Search results for:

Ohhhh, I'm tempted, I'm tempted. And I'm having a non-bike day, so would be taking the bus and turning up in a skirt, and none of you would recognize me.

But I have food here that needs eating - and I'm actually locked in the flat at the moment, thanks to absentmindedness on the part of my flatmate. No idea when she'll be back.

Ah well.

Come to souths again this week. Both you Ems.

I wasn't going to, but last Monday, and yesterday's cake thing, have reminded me how much I miss the C&H. I'll take very little persuasion.

Hmm, (without knowing your Mrs, or the dynamics of your relationship, etc.) I'd approach this sensitively. If she really doesn't like the idea of you doing the course, then no amount of contrary logic, and people telling her it's 'not really a big deal' is going to change that, and a lot of the arguments people have put forth will come across as sidestepping her feelings, and suggesting that they don't really matter.

My only suggestion (as ever) is that you compromise somehow - maybe make this a long-term rather than a short-term goal; i.e. save up for the course over a couple of years (don't they have a waiting list anyway?), and give yourself time to schedule it so that it coincides with your kid going off to camp, or stay with grandparents, and your partner going off to do something she likes, so that you all get a bit of 'me' time.

The way you put it, it sounds like you'll be disappointed if you don't go on the course, and she'll be disappointed if you do, so the best you can hope for is some sort of splitting-the-difference arrangement, where you're both only a little bit disappointed - and hopefully this will be offset by the warm glow of successful negotiation.

in some form of tea party arrangement, with cucumber sandwiches to counter all the sweetness..

There's a rather nice old-fashioned church hall near where I live. What we want is a handful of aproned ladies and gentlemen to prepare a spread for us while we high-tail it around the countryside. And lots and lots of mismatched china. And strong tea with a nip of whiskey from a hip flask. And sponsorship from one of the new boutique vintage bicycle companies, of course.

I really want the cheesecake recipe too!

(Still on a sugar high.)

That was awesome guys, I'm craving salad and fruit now.
Pickle was a worth winner...but next year...scheme

Next year? Pssssht - next month! (Rose and I decided that it would be really good fun to have a brisk autumnal tweed ride, followed by afternoon tea - and a similar orgy of cake - sometime before Christmas. Now I just need to convince someone that it was really their idea, so that they'll shoulder the burden of organizing it.)

Oh, and the recipe for that huge quantity of cream cheese icing my cake was drowned in:

300g cream cheese
700g icing sugar

Combine the two. It doesn't look like that tiny amount of cheese will accommodate that huge amount of sugar, but it will, and more besides. You could probably get up to a kilo in there, and it might end up stiffer.

Flavour with vanilla, or lemon, or cinnamon, or whatever you fancy. (I used vanilla extract - about 2 tsp.)

I'll show you mine if you show me yours...?

Courgette cake

Ingredients:

* 250g soft butter
* 450g sugar
* 4 eggs
* 350g self raising flour
* 2 squirts lemon juice
* 2 tsp cinnamon
* 2 tsp ground ginger (I used fresh, but only because I had it lying around)
* 1/4 nutmeg, grated
* 350g courgette, grated
* 1 handful of any dried fruit (I used sultanas)

Method:

1. Grease and line tin with greaseproof paper. Preheat oven to 180°C (170°C for fan ovens).
   
2. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Mix in eggs one at a time.
   
3. Mix the spices into the flour. Fold 1/3 of the flour into the batter, followed by 1 squirt of lemon juice, and repeat this using the remaining flour and lemon, so that all the ingredients are well combined.
   
4. Stir in the courgette and fruit.
   
5. Pour the mixture into the tin and place on the centre shelf of the preheated oven. Leave the cake to cook for about an hour and a half* or until it has a decent crust. Turn the cake out on a rack and allow to cool.
   
   

(*NB. I took it out of the oven after the recommended time, and after a few minutes the middle had sunk, and I could see that it was still uncooked inside. So I put it back in again, and after at least another hour and a half, possibly longer, it was finally solid. The only reason I took it out when I did was that I was worried the top would start to burn. But all ovens are different, so this is FYI only.)

...or should this happen in a separate thread?

There were peanut butter cookies? I missed them! :(

My votes go to the lemon drizzle cake, the avocado-banana-pecan cake, and the lime and ginger cheesecake. And the pina colada cupcakes. And the Guinness cake. And the apple and ginger cake. And the cashew nut brittle. And the stout cookies. And god, I can't believe I ate so much.

Can I have all the recipes please? Pleeeeeeeeease?

