so I was having a look about for scholarly articles on the science of mindfulness. Turns out there’s quite a few. I’ve pulled off a few that I think might be interesting. Bettering Myself. Tick.
Bells, Bakes and Bettering Myself. Does what it says on the tin.
I love watching QI and learning random facts. I came in to the lounge part way through an episode where they were trying to evenly cut a cake between them. The point being that there is scientific research into how to fairly divide a cake among any number of people.
Its a bit of a metaphor for dividing any problem where things need to be split between people who value it differently.
In the 1960’s mathematicians figured out how to split a cake between three people who valued it differently, but it wasn’t until the 1980’s when seminal work on cake cutting was published. Then, more recently a new algorithm was published that depended on the number of people rather than their preferences. For a full explanation look at https://www.quantamagazine.org/new-algorithm-solves-cake-cutting-problem-20161006/ which goes in to some detail.
That all sounds far too complicated for my tiny brain. The cakes I want to cut don’t require so much effort although there are culinary guides that show you how to cut a 16 inch round cake into 100 pieces.
There are also videos that show you how to cut a cake cleanly, tell you what type of knife is better to use (serrated blade btw), or how to cut a cake so it doesn’t dry out.
Who knew that cutting a cake should be so complicated. There is of course a very simple answer. Eat the whole thing and don’t cut it at all 🎂
I follow multiple cake bakers social media in an attempt to get ideas on future cake designs and to see what the latest trend is.
Trouble is, there are so many beautiful designs and styles that every time I see a photo I think “oh that’s nice” then 2 seconds later see another one and “oh thats nice too”. To the point where its actually quite confusing now.
Apart from the fact that no one is needing cake made right now, I might not be able to get supplies in and I’ll have to make do with what I’ve got. I suppose I could order stuff in but as I can’t decide what to do, I don’t know what to order.
If I made a cake just for my own pleasure, I have my favourite colour scheme and think I would probably make something with some classic flowers on. I have some annual leave so will have the time to make them. I’m thinking a large peony and some roses and fillers. I have a tonne of new sprinkles to try out too so it would be good to incorporate them as well.
There’s Valentines Day, mine and C’s birthdays and our wedding anniversary coming up so maybe time to have a play.
I do find cake decorating quite therapeutic as you have to concentrate on what you’re doing. Its all absorbing. And of course there’s a reward at the end of it. I just have to make the time.
I do not think I’m the adventurous type at all. I like home comforts. I like routine. I like to know what I’m doing and when so that I can plan around it. I’m not particularly great at trying new experiences. Although I did do an abseil once. I did go skiing when I was at school. I do like to travel and see different places. And I did make my husband do husky sledging a few years back. But I’m not spontaneous, or good at thinking of what others might see as exciting things to do.
So, I thought I’d try and find out what the experts say about whether I’m an adventurous sort or not and turned to one of those on line quizzes that thinks its gets to know all about you and your preferences by asking you a mere 10 multiple choice questions. According to the results:
You are excited by new experiences
Cosmopolitan, smart and savvy, above all, you get your kicks from interesting experiences. You flourish when your mind and senses are nourished and flounder in a cultural vacuum. The buzz of a new exhibit, the hush as the theatre curtain parts, or the flavours of a new cuisine all excite your palate and thrill your thoughts. For you, the conventional is dreary. Because you open yourself up to a wide array of artistic and intellectual interests, your world is ever expanding.
Well, as it happens, yes I do like the theatre. We do try to at least make an annual trip to see a West End show each Christmas time (2020 being the exception) and if anything else takes our fancy in the mean time we’d go along. I do like to learn new things and educate myself. I enjoy certain types of museums and exhibits and enjoy a good National Trust property or English Heritage site. I do like eating, so trying new things from time to time is good, and when we are on holiday abroad I do like to try something that might be considered local cuisine (so long as its not fish!).
So I might not be adventurous in the sense that I like to do extreme things like water sports (I have a phobia of water so that’s not going to work), or bungee jumping, or fast paced stuff, I’m more of a slow, steady adventurer. I’m less keen on the “let’s do something crazy” and go for more of the “let’s plan a nice trip out”.
A while back I did do a year (and am probably still doing it) of saying “yes” to everything that came my way. This was both exciting to take on new challenges but worrying as some of the things I was asked to do put me in the spotlight, somewhere I’m not comfortable with. However, it did give me a chance to connect with new people, and has stretched my own learning and capacity. The downside is that I now get involved in lots of things that I can’t always give sufficient time to. So there’s a fine balance needed.
So, maybe I am unconventionally adventurous and my world is ever expanding, just slowly.
I finally got around to baking the BakedIn Winter Spice Cake. Its a test of biscuitery and cakery. Gingerbread houses, trees and stars and a cinnamon flavoured cake and icing.
It was, as you might expect, quite time consuming. Need to make the dough for the biscuits, then whilst that’s chilling in the fridge, make the cake batter. Then when the cakes are baking its time to roll out the dough and cut out the shapes. Then bake them whilst the cakes are cooling. Then make the icing while the biscuits cool. A little bit fiddly in parts but otherwise quite satisfying to put it all together.
