Baking bonanza

Having spent a lovely weekend visiting step-daughter #1 and her family I needed a day to catch up on domestics.

E and I had VIP tickets for Cake International at the NEC and spent a lovely day wandering around, making the odd purchase, visiting the craft and Christmas shows in the next door arena, and making the most of the refreshments and sit down opportunities our VIP tickets allowed.

There were a lot fewer stands this year, understandable in the circumstances. There were a few big names noticeably absent too. Squires Kitchen and Purple Cupcakes to name a couple.

In previous years we’ve also taken part in the Renshaw modelling sessions and have have drunken snowmen, rabbits and reindeer toppers as evidence. We didn’t do that this time.

There were a lot fewer punters there too, which was no bad thing. Our Covid jab status was checked on the way in. Maybe that kept a number of people away if they hadn’t had their second jab yet.

So having taken Monday off from work to catch up with domestic stuff, I needed to get breakfasts and lunches ready for the rest of the week ahead. I’d seen recipes for roasted parsnip, garlic & haricot bean soup, which I thought would go well with a pumpkin, cheese and rosemary scone.

For the love of man there was no pumpkin puree to be found in any of the major supermarkets. I went to all of them to check. So I substituted it with butternut squash that we had in the freezer instead.

C was making bread rolls so we had competing needs for the oven but roasting the butternut coincided with baking his rolls so all worked out OK.

Whilst the soup ingredients were in the soup maker, I made my biscoff pancakes for breakfasts. They turned out probably the best looking I’ve ever made them. Nice and golden colour. I guess I wasn’t rushing unlike usual.

Then all the ingredients for the scones got mixed and kneaded. I forgot to take my rings off so they all got a bit gunned up with mixture. They smelled lovely whilst they were baking so I’m looking forward to tasting them.

The soup looks a bit insipid (I suppose it would do really) but I’m sure it’ll taste fine.

After lunch I got on with one of my least favourite domestic chores, the ironing. Still, got it done and out of the way.

Ready for a three day working week.

A different way of preparing for Christmas

We are enjoying a long overdue weekend away, staying in a hotel for a couple of nights. We chose to book breakfast and evening meals at the hotel as we were unsure what was around and if you had to book.

Our first meal was Friday evening. I chose the ham hock bruschetta for starter, chicken with chicken leg croquette and veg for main, followed by toffee cheesecake with homemade ice cream and popcorn for dessert. With accompanying glasses of prosecco and a Baileys to finish. Absolutely delicious.

After dinner there was not much to do, and current covid rules says that you’re not allowed to hang around in the bar if you’re not eating, so we went back up to our room and watched TV, until the feeling of a good meal, alcohol and a warm room lead to sleep.

Only a few hours later and it was time for breakfast. Due to a pared down menu the options were cereal, porridge, croissant and other pastries or a full English, bacon sandwich or toast. I ticked the full English but then C ticked the toast and pain au chocolate options as well. A massive array of breakfast arrived with tea and coffee. Took some doing but we got through it all.

Needless to say, we didn’t need lunch. We did have a cream tea at a National Trust property early in the afternoon, but that was enough.

Dinner time again. This time I opted for the ham hock starter again (didn’t much fancy any of the other options) followed by bbq beef short rib with sweet potato fries and slaw, then chocolate orange torte for pud. One glass of prosecco and a bottle of wine between us.

This time I felt that we needed to go for a walk after dinner. I felt like I was going to explode! When we got back to our room, we were thinking of what to do for Sunday lunch on our way home and managed to book a table at Prezzo for 12.30. Quite early for us for Sunday lunch. I’m thinking I should have a smaller breakfast to leave some room. I’m also thinking I do like a cooked breakfast, and I’m on holiday, so sod it.

I have stretchy jeans on, so they’ll expand. I’m preparing my tummy for the onslaught of Christmas food. I’m also mindful that eating too much is not good, so it’ll be back to slimming world soup for lunch next week.

Double Trouble

Every now and then, half way through a workday afternoon I get a real hankering for cake or biscuits. I’m supposed to be dieting but a long afternoon often needs a sugar boost to get me through to the end of the day. Its really not helpful having an M&S and WHSmith on site. It makes it too easy to pop along for a snack.

For some reason, Wednesday was a day that needed feeding. I’d brought my breakfast in and had it at about 9am. Yoghurt and grape nuts. Pretty good. I’d brought my lunch in too, homemade leek & potato soup with a slice of C’s homemade multiseed bread 😋. So far so good.

I had a couple of video conferences over the lunchtime period so I’d eaten my soup by 12:30. After the calls, I went for a walk around the hospital site to get some fresh air. Despite being damp out, it was warm and quite pleasant.

When I got back to my desk, I ate my Fibre One cake bar, swiftly followed by the popcorn bar, which I sometimes save for snack later on. But I still wasn’t satisfied.

Purse in hand I went to M&S firmly resolved just to get a small packet of biscuits. But I want cake. I REALLY want cake. But I want something savoury too. And something sweet for a sugar kick.

Before I knew it I’d got 2 packets of sweets, a packet of pitta chips and a twin pack of lemon curd whitby buns (why don’t they sell them in singles?).

I know, I’ll have the sweets this afternoon because I need a quick sugar hit, then save everything else for tomorrow.

Apparently not. I’ll get back to my desk, then scoff the lot. Now I have a sugar high and full up so I’ll not want my dinner. Doh!

Soup Season

Its definitely turned chillier which means its time to break out the soup maker.

The days of packing salad and cold meats for lunch is drawing to a close, giving way to being able to microwave soup at work. A nice tub of warm soup and a couple of slices of C’s homemade multigrain bread 😋 is perfect for an autumnal day.

As with most weekends it involves meal prep for the week ahead, so soup maker duly cleaned and ready to go, the soup of choice for this coming week is cauliflower and cheese. Its an SW recipe involving many, many cheese triangles. I didn’t put them in until after the rest of the soup had been through the soup maker, then stirred them through whilst it was still hot.

To be honest it’s not the most appetising looking soup. Kind of a very pale yellow (due to the paprika i assume and the cheese triangles). It tasted ok when I stuck my finger in it to test it but don’t know how it will be once reheated at work. Anyway, try it I shall and I have 4 tubs of it to get through in the week ahead, so eat it I will.