Report Card: The Great Bake-Off

Posted on August 7, 2011 by Kym Hamer

Well hello good people! Thanks for dropping past to check that all is well at Gidday HQ after the big birthday bonanza. 42 is going well so far – but it has taken me a week to get my proverbial s**t together to get tap-tap-tapping again. Who knew it would be such a busy week!

Anyhow, with such a break between posts and a pretty full-on week, there’s lots to catch up on – picnicking at the polo, Kindle exploits (yes, I got one peeps – now just waiting for my free wireless router to be delivered) and Mad Men – but with the passing of August 1st, there is one update that demands my most urgent and immediate attention – My Year Of Baking.

Just over a year ago, when navel-gazing about what I had achieved in my 41 years and what I might like to conquer in the year ahead, I decided to overcome my serious lack of baking experience. So I set up The Great Bake-Off tab on Gidday From The UK to chart my cake-and-cookie exploits. Just doing this was a triumph in itself as my excitement back on October 17th will attest to.

Anyhow, as with all good projects, I thought it was time to compile a little Report Card for your comment and review so without further ado, here are a few key stats to start us off.

I baked on 10 occasions.
Double figures – yeah baby – well done me! And that’s just for the new recipes (although admittedly while I cooked quite a bit, there wasn’t much ‘baking’ outside this list).

I made 6 new recipes.
  30 JUL: Anzac Biscuits
  10 JUL: Walnut & Rosemary Bread
  25 APR: Hot Cross Buns
  17 APR: Apple & Raspberry Squares
   6 MAR: Mango Fruit Cake
   6 OCT: Pineapple & Banana Loaf

On average, that’s one every two months – okay but I could’ve done better. Life at various points just got in the way…

I used lots of ingredients.
I had to clear a space in my cupboard (and for that part, in my life too) for all of my baking essentials – in particular, I used a lot more fruit/flour/butter/sugar:

   Fruit – 2,920g (400g was walnuts – does that count?)
   Flour – 2,255g
   Sugar – 865g
   Butter – 360g
   Eggs – 17

More than is probably good for me (and others). But what a blessing it turned out to be!

So that’s the stats bit done. Let’s now check out the highs (and the lows – but only if we must):

High Number 1:
Most successful – Apple & Raspberry Squares – by a mile!

Amazing what some slightly squished raspberries from the market and a crinkly old apple can produce. I had people visiting my desk to tell me how good this was and one guy wanted to schedule my next ‘cake’ day in his Outlook calendar as he had missed out on my little squares of fruity joy second time round.

This has sinced morphed into Raspberry and Coconut Cake with as much success. I made this 3 times and may even morph this further as the blackberries are coming into season along my walk home.

High Number 2:
Biggest victory – Hot Cross Buns

I LOVE Hot Cross Buns – warm and lovely with lashings of butter. But since moving to the UK, I have not been able to partake of this little Easter treat as I am allergic to oranges and there is mixed peel in every one of the little blighters. In the face of significant incentive for mastering this one, there was also a less-than-successful bread-making incident in Home Ec. at High School so I embarked on this one more than a little daunted by that living (breathing?) entity – yeast.

I am pleased to report it went well. Warm and lovely with lashings of butter…

Having mastered yeast-o-phobia also meant that Walnut & Rosemary Bread was a cinch – twice!

Low Number 1:
Biggest disppointment – Anzac Biscuits

I have to confess that I’ve never been a huge fan of these myself so when these came out of the oven looking like little crunchy lumps of…well not biscuits, I nearly didn’t take them to work. But they disappeared and people made [polite] yummy noises, so not disasterous by any stretch of the imagination.

Note to self: only bake what moi likes to eat.

Low Number 2:
Coulda, woulda, shoulda – Lamingtons

The plan for office birthday baking was to educate everyone with a couple of Aussie icons. I managed the Anzac biscuits with ingredients from the store cupboard (although why I had rolled oats in there I will never know) and they were meant to be accompanied by Lamingtons. Having been inspired last November by A-down-the-hill’s Lamington exploits, I was so looking forward to this but time/energy/enthusiasm faded slowly away last weekend and I ended up whipping up a batch of the Raspberry and Coconut Cake using ingredients I already had.

Despite the absence of lamingtons in my portfolio, it does make me rather proud to say I ‘whipped up’ a cake.

So there you have it folks. My Year of Baking. And there are still items of the pastry, chocolate, mousse, jelly and iced variety to explore as we cruise on-board the SS 42.

As well as lamingtons.

Hooray! I say.

Now where did I put that spatula?