The smell of the cinnamon and the gingerbread is just like its Christmas cooking all over again. Christmas food is just about the best.
Food smells, like any other smell, has the ability to transport us to the past, to experiences and periods of our lives.
There’s always been a smell, that I can’t really describe, that always reminds me of my grandads kitchen and the massive panty/cupboard where he kept all the crockery and some tins (peaches, pears and spam generally) and packets of food. I can’t really remember a particular smell from my nanna’s, but I do remember the food. She’d get enough in for tea that “whatever you don’t eat now you’ll have to take home with you”.
I wonder what olfactory memories our daughter will have of our house. There’s certainly been a lot of baking. I know she came in from her evening job when she was doing her A levels, and always said that whatever was cooking for dinner smelled lovely. Usually something like chilli or spaghetti bolognese.
I received two totally independent packages today.
One was a belated Christmas present from my brother. He had intended to be able to visit just before Christmas to deliver them in person, but the change in Covid restrictions put pay to that so he had to resort to posting. There were several little wrapped presents in the package, but one of them was a cake slice with the words “happiness is a piece of cake” written on it. 👇 Ain’t that the truth.
The next parcel to arrive was some cake decorating goodies that I’d ordered a few days ago. I don’t have any cakes to make at the moment but I was looking through some photos and came across a couple of some sprinkles pots that my friend at The Cupcake Oven uses. I’d taken photos when I was last at one of her classes to remind me of the brand name so that when I wanted to order some at a later date I’d remember. This prompted me to browse their website and, naturally one pot of sprinkles became four.
It seems rather coincidental then that two cake related items should arrive on my doorstep on the same day. And just the day after what would have my granddad’s 107th birthday (who was a master baker) and on the day that would have been my nephew’s 23rd birthday.
Perhaps someone is telling me I need to make a sparkly cake for no other reason than just because. Maybe I will at the weekend.
OK, so let’s join the band wagon of a review of the last year. After all, its been a very different kind of year. Every aspect of every part of life has been impacted one way or another.
Career – started the year thinking it was going to be another year of same old, same old. For the first 3 months that’s exactly how it was. When covid hit it put a lot of things into perspective and I made a decision that, to be honest, had been brewing a while. An opportunity came along to get back into project management, albeit on a secondment. I had to take it for my own sanity. Even though I didn’t start in the new role until December, the thought of it being there was enough to see me through some really horrible months.
Ringing – various ups and downs along the way. Normal routine of Sunday service, monthly quarter peals and weekly practices turned into nothing at all, then maybe 5 people of a Sunday but no practices, then down to just the 2 of us. It looked like we could have gone back up to 5 again for Christmas Day but at the last minute it was not to be. At first I didn’t want to embrace the virtual world of #bellringing. It just didn’t seem worth it. But by May I was running my own weekly practice for family and friends, joining in the odd other online practice and starting to run a monthly district practice and organise a monthly 10 bell practice. Taking full advantage of ringing methods that I wouldn’t normally get to ring in a tower.
Homelife – I suppose this is where its hit hardest. We haven’t been able to gather as a family for all the usual events. Mum’s 80th birthday, the May “counting”, R’s birthday, Dad’s birthday. No holiday, no ringing weekends. No visits to North Lincolnshire or Hemel Hempstead or Nottingham. No Cake International Show. We did manage to get a couple of day trips to see R when we were all allowed to mix in small groups again but towards the end of the year it became impossible again. We did set up a regular fortnightly family Skype so we could all keep in touch and at least see each other on a screen if not in person.And of course Christmas was very different. No car boot present swap, no drinking Baileys with R. Just a low key day with C, and chatting with family on Skype.
Cakes – as we haven’t had the usual gathering I’ve not needed to bake as many cakes. I did make a small one for mum’s 80th, a friends 60th and Dad’s birthday, but they only needed to be small ones. I have tried some other bakes instead and been mostly up to date with my BakedIn boxes. I’ve tried a few other recipes too, and did manage to get to a socially distanced class with my favourite teacher at @thecupcakeoven to learn how to make cakecicles and heart gems. I didn’t need to make a Christmas cake as we’re not massive fans of it and we got so much food in the hampers that people sent us. I’m hoping that there’ll be more opportunity for cake in 2021.
I suppose I’m quite fortunately really in that I’ve still been able to go to work and keep some semblance of routine. I’m reasonably tech savvy so have been able to embrace video conferencing and Ringing Room. And of course, the most important bit is that I have managed to stay healthy, as has the rest of the family.
Nothing is going to dramatically change as the clock strikes midnight and a new year starts. But there is hope on the horizon. My colleagues are going through an incredibly tough time and are on their knees trying to keep everyone else healthy but with little support and those idiots that flout the rules and put everyone else at risk. But I do have a sense that we will come out of this the other side. Things will be different and we won’t go back to the way things were, or at least I hope not. We have proven that we can work and play differently.
Bells, Bakes & Bettering Myself 