Breakfast Roulette

I fancied something different for my breakfasts this week. I usually have a yoghurt with grape nuts for breakfast when I’m at work. But as the weather is turning colder I wanted something that I coukd eat hot but was still within the SW rules.

Yesterday I baked some versions of Baked Oats. This consists of 40g of oats, 100g yoghurt, 1 egg, a teaspoon of baking powder and then whatever filling you fancy. Could be anything from apple sauce, Nutella, jam, mincemeat, whatever you fancy really. The interesting thing is you could eat these bakes for breakfast or even as a hot dessert, maybe with some cream, ice cream or custard if you’re feeling extravagant.

I made 3 lots as I’ll be in the office 3 days this week. I put Biscoff spread in one, but didn’t have enough for more, so raspberry jam went in the other 2.

After they’d baked for 40 minutes and cooled down, I covered them with cling film and put them in the fridge. The trouble was by then I couldn’t remember which one was which.

I grabbed one on my way out this morning. At a time I decided it was breakfast time I warmed it through in the microwave for 4 minutes. I still couldn’t tell which one I’d grabbed.

It was only as I plunged my spoon in that I discovered it was one of the jam ones. That means tomorrow there’s a fifty-fifty chance of Biscoff.

Rather sad that it’s quite a fun game to play.

Socially distanced birthday cake

As plans have been well and truly scuppered for Christmas, it has also made Dad’s birthday celebrations difficult. We usually have a grand gathering for his birthday and couple it with “the great car boot swap”, the chance for everyone to exchange Christmas gifts.

As we weren’t having a great gathering in a pub somewhere I thought that Dad might miss out on his pub dinner, so my original plan for Dad’s birthday was to order dinner from a localish pub that was still doing take away service, then drop it round with his pressies and their Christmas stuff too. However with the latest restrictions, the pub decided to withdraw its offer, so I had to tell mum she’d have to cook after all.

I have however, made a cake and as I was working from home, dropped that off with his presents etc instead. I left them on the doorstep, rang the doorbell then retreated to the other end of the driveway.

We chatted for a while and updated news on what daughter is up to i.e. not coming home for Christmas. I couldn’t stop long, a) because that’s probably not a good idea and b) had to get back for a 1pm meeting.

I think Dad was suitably happy. He’d spoken to big bruv and one of my sister’s by the time I got there. Not your average birthday but when you’re on your 81st of them, maybe they get a bit samey after a while.

Sunday slump

Sunday mornings are usually fairly active. We rarely get a lay in because we need to get to the Cathedral for #bellringing. Once we’re home again, it’s the fun that is the ironing to get done. This Sunday, we followed the usual routine and I even threw in some cake decoration as well. Then its time for lunch.

After lunch comes the slump. That time in the afternoon when you know you have a million things to get done, but just want to sit and slump. I have to be careful not to totally give into it though as I have a meeting this evening that I’m chairing so need to be awake.

I am however giving into watching some movies. This afternoon’s choice is The Theory of Everything. The biopic of Prof Stephen Hawking. I’ve seen it before but it is incredibly moving. Eddie Redmayne is absolutely incredible and I’m glad that he got to meet the great man and form a friendship, and won an Oscar for his performance.

I’m feeling very self-indulgent in watching a great film, with a cup of mint tea and scoffing some chocolates. Not quite joined the ranks of sitting on the sofa in my Pj’s, but enjoying my slump nevertheless.

Start the day as you mean to go on.

The start of the day really set the tone for the rest of the day. I accidentally opened tomorrow’s advent calendar window instead of today’s. Wishing the day away. Doh!

We had a virtual #bellringing session this morning that wasn’t successful either. Three attempts at one method came a cropper so we tried a different one and that didn’t want to go either. Having been ringing for around 45 minutes, we called it a day.

After lunch I baked a cake ahead of decorating it tomorrow and it sank in the middle. A bit of stealth buttercream will fix that.

Early evening the new Covid Tiers were announced and has put us and our daughter’s areas in tier 4 which means that it is likely we cannot see her for Christmas now. Her flat mate can’t go to his family either. At least if they have to stay in the flat there’ll be the 2 of them so neither will be on their own. If we can wangle it and they can come here, of course they’ll both come, we wouldn’t leave him on his own. R is, at the moment, still working until Wednesday. My fingers are well and truly crossed. I felt physically sick for a while, at the prospect of not being able to see her, or that her flatmate may have gone back to his family and she’d be alone.

