Thursday, September 29, 2016

Late September Doings



Do you watch The Great British Bake Off? We don't have cable television, but I discovered that the show is available on Youtube. It's become my "have to watch." There are some amazingly creative bakers in England! It's such a great show, partly because of the civility of the participants and judges. No insulting putdowns, no angry rivalry, just bakers being evaluated on what they produce. 


One of our sons-in-law had a birthday party this past weekend. I volunteered to bring a cheesecake (raspberry swirl), but when I put it on the plate, it looked singularly unattractive. A little thought, some quickly picked raspberries, white chocolate shards, and voila! A cake that didn't look too shabby. I think the Great British Bake Off is inspiring me. My daughter baked a chocolate cheesecake that was so delicious, and looked great as well.


Although temperatures are cooling down, this week is a sunny one. A good thing. Tim has been slaving away on our side driveway for a couple of months in preparation for concrete. It's where we park the boat and there is also a small patio outside the suite entrance that was heaved and cracked. He's broken it all out, took out a very overgrown cedar hedge, hauled piles of stuff away, smoothed and packed it all, put up forms, and now we're just waiting for the concrete company to come and pour it. The construction industry is so busy in Victoria that we've had trouble even getting contractors to come and look at this job. Hopefully, it will be poured tomorrow. 

Dahlias, tomatoes, kale, zucchini, lettuce and raspberries are still being harvested from our garden. I pulled up several tomato plants in order to begin the garden clean up, but there are more ripening every day on the remaining plants. They taste so very sweet.

How's autumn looking around your place?

26 comments:

  1. We do enjoy the programme. Mary Berry is always so kind to the contestants even if they have made a mistake.

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  2. It looks gorgeous! And I've been looking at some of the British programs on youtube too. I love your banner. I came over to see what you's looks like so that I can copy it! hahaha! I am going to work on one today with a collage I think. Hugs!

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  3. Hi Lorrie - I'm home from Africa and trying to catch up with everything from laundry and garden chores to e-mails and blog posts!!!! I'm off again soon so had "better get my skates on" as my sweet mum used to say.

    Love, love the Bake Off Show but haven't watched in some time - wonder why! Your dessert looks really awesome - great idea with the white chocolate added.

    Hope all is well with you and the family dear.
    Hugs - Mary

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  4. Not much color, but the temps are autumn-like. I do like that show and watched the first season on PBS. Since then, I've been unable to find it so perhaps I'll look for it on You Tube. I wish that I could say that it inspired me because your dessert looks amazing. Hope that the pour goes off without a hitch.

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  5. So wonderful you are still getting tomatoes, Lorrie.
    Your cheesecake does look like it could compete with some of those baked good on The Great British Bake Off. I loved the show so much I never deleted it from my PVR. In time I will go back and view it again. Probably sometime when I am snowed in!

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  6. Your cheesecake has me drooling. It looked beautiful. Yes, it is looking like Autumn here in our garden, though we still are having ripe tomatoes and roses. The figs are just now ripening and I will put them in a salmon meal tonight. It is a recipe from Mary in North Carolina. Looking forward to it. Next early part of the week will be up visiting sister-in-law in Port Ludlow and also visiting Port Townsend.

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  7. The cheesecake looks AMAZING!
    Melt in your mouth goodness...and so very pretty to look at...you could win that Bake Off with this one!

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  8. Anonymous7:47 PM

    Love that show and we too appreciate the style and tone of the show. We're still out here in Amish country enjoying the Amish/Mennonite communities. Will be home on Saturday and then it will be catch up time.
    Have a good weekend.

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  9. That is a beautiful pie, Lorrie! I thought the 'crust' was very cool and had no idea you did it in a pinch! I've never seen the show...wonder if I can find it On Demand. I'm not very good at all with our options! lol!

    Have a great weekend and all the best on your concrete work. Sounds like you have good ideas.

    Jane

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  10. I enjoy the show too. Autumn is here with a drop in temperatures and a blaze of colour, the garden certainly needs a good sort out before its too late.

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  11. Your raspberry cheesecake looks gorgeous, Lorrie!
    Those (white chocolate) shards... did you prepare them or can one buy them ready?
    Have a lovely weekend!

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  12. Yes, I have been watching too! It's so fun. The wafts of sweet baking in that tent must be unbelieveable!
    Your cake looks divine (and must have tasted so)...especially having been upgraded!!
    Hope the concrete 'goes smoothly' ;)

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  13. Delightful save on the cake, Lorrie! It looks scrumptious!
    Your flower photos are sooo pretty. I've always wanted to plant Dahlias. I better check to see if deer & chipmunks like them though. Those critters have destroyed my flower garden this year.

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  14. Anonymous10:43 AM

    Autumn is feeling cooler, and the trees are slowly starting to turn. The cooler temps mean it's time to move the big plants, shrubs and grasses around which I have done this week. My Dahlias are long gone, dug up and hibernating for the winter. I just finished my afternoon coffee but now have a severe hankering for cheesecake. Your SIL is a lucky man. :-)

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  15. ummm...looks so so good.

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  16. Your cake is beautiful -- and I know it tasted wonderful -- thanks for the tip about looking for that show (and maybe others) on You-Tube -- would never have thought of that. We don't have cable here in Oregon. (But we recently subscribed to Netflix and we have Amazon Prime -- so we are introducing ourselves to the joys of binge watching )))

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  17. I think your cake would have won the show, it is beautiful.
    Hugs, Meredith

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  18. Now you've got me craving cheesecake (one of my fave desserts!)! You gotta love the creater of YouTube. Happy First Day of October!

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  19. No cable TV here either ; I'll look for that show on You Tube...it sounds wonderful. Love your baking shots especially that first one !

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  20. That sounds like a great show. I'll have to look for it. Much better than watching the election coverage :( Your cake looks very gourmet and yummy! And those dahlias are gorgeous.
    We are enjoying the outdoors this weekend and some beautiful fall weather, though coolish. Happy October! xo Deborah

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  21. Wow, you really pulled the cheesecake back together beautifully. Fortunate that you had those items on hand. I would have never known how to recover mine... Have an enjoyable week~

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  22. Oh my ... I LOVED reading about your everyday moments! and your cake is amazing!

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  23. My dear Lorrie, your cheesecake is a work of art! Wow, it turned out lovely.

    Autumn is in full bloom here in the mountains, but I noticed yesterday that a lot of the leaves are blowing off the trees. It won't be long until the branches are bare.

    Have a blessed Sunday. Hugs!

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  24. I've only watched the last bake off challenge on TV but am happy to learn I can catch it on YouTube as well. It really was inspiring, especially when many of the recipes didn't look that difficult to follow.
    Your cheesecake looks like a modern creation, a personal spin on things makes them more exciting.

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  25. I will have to look for the Great British Bake Off on Youtube --thanks for the tip! Your cheesecake looked very elegant with the white chocolate shard trim and frosted raspberries--yum!

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  26. I'm playing catch up with all you've been up to! My daughter introduced me to this show and although I've only watched it a couple of times I really enjoyed it. I too cannot tolerate the drama and competitive put downs of any other types of shows.

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