Great British Bake Off

Along with half the country, we tuned into the GBBO last night with a cuppa and a slice of moist, home-made ginger cake!  As always, it was captivating viewing with a couple of potential front runners leading the way, although I am always wary of people peaking too soon. As we are to have an homage to the Bakeoff at our next team meeting and needing to hone my skills in preparation, I rustled up a ginger cake when we had advance warning of a visitor on Saturday. The final slices went down well last night so that’s a start

Birthday Baking

I’ve been deliberating on how to ensure Nerea gets a homemade birthday cake in Spain and I think I’ve solved it.  I’m going to bake her a carrot cake in a mini loaf tin which Alex can take when he flies out to Spain early on Friday morning to see her.  My visit to Crewe, involving an overnight stay, and Andy’s visit to Reading tomorrow means that the baking must be done tonight but as carrot cake is pretty good at “keeping”, I think it’ll survive.  And even if it arrives in crumbs, it’s the thought that counts, isn’t it?

Job done!

A pre-birthday treat

Being a woman of simple tastes (and needing to use up a day’s holiday), I had a very enjoyable pre-birthday home-lunch with a friend before hunting down a geocache.  The cache wasn’t in the obvious place so I was able to enjoy clambering up a tree and fettling in the undergrowth before finally getting my grubby mitts on a rubber rat!  Although we’d expected a “jokey” hide, neither of us particularly care for rodents, rubber or otherwise, so needing a little additional sustenance we rounded up the afternoon with tea and cake at a local farm shop.  An excellent day!

Work place achievemnts

It’s bizarre, but one of my most satisfying achievements at work is when my colleagues eat all my home made cake. Any occasion, however minor, merits a baking session so I’ve inflicted many a different concoction on my long suffering colleagues over the years.  And they’re a discerning, critical lot so I “welcome” their feedback with trepidation. And although I regularly write papers on a multitude of topics, provide briefing, deliver presentations and deal with all sorts of challenging and rewarding management situations in the office and elsewhere, nothing quite uplifts my spirits like the sight of an empty plate.

I just can't say No!,

At 6pm on Friday, Nerea asked if I would make a cake as a raffle prize.  On discovering that it was for the VIth Form Indonesian charity evening beginning an hour later at a local restaurant, I set to with a large sigh and mixed up a chocolate cake in no time.   I was whipping the icing when Alex arrived and enthusiastically pronounced the cooling cake to be perfect. Heroically, I delivered it to the restaurant before the raffle was drawn and suppose I should feel flattered that Alex later chose it as his prize, when beer was still available!