I participated in another virtual #bellringing session in the early evening and there were some technical problems as well as method mistakes so that wasn’t as good as it could have been. My brain was truly fried by the end of that.

Dinner was a lovely fully loaded jacket potato with bacon, sweetcorn and some tomatoey concoction. Dinner was a bit later than anticipated as we had been waiting for a call back from R as one option would have been to drive down to get her tonight. So eager was I to eat that I took a massive bite and savagely burned the roof of my mouth and gums. I could feel the skin peeling. Then I got what amounted to a paper cut on my thumb knuckle when I peeled back the foil lid on my yoghurt pot.

After dinner it was as much as I could do to keep my eyes open. I’ll draw a line under today and move on.

Have your cake and eat it

Today there was much talk of cake, of all different sorts.

A family conversation recently discussed the merits of an After Eight Mint cake that one sibling had seen on social media, and the challenge to bake one was issued. I had actually made After Eight mint cupcakes a few years back, so shared the photo (above).

We were due to socially distance visit some friends this weekend but our area has been placed in Tier 3 so that’s now not happening. Before the deadline arrived, our friends popped round to deliver Christmas cards instead and, from the safety of staying in their car, also delivered some yummy cupcakes.

Then, the anticipation of delivery of the monthly BakedIn box. Mine hadn’t arrived yet, but the video had been released so I had a sneak peek. OMG, sounds delicious. My box did arrive later that same morning, so not really a spoiler. I will save that one up for Christmas week.

Then sibling tagged me in a post for a no bake Terry’s chocolate orange cheesecake. I LOVE cheesecake. I printed the recipe off and C picked it up off the printer and declared that I’m making it for Christmas Day dessert. OK then.

And I’ve been formulating an idea for a cake for a special delivery next week. Got an idea in my mind. 🤫

As Marie Antoinette apparently said “let them eat cake”. I shall do my best.

Yule be amazed at what I just made

Well, probably not. This weeks bake was a caramel yule log courtesy of BakedIn. This is the 2nd recipe I’ve made of theirs which requires the making of caramel. The trouble is, for some reason its something I’ve never been able to get right. The sugar and water never seems to go a brownish colour, then when I add the cream its just a slightly dirty looking yellow colour. If I wait for it to darken, it then sets rock hard. I can never getting at a pouring consistency. However, I have sprinkled said rock hard caramel instead of drizzled it. It’ll add some texture!

We’ve got proper christmassy today. Been into town for some last minute gifts and wrapped them up. Made said yule log. Then went for a wintery, night walk around our local RHS Hyde Hall to look at the Glow lights. It promised to bring the gardens to life after dark with festive food and drink and Christmas shopping. It didn’t disappoint.

The trees and shrubs were lit up in different colours, there was festive food and drink (although we didn’t partake) and everything was well set out and managed. And of course the obligatory stop in the shop.

Have had a thoroughly lovely day.

Baking tutorials, are they good for business?

Watching videos and IGLive tutorials from my favourite bakers really inspires me to want to bake more. The trouble is threefold. I tend to miss a lot of the tutorials as they tend to either be during the day or early evening when I haven’t quite got home from work. Secondly, I don’t have time to do so much baking. Thirdly, if I did all that baking I’d either be the size of a house or diabetic, or both 😅

Those who do free tutorials and IGLives are so generous with their time and expertise. Surely by telling everyone else how to do it runs the risk of putting themselves out of work because we’d all be able to do it for ourselves.

Does it make good business sense? Actually, it probably does. By making themselves more accessible, it means that more people would follow them, be interested in their other products and offers, and be willing to paid for membership and exclusive access to more tutorials.

The company my daughter works for seem to have quite a cult following, with people willing to travel miles to get their hands on their goods. So far, I’ve only managed to sample a sourdough loaf, but I hear their doughnuts are to die for. I’ve watched bits of a few IGLives, when I’ve managed to get to it in time. There’s nothing pretencious about any of the recipes, its all good, honest baking. I’m kinda hoping that R will get me a copy of their book for Christmas 😁

I do need to put a bit more effort into some home baking puddings and cake. C is in charge of bread baking as he’s the one that eats most of it, so I’d best not interfere there.

Shout out to my favourites: Bread Ahead, Cakeflix and The Cupcake Oven.