Twas The Night Before Birthday…

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Kym Hamer

Twas the night before birthday

And all through the land

The excitement’s been building

The day off is planned.

Yesterday’s Vintage

Was a trip back in time

From disco to swing dance

And fashion sublime.

And today we’ve done polo,

With divot and chukka,

The picnic we had

Was definitely pukka.

So sun-kissed and dozy

I’m back at my screen

At my cosy front window

To muse where I’ve been.

41 has been tough

With ‘curve balls’ galore

And it’s been hard not to miss

The good life from before.

But finally it seems

The sun has come out

And its warmth on my face

Reminds me what it’s about.

Old roads and new paths

To defend and to chart

With family and friends

Those close to my heart.

So on this night before birthday

As 41 fades away

I fondly wave it farewell

And bid 42 ‘Gidday!’

After The Dance…3 Sleeps To Go

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Kym Hamer

Today is Day 1 of my pre-birthday long weekend (only 3 sleeps to go peeps…isn’t it exciting?!) and while I’ve been out and about today and have some rather magnificent plans for the rest of the time, I wanted to tell you about an unexpected treat I discovered on telly last night.

I am, by nature, a night owl and would happily stay up til all hours but with my 2 hour each way commute at the moment, I am fairly disciplined about getting myself to bed by 11 each night (and that’s an hour later than what’s known in these parts as Surrey Bedtime) so that I am spritely enough to get myself out the door in an efficient 30mins each morning. But on holiday, all bets are off and last night I trawled the channels to see what late night movie I might like to partake of.

I came across ‘After The Dance’, a 1992 TV adaption of the play written by Terence Rattigan in the 1930’s.

It’s one of those kinds of plays I loved seeing when I frequented the MTC‘s program in Melbourne – a little Noel-Cowardish in style with the action all taking place in one room (or within earshot of said room). It’s crammed full of gorgeous language, crisp banter and subtle innuendo all the while covering the fragile egos and unspoken political agendas surrounding the era. Anyway, this film for TV adaption had been made in 1992 by the BBC and re-kindled a whole rash of revivals in the West End in the years to come.

It’s a little slower to get into than modern films but once I settled into listening to and watching for the subtleties, the intrigue crept slowly into the room and curled its wicked fingers – in the form of Helen Banner – through the fabric of David and Joan Scott-Fowler’s 15 year marriage. A small ensemble cast added colourful layers but Rattigan makes a stinging comparison between the ‘Bright Young Things’ of the 20’s and the serious ‘new generation’ facing a society crushed by the onset of World War II.

Frivolous. Sad. Thought-provoking.

I LOVED IT!

And despite this being an adaption for TV, After The Dance made me realise that I’d forgotten how much I enjoy theatre…so I’m off to scour the internet for some super-dooper deals!

In the meantime, land is definitely in sight and the SS 41 is cruising comfortably towards its mooring…

The Universe Is Testing Me…9 Sleeps To Go

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Kym Hamer

The Universe is testing me.

Really it is. I kid you not.

Absolutely, unequivocally testing me. Pushing my buttons. Stretching my patience.

All in the space of the last 24 hours.

———————————————–

Weekends are a highly valued commodity where I come from, as I’m sure they are for you, so I like to plan a bit of stuff but also make sure I have time to chill out, avoid doing chores, write – you know the drill.

(The current silence tells me that the wet washing is ‘ready’ and will not hang itself out.)

With a weekend plan including a photos viewing Friday night on the way home, a haircut on Saturday morning and then off for a mani-pedi Saturday afternoon, I was looking forward to firstly feeling rather productive then followed by some serious chilling as a busy Saturday mellowed into a Sunday of pottering about.

So Friday morning I pick up a message from my hairdresser asking me whether I could turn up 15mins early. Sure, I think, no problem. I call back to confirm that this is ok to be told ‘No it’s ok we worked something out – turn up at 11.’ Great news but I’m glad I rang back instead of turning up early – tolerating lateness is not my strong suit. Anyway, moving on.

I leave work a little early on Friday to get to my appointment to view my photos at 6pm (a 90min trip but it is a stop-off on my regular 2hr commute home. I know it’s long. Don’t ask.) I reach Clapham Junction station which is about a 15min walk from the studio and get a message – which had obviously arrived during the underground portion of my journey – asking me to come at 7pm instead. With an hour and a half of travelling under my belt already, my weary brain shouts ‘NOOOOO!’. Long story short – we settled on 6.15pm instead.

