GBBO lowdown 2018 - a self indulgent post

The latest season of GBBO is now over.  Will it come back next year?  Only the BBC and PBS know for sure.  I had a great time baking along with the contest.  Thanks to the internets and PBS website, I knew basically what they would make for the three challenges per episode.  Then Andrew and I, or a couple friends and I would enjoy the bake while we watch the bake.

Week one: Cake - peach and cherry

Week two: Bread - 4 strand challah braid

Week three: Tarts - creme pat with cherry curd

Week four: Dessert - meringue with whipped cream and berries




Week five: Pies - Cherry, plum, and apricot pie

Week six: Pudding - pear strudel

Week seven: Sweet dough - cinnamon rolls  (I didn't get a picture)

Week eight: Biscuit - cream biscuits

Week nine: Patisserie - Gateau St. Honore

Week ten: Finale - Pithivier with chocolate creme pat and frangipan

He's no longer all mine

We've been waiting all summer for preschool.  I had thought that baby would go to a local preschool run by a local church, or private person a couple days a week once he was old enough.  But his speech delay means he needs extra attention.  Fortunately, our school district offers free preschool for children that need that extra attention.

It took until the second day for me to realize the commitment I'm in for.  EVERYDAY (well, four days a week) i gotta load this kid in the car and schlep him the 3 miles each way.  There is an elementary school just two blocks from our home, but they didn't have a spot for baby, alas.

Because Andrew took the day off from work, we had sometime in the afternoon, too.

Andrew and baby built a giant compost bin out of pallets.  After all this, I had to go out and get baby his own set of power "tools".  

Three years in

It’s our little guy’s birthday.  I have been thinking all day about that day, what happened Mindy by minute.  For example, it’s now 8:10pm.  I was laying in the recovery area, supervised by a nurse, being spoon fed watery ice.

He’s almost a big kid now and it blows my mind.

First, we had cupcakes for just the three of us.

Baby helped me clean up the garden a little.

And the next morning, we invited some of the kids from his nursery at church to join us (me and baby) at the park for cupcakes, and popsicles. 

Since he didn't express any particular interest in a theme, I chose a favorite cartoon.  Notice the cheesy hat, and napkins i'm holding.

Andrew made a little game, a box with cups embedded.  Each cup is filled with toys (in this case, they were from the same cartoon) and then covered with tissue paper.  The little kids thought punching the tissue paper was the best part.  I realized that it was just a smaller version of a pinata, a great party favorite in our house.

When I was handing out the popsicles, when the sun finally came out and it warmed up dramatically, some random kids came along asking for popsicles as well.  I don't think they realized that we were having a party, but luckily i'd brought plenty.  Since temporary tattoos are also a favorite, I gave one to each kid, even the kids that didn't know the cartoon.  Baby loves to show off his tattoos to anyone and everyone.

Summer in the city and paztry in the country

Our town has a series of mini carnivals throughout the summer.  Baby and i went to the one by us.  Here he is learning to hit a golf "ball".

On GBBO, it was pie week.  I did make a pie to share with friends, stone fruits, even though the Brits think American pies are digusting (they belabored that point- eye roll).  I was going to make a beef wellington, but Andrew has been sick.  Here's baby helping me make the puff pastry.

Merry meringue

Firstly, it was dessert week.  I'd had a lot of custard this week in tart form, so opted not to make cream caramel.  So i made single serve meringues, as a simplified version of the layered meringue cake the bakers made.

They're light, very sweet, creamy especially with whipped cream on top.

Our little guy has a speech delay.  While i carry a heavy weight of guilt because of it, I've tried to take advantage of the tools available.  He's had speech therapy through a federal program (thanks, fellow tax payers) for 18 months, and here's hoping it's not a program to be cut from the federal budget. 

Now that he's almost 3, he will be entering school district territory. I can't believe it's already time to start preschool.

GBBO again

Week 2 was bread week.  My fitst attempt at challah and at braiding.  It tripled in size when baked.  Not quite as airy as expected, so i wonder if i should be using bread flour for extra gluten.

3rd week was tart week.  I thought of making a tartes tan like the bakers did in their signature bake, but decided to make cherry curd (i've never made curd before) and use it with custard in a tart.  Cherry curd doesnt really taste like cherries, fyi.

If i made it again, i'd probably make it with cherry jam and save the curd for toast.  The tart was just soft and sweet without a strong flavor of anything.

I watched episode 3 at a friend's house. Can you believe she's never watched it before?

Peach cherry upside down cake

Everything is crumbling into chaos.  Quite seriously, the only thing still dependably lovely and enjoyable is the Great British Bake Show.

PBS is broadcasting a new (to us) season starting tonight: theme is cakes.  So I made a peach cherry upside down cake.

Not too bad, if i say so myself.