Cobblers & Confusion

 

So let’s start with the most important bit – Danny is out of the Great British Bake Off and it’s an all male final! She didn’t have a great week at all – it always seems that someone falls apart and so it makes the choice of who to send home quite obvious. I want them all to have a week so you have no idea who is going home and no-one falls apart quicker than Danny’s Genoese thing (sorry, can’t remember the fancy name). I wonder of the three left who will end up Star Baker – I would love it be John but think he’s probably the next one to lose it as he seems on the edge!

On my own baking front, I made some pretty good macaroons last weekend (even if I do say so myself).. I was worried about doing meringue as I’ve not had much luck in the past but these seemed to puff up nicely. I have put a photo of the result before they got demolished – and they didn’t last past Monday night J So this weekend it’s all about the Cobbler! I’m going to make a summer berry cobbler which seems doable and once again, a total first for me… Got some ready made custard to go with it though – nowhere near brave enough to attempt my own custard yet. Will of course let you know how I get on. I am hot-botching some buttermilk using lemon juice as I have been quite disorganised this week – not that I have the faintest idea where I could buy buttermilk from?

 

The reason for me being so muddled is I’ve been away for work.. to beautiful Accrington and I do mean beautiful. I’ve been up north a lot but not in that area of Lancashire and it truly was lovely – the weather made everything seem a bit misty (read raining and rather grey & rubbish) but gave our filming a great atmosphere.

It did mean that I had to leave my son for the first time which was surprisingly tough. My husband is more than capable of caring for our children and is doing an ace job of raising both of them but I still felt really blue. They were more than happy of course and I wasn’t missed that much although my son was almost drowned by my oversupply of milk J I also got a full night’s sleep for the first time in 9 and a half months.

I’ve been reading a lot of Jasper Fforde the last week or so and in particular the Thursday Next books. If you’ve not read any of his books, try any of them – I can guarantee you’ll be blown away. He’s even got a book called Shade of Grey but without even reading the porn fest that seems to have taken over the UK this summer, this one is better – just so much better.

Ok – so random fact of the week, cobblers are also called Grunts! Names after the colonists of Massachusetts, apparently that’s what noise the berries make when they are cooking – I shall be listening most intently.

Currently watching my husband and daughter do the Hokey Cokey so will leave you with this thought:

"Families are like fudge, mostly sweet with a few nuts"

Anon