To kill the time, I take myself off to Caffe Nero for a white chocolate and raspberry muffin and a soya cappucino, thinking I will just chill for a little bit before wandering up Lavender Hill towards the studio. Another message arrives, this time from the Mani-Pedi salon. There’s a problem with my 2pm appointment on Saturday – can I come earlier? Brain swears loudly. Despite the ensuing conversation confirming that someone else will be available at the time of my booking to pretti-fy my paws, I feel mildly nervous walking up Lavender Hill, wondering whether I will receive an apologetic phone call Saturday morning (or better yet, be mucked about upon arrival). I have next Friday off so I call back and agree to have pretty paws then.

Phew!

Photo viewing goes well (pics look amaaaazing – I will collect my chosen ones mid August and share with you) and I go to bed last night, thinking I will get up early-ish and dash into Kingston to do my errands before my hair appointment. I’m up at 8.30am and, feeling mildly awake and presentable after my ablutions, am eating some vegemite toast before heading out.

There’s another message.

My hairdresser (a new one, the lovely A having decided to embark on some world travelling for a while) has called in sick. Brain sighs resignedly. Little voice in my head reminds me to ‘breathe’.

I’m going at 12.30.

In, out. In, out. Breathing, breathing. Time for a coffee. And a post.

And if it’s really lucky, the washing will get hung out to dry.

ps…as I’m a little intolerant of lateness and would really love a chilled out, low-irritant birthday, I thought it prudent to remind you that there are now only 9 sleeps to go. We are now into single figures peeps so don’t be late – I can just see the good ship 42 coming into view.

007…Links To Thrill

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Kym Hamer

Apparently, I’m IT!

No, this is not a narcissistic declaration of my own fabulousness (although I won’t disabuse you of this notion if that’s where your mind happened to wander).

Linda over at Adventures in Expatland has tagged five of us in a game of Seven Links.

The rules are simple:

1. You’re nominated by a nominated blogger – Check

2. You decide which seven of your posts to assign to each category – Check

MY MOST BEAUTIFUL POST:
This is a tough one to choose from. I love it when you come across something so beautiful and surprising that you just have to share it so The Art Of Mindfulness…Music To My Ears definitely makes the grade. So too does Inspired By…Sunflowers.

MY MOST POPULAR POST:
21 Sleeps to Go…Better Latte Than Never. For the life of me I cannot work out why but this post accounts for just over 31% of the TOTAL pages viewed since Gidday from the UK began in August 2008. Who knew that Latte Art was so popular?

MY MOST CONTROVERSIAL POST:
I found this a tough one to find but my recent post My Tweet Lord celebrated the modern angel, mobile phone in hand, adorning the Den Bosch cathedral. I have to confess that the controversy that occurred was limited to the local press and did not make it as far as Gidday from the UK!

MY MOST HELPFUL POST:
Lost In Translation tops my list here as a fail-safe guide to mastering the art of English understaement. And The Universe Provides…Adding A Blog Page because it does what it says on the tin.

A POST WHOSE SUCCESS SURPRISED ME:
Definitely Whipping Up A (Sand)Storm, a post I wrote while in Melbourne with family last Christmas. Truly astonished at how fascinated people were with this one and it’s my second most popular post of all time. I also learnt that there are Sand Sculptures in Weymouth each year – perhaps one for the ‘Things To Do’ Bucket List – you can take the girl away from the beach (and all that)…

A POST I FEEL DIDN’T GET THE ATTENTION IT DESERVED:
I could trawl through lots of them here but I think it has to be post number one The First One (original huh?) If I’m really honest, I think I wanted the champagne corks to pop and a few fireworks to announce my arrival in the blogosphere. Upon reading this, my sister (the fabulous Lil Chicky) will probably guffaw and say ‘Suck it up princess!’ We Chickies come from the Hamer bootcamp of tough love.

THE POST I AM MOST PROUD OF:
There are two for completely different reasons. The first is The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of. It wasn’t so much reading this post again or even the act of writing it at the time. It was allowing myself to see, probably for the first time, how much I’ve overcome and how I have forged a life for myself, by myself, here on my own terms. I cried as I typed it. The second is Quite A Milestone…Or Is That A Quiet Milestone? I think the reason is obvious.

3. You assign the next five bloggers to keep going – Check

Laura at Happy Homemaker UK
The Vegemite Wife at The Vegemite Wife
Penny at I Blame Oprah
Vanessa at Optimal Optimist
Michelle from The American Resident

Ladies, over to you…

Of Hearts And Minds…(NB: 15 Sleeps To Go)

Posted on July 17, 2011 by Kym Hamer

I have just spent a lovely few hours this afternoon with my friend A-mother-of-N, and little N. They live on the opposite side of London so we catch up on alternate ‘sides’ once every couple of months or so. Anyway, we were chatting today about how much life has changed for us both, particularly for me in the last 9 months, the challenges we have faced and the little victories we’ve celebrated.