I'm already having a sugar rush. This does not bode well. Must protein-load before riding down...

Disaster, Mini Tesco does not stock Flour, or Sugar, or any other useful baking ingredients, but does stock over 20 varieties of speciality coffee, and 25 different types of tea (fruit and regular).

officially out. if i can make it down post work, i will be hanging my head in shame.

Don't worry - we'll need some people not to bring cake, otherwise we'll have a dangerous oversupply!

Will anyone be getting there a bit early, for preprandial pintage?

Edit: or, is anyone riding down from north-east-ish, and in the mood for a bit of a scenic detour? (I have cabin fever, and need to work up an appetite.)

@ Balki

I'm sure that could be fixed with some chocolate buttons.

@ Timmy

Think I'm going to ride the cookies over, lock up the wheels and go on a bus mission.

Going to be the safest option for the cake methinks.

I am still puzzling over this problem. (It's a slow day at work.) But surely you're not the only person with transport issues? I reckon that next time (there will be a next time, won't there? unless we all end up dying of cake on the lungs or something...) we should have some sort of 'cake bus' - like a cargo bike with shelves installed - with which some willing volunteer can collect everyone's cakes during the day, and deliver them to the C&H in time for kick-off.

Do you have a rack or a trailer?

I'm going to bring my cake and icing separately, and sort them out once I get there.

My stuff all looks a bit worthy at the moment, but it won't once I've smothered it in about a gallon of cream cheese icing! (NB. the ratatouille was last night's dinner, and won't be coming with me.)

Bloody hell Clefty that's awesomeo!

I'm sitting in front of the computer and all I'm getting is ridiculously amazing whiffs of a chocolate Guinness cake and three different types of cookie!

It is torture!

Ooh - I'm so glad someone's making the chocolate Guinness cake! I made one for someone's birthday a while back, but was off sugar at the time, so never got to taste it.

My courgette cake is finally out of the oven (after about three hours!), and looking slightly more respectable. I'm just going to drown it in cream cheese icing and hope for the best.

Disaster! My courgette cake sank when I took it out of the oven, and doesn't appear to have cooked in the middle at all. It's back in, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Luckily, the carrot cake I threw together at the last minute seems to have been more of a success.

Just hauled a Pacful of ingredients back to my flat, and baking is about to commence - along a distinctly root vegetable theme. Hmmm.

Sainsbury's had some reasonably good ones last time I checked. Anyway, it's an investment worth making.

Nice chap who passed the time of day with me in Park Crescent today. Ex-van-driver for Creative, and admitted to riding fixed, so might be on here...

My Milwaukee is the reason I'm actually looking forward to winter (I believe I posted something similar this time last year). Absolutely first rate piece of kit. I will never grow tired of singing its praises.

Anyone know what time the C&H can take deliveries? I have a whole lot of cake that needs to be looked after while I'm tracking.

I don't know what your logistics are, but I'll be riding over (from near where you live) sometime after 3pm that day, if that's any help?

Oh - and we should all bring tupperware! I've been involved in things like this before, and there's always loads and loads of leftovers - and it looks like we may even have more than one cake per person. (And this way we'll all get to eat each other's cake for the rest of the week!)

And knives - we should bring knives.

anyone know how the montane featherlite holds up when you carry a bag every day? will a chrome bag which has quite rough material wear it out on shoulder and back quickly?

Not well. :(

Mine hasn't worn out yet, but the waterproofing has totally died (and I've only really worn it a handful of times). I've been in touch with Montane about it, and apparently it's affected by sweat - and of course, if you carry a bag all day, you sweat rather a lot. There's a chance washing it with NikWax might sort it, but NikWax isn't cheap, and when am I going to get round to doing a thing like that anyway?

Swrve FTW.

I'm afraid the Guinness cake is off, due to lack of time - I think there will be one for xmas though.
But, I will be baking something else, not sure what yet

There's always this Nigella recipe, which is meant to be pretty good. (I've made it, but not actually tasted it.)

Great turn out last night, so many people I didnt get a chance to speak to before I had to rush off, Emilia, JimJams that means you!
Lovely to see some long lost South faces.

I know! I think I only spotted you as you were riding away. :(

(BTW, thanks for responding to my text - if that was you. I had some sort of fail message instead of an actual text, but by that time Chris had phoned me, so I didn't bother chasing it up.)

Bloke on purple-ish bike with gold rims, High Holborn, 9ish this morning. Sorry I cut you up. If it happens again, you are welcome to ride into me and knock me off - I deserve it.