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Thursday, October 8, 2015

TGBBO

(The Great British Bake Off for the initiated).So the final was last night and due to the vagaries of the BBC Iplayer and our time zone I have not yet watched it so have been desperately trying to avoid seeing or hearing any reference to the outcome at the office or in the Media. Not easy given how it seems to have attracted a lot of attention. I must admit that I am a late (very late) convert to this show. I do not watch much TV other than live sport (although the Peter Kaye show "Car share" was an honourable exception). However, I am almost messianic in my enthusiasm for TGBO - talk about the zeal of the convert! E first introduced me about 2 months ago when the most recent series commenced and it has been required viewing ever since - I guess it is the combination of gladiatorial combat (each week a contestant is eliminated based on the assessment of the two judges Mary Berry (all Grandmotherly charm and old fashioned common-sense and briskness) and Paul Hollywood (bad cop to Mary's good cop)) and comfort cooking (that looks amazing, I bet I could make that).

Our devotion has led us to download the whole of the previous series (Series 5 which included the great freezer scandal) which we have been watching in parallel with the present series. Even the kids enjoy it which obviously reduces the length and volubility of the debate about watch we should watch on TV. We have even been moved to do our own baking. A rather underwhelming Ginger "Magic" cake which probably had too much pepper and ended up in the bin as it had the texture of quiche (although having subsequently looked up on the internet what it was supposed to be like does not seem to have been a million miles away from the intended end product - inedible anyway) and a rather more successful cherry cake based on a Mary Berry recipe (flouring the cherries ensuring that they were evenly distributed in the bake).

As is my wont, my new enthusiasm has led to various kitchen related purchases so now I have any number of baking trays, loaf boxes and I am eyeing up a Kitchenaid mixer (only £600 so have tried to curb my enthusiasm on that one). Anyway, will be interesting to see who won when I eventually get to watch the final episode.

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Brief Intermission

I was actually doing pretty well on the holiday descriptions (and had even started part 2) before work intervened and I have been up to my ears ever since. I will, hopefully complete the stories of our Summer escapades shortly (and might if I am feeling particularly diligent also recount our skiing adventures in Switzerland in February and our language classes in Granada(!) over Easter (we have been quite busy this year...). However, for today I will content myself with a short update following England's disastrous exit from the RWC last night at the hands of a much superior Australian team. Chelsea also managed to loss yesterday (again) so as sporting weekends go, it has not been a great one. Dad and I were consoling each other on the telephone this morning(obviously about England's loss, he was quite chipper about Chelsea's defeat....) and concluded that at least we saved ourselves heartbreak later on in the competition (not much of a consolation I know!).