One of the things we spoke about was my writing. I will have been writing my blog for 3 years next month but it’s only been in the last 9 months, I’ve started to consider where it all might lead. I’ve ‘guest-posted’ a couple of times and been acknowledged by generous fellow bloggers (you know who you are – and for everyone else, you can find them on my blog roll) but am now starting to get encouragement from outside the blogosphere with family and friends commenting ‘how well I write’.

Recently I started writing for weekendnotes, my first ‘paid’ gig depending on how many articles I submit and how many subscribers and page views I get. I have just submitted my second article for publishing today. (My first, about my visit to the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising, which I have also blogged about, was published last Monday.) I love London. I love writing. It seems a match made in Heaven.

But I feel…hesitant.

You see, I am completely besotted with writing. Even more so than when I was in high school (high school, not secondary – now that ages me!). Some days I write what I see, hear, experience in the small things. Other days it just seems that I can’t help but put my heart on the page. It’s a joyful feeling, sometimes emotional, but always satisfying. An expression of my creativity and passion that feels both cathartic and right in its current proportion.

And that’s the thing – the balance. I also love my work. It’s commercial and fast-paced and dynamic and I’m part of a team – and it’s a big part of me as well. And right now, the two things together feel balanced and right. Yet I can’t help asking myself, could I still do both if I wrote more? Could I keep managing the balance or would there come a tipping point, where the single, albeit dual purpose, path may naturally divide and I find myself standing at a fork in the road?

One of my favourite poem’s of all time is The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. There’s a line in it ‘yet knowing how way leads on to way’. I feel like that now. I am desperate not to lose the joy I have rediscovered in writing but suspect that life will take me down the road that it will.

I will just have to be brave enough to keep my heart and mind open to whatever happens next.

You’ve got mail…16 sleeps to go

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Kym Hamer

I staggered out of bed this morning to be greeted by a drizzly Saturday and have been faffing about (great word that, faffing) instead braving the elements and getting out to do the list of things I need to do. This is also known as re-prioritising and is a very useful skill to have here in the UK, saving hours of damp trudging and allowing one to enjoy the soothing sound of the rain from a dry and comfortable vantage point at the front window.

But I digress.

My faffing meant that I was home when the postman arrived. Nothing exciting really comes through the mailslot: just the usual assortment of bills to pay, flyers advertising things I could never imagine needing and To The Homeowner letters from local estate agents wishing to sell my little flat from underneath me. But today was different. As I whipped around, startled by the metallic clunk of the mail flap, I saw a flash of girly colour.

‘Pink!’, my little heart cried. ‘Could it be…my first birthday card?’

And so it was.

Itinerant Father and Erstwhile Wife have won the Birthday Derby again, and although 2 days later than last year’s stirling effort, getting in with 16 sleeps to go can only be vigorously applauded. (Sounds of wild cheering and me doing a little ‘Hooray it’s my birthday soon’ dance around my postage-stamp-sized lounge room).

The card (we are allowed to open birthday cards pre-special-day in the Hamer clan) is a testament to their continued concern about my welfare in a faraway land and featured some handy hints for me to consider in my advancing years:

An ode to ageing gracefully

May your bum stay firm and pert

May your boobies not head south

May your lippy never blend

Into thin lines round your mouth

May you eat a ton of chocolate

But never gain a pound

May you always look your best

Whenever Brad Pitt comes around.

May you never wear big pants

Or grow unwanted hair

And Birthday Girl if all else fails

May you be to sloshed to care!!

Well, don’t mind if I do! And I have 16 days to plan how…

Dad & Bev, thanks for the birthday tip and the lovely wishes.

ps…for a little more detail on the Birthday Rules according to the Hamer clan, click here…my sister Lil Chicky sums it up so succinctly in her comment!

Sleeps To Go…On A Small Island

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Kym Hamer

I have been reading Bill Bryson’s Notes From A Small Island during my commute this week and this morning, I read a page that really struck a chord.

One of the things I am asked by every second (or maybe third) Brit the minute they hear my accent is ‘what are you doing over here?’ Well, let me refer you to page 46 of Bryson’s tome:

“It has more history, finer parks, a livelier and more varied press (nowadays lively in a sinister, phone-tapping kind of way it would seem), better theatres…leafier squares…and more courageous inhabitants than any other large city in the world.”