Bells, bakes and business

Such a busy day.

Gave C the option of cake or cookies for today’s baking experience. He opted for cookies. I had a quick gander through the cookie bookie then decided on ginger as the key ingredient. Googled gingernut biscuits but found an alternative recipe. Bashed out ginger cookies, with extra stem ginger for heat. Had a batch of them done first thing.

That was before bells. Assisting my sister in her Ringing Room session whilst she’s consolidating Ipswich, Primrose and Norwich at the moment. The great thing about Ringing Room is that you can put out a request for assistance and the wonderful #bellringing community responds. A regular group of 8 from across the UK, who have never met in person (obviously I’ve met my sister!), gather, ring and offer support and advice.

It was a bit chilly this morning so I needed to do something to warm up and decided that there were Christmas presents ready for wrapping, so cracked on with that. This is the most advanced I’ve been with Christmas preparations in, forever! Had a need for something warm for lunch and attacked cheese on toast. 😋 Simple, yet effective.

A #bellringing meeting followed with lots of good things discussed, agreed and actions assigned. It was noted again, that C was on cuppa and snack duty. Something that he doesn’t require prompting to do.

I then finished reading the fabulous Troy by Stephen Fry. I’ve read all 3 books in the series in a short space of time because they are so easy to read and such fun too. I’m slightly bereft that I’ve finished them. Have nothing to read now.

Only then did I allow myself half an hour to do nothing. I snuggled under my sofa blanket and shut my eyes for a while. I didn’t quite get to nap as C and I were chatting about all sorts of things, especially plans for the Association Training Day, but it was nice just to relax for a bit.

Dinner and a glass (or 2) of wine, followed by giant chocolate orange buttons and televisual viewing sorted for the evening.

Tomorrow’s going to be another busy day 😁

Being fed and watered (and flowered)

Most of Saturday daytime was taken up by attending the virtual meeting of the Central Council of Church Bellringers Executive and Workgroup leads meeting. Although technically neither of those things, I am generally invited in my role as Public Relations Officer so that I have some idea of what’s going on.

The Exec and I meet once a month (the Exec meet otherwise as Trustees at different times so I’m not party to discussions I shouldn’t be), then once a quarter there’s a larger meeting that includes the Workgroup leads too. Saturday was that day.

On these occasions some element of logistics is required with regard to lunch and other refreshment throughout the day. C and I have it well sorted.

Before the meeting started in the morning I put in my lunch order, as there’s only half an hour break allocated. This time C sourced vegetable samosa, garlic and herb focaccia and a custard doughnut whilst he was in town, from the bread stall in the High Street. The samosa and bread were duly served warmed up at the alloted time.

C had also sourced a poinsettia whilst he was out, which made its way on to the windowsill during the course of the early part of the meeting, before the lunch break.

At lunchtime the afternoon cuppa order was placed and timing agreed. At the alloted time, whilst I was on screen, my mint tea accompanied by a chocolate orange brownie that I’d made yesterday was delivered, in full view of the other participants on the video call.

This prompted 2 participants to message me privately, via the chat function. One simply said “you’re lucky” the other put in their order for “tea with milk and no sugar“.

A little while later the first messager advised that his tea cuppa had now arrived. I replied to say that mine had come with the brownie, which was met with raised eyebrows and mouth gaping, and a tiny spec of jealousy me thinks!

I’m lucky that C helps me facilitate attending these meetings by picking up the domestic slack. Its all in the planning you know.

Brownie baking

No, I don’t mean cooking small Girl Guides!

Been a bit of a busy day and the rest of the weekend doesn’t appear to be much better so in order to assuage the need to bake, it would have to be something quick and simple.

As it happened, the previous day saw something pop up in one of my social media feeds showing chocolate brownies decorated like Christmas trees. They looked quite effective.

The picture above was my attempt at replicating the design with what I’d got to hand. To be honest, they look quite good in the flesh.

I’m not very good at coming up with my own designs for cakes and bakes but I can copy someone else’s design generally. I always state that where that is the case and never claim them as my own.

The other thing I did, to keep in with a theme amongst friends at the moment, was to add some orange flavouring to both the brownie mix and the icing. Chocolate orange flavoured goods are definitely a staple requirement.

I’ll get to test them out whilst in virtual meetings over the weekend and I’m sure there won’t be many left come Monday morning. 😋