He also talks about the ‘incidental civilities’

“cheery red pillar boxes, drivers who actually stop for you on pedestrian crossings …lovely forgotten churches …sudden pockets of quiet like Lincoln’s Inn and Red Lion Square…black cabs, double-decker buses…polite notices, people who will stop to help you when you fall down or drop your shopping, benches everywhere.”

It inspired me to think about some of the things I love about London and as I was gazing out of the window of the number 57 bus tonight, here are the first five that sprang to mind:

the light – it’s soft and beautiful and drapes itself gently over great expanses of countryside within 30mins of London
the fabulous place names – I am just dying to get on the bus to see what Seething Wells is all about and St Martin In The Field overlooks not a field but Trafalgar Square

the squirrels – skipping across the railing along my front garden, in the tree overhead, the little ones daring to venture a little way along my front path towards my open door before scurrying away at the behest of the bigger ones
the sun worship – with the merest hint of sunshine, Londoners appear from every nook and cranny and cram themselves along river banks, in parks and all sorts of public places to bask at lunchtime, after work, on weekends and any available opportunity

Source: Metro.co.uk

the irony – the Brit’s do that dry, dry wit better than anyone else – and really know how to poke gentle fun at themselves (and others) as a result.

There are loads of other things and I could go on (and on and on) but this post was inspired by someone else’s vision of the place I call home. So what about you? I’d love hear what you love about London, whether it’s your home, your home-away-from-home, a memory captured for holiday posterity or a trigger for the nostalgic yearning of days gone by.

What do you consider worthy of note about this small island?

ps…there are 20 sleeps to go peeps…that’s less than 3 weeks for all your Gidday shopping and shipping. Just as well I’m super-prepared with my wishlist at the ready should any of you need a little helping hand. I mean let’s face it, who has to have a wedding to partake of one of those Bridal Register thingies?

All Things New…And 22 Sleeps To Go

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Kym Hamer

It’s been a busy weekend and as a result it’s gotten to Sunday afternoon before I’ve had the opportunity to be tap-tap-tapping away in my front window. But it’s been a weekend of some new experiences which I want to share with you.

The first happened yesterday afternoon when I went to have my very own studio photo shoot at insspire in Clapham. Prompted by a couldn’t-resist deal on living social (and the fact that since I’ve had my hair cut short again, I do not have a lot of photos that actually look like me), I’d booked my session several weeks ago and so yesterday found me strolling up Lavender Hill in the afternoon sunshine feeling excited and just a tad nervous.

Taken in hand by the lovely (and official Master of Photography) Monika, first it was into make-up. I don’t wear very much of this on a day-to-day basis so it felt rather Hollywood to have someone else doing the primping and preening for me – although it was a little disconcerting to have that same someone peering at my face wondering what she could ‘do’ with it.

Half an hour later it was back downstairs to the studio to start shooting. What can I say except that it was fun and very, very weird. There was lots of standing, sitting, leaning, lying and draping – and yes, that was all me! Monika spent an hour coaxing me into different poses and faces: there were lighting changes, set changes, costume changes (well, just one – I changed my top) and even a camera change!

I left feeling a little tired, a little emotional, a little curious to see how the pics come out (viewing is not until the 19th July so stay tuned!) and a lot exhilarated. Let’s just say that the small top-up Sainsbury’s shop I stopped to do in Wimbledon on the way home took a little longer than it usually does.

The second new thing for this weekend is that I have continued my foray into the The Great Bake-Off with a new challenge. We are off to Kew the Music at Kew Gardens tonight and part of the deal is that we all bring stuff along to share. A-down-the-hill let me know yesterday that there was marinated chicken, frittata, olives and snacky things and chocolate whoopie pies already on the menu so this morning I was whipping up a batch of Raspberry and Coconut Cakes (a variation on the Apple and Raspberry Squares I’d done previously).

But this is not the new thing. Oh no! I baked TWO things today – yes two!

So I am enormously proud to present to you the latest addition to The Great Bake-Off family:

TAH DAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Walnut and Rosemary Bread

I want to take this little beauty intact to tonight’s festivities so there’s a huge risk posed by the fact I have not conducted my usual taste test – but it looks completely wicked right?

Time is a-ticking so I best be off to pack my baked goods and other essentials for tonight’s summer of fun (picnic blanket, folding chair, paper plates, plastic wine glasses, umbrella – yes sadly, showers are forecast). In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed for a dry evening and some tasty bread!

ps…you’ve had a few days respite from the countdown but with only 22 sleeps to go before the good ship 41 goes into dry dock, I thought it would be very helpful of me to give you a little nudge. Best not stand next to the ship’s railing peeps – the nudging gets more persistent the closer we get and I wouldn’t want you to end up in ‘the drink’. Or would I?