All posts by Bouncy

I'm a 50 something woman who loves to write about anything and everything.
Cruise Blog, Cruising

P&O CRUISES: VENTURA 10 DAY CRUISE TO SPAIN, PORTUGAL AND FRANCE

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DAY TWO (9th April, 2026): Day At Sea

It is a lovely feeling to wake up on the first morning of a cruise. It’s normally a sea day and so we have developed something of a tradition where we have breakfast in the main dining room. This morning I chose the P&O Cruise Breakfast and Phil went for Eggs Benedict.

It was very foggy up on the top decks and Ventura was frequently sounding her fog horn, which made me jump every time as it was very loud! Phil decided to go for a swim in the Oasis pool which is the adult only pool at the front of the ship. He said the water was lovely and warm, but it was quite cold when he got out. When the sun burned through the fog, it warmed up significantly.

We saw in the Horizon magazine that there was a quiz in The Exchange and it was about food and drink and because Phil qualified as a chef in his younger days and is now a catering manager, we thought we’d give it a go. We managed to get 14/20 , mostly getting the drinks questions wrong, so were happy with that!

Now it was time for lunch and again we decided to eat in the main dining room where we shared a table with eight people. You do meet all kinds of people when you share a table and today we met a lovely couple who we chatted to throughout the meal and it was her birthday, so the whole table sang Happy Birthday to her.

Phil chose a Tandoori Platter which consisted of Lamb Shish Kebab, Malai Tiger Prawns, Tandoori Chicken and Poppadoms. I enjoyed a Cheese and Mushroom Panini with Chunky Chips and Slaw. We both had a Peach Melba for dessert, which was very light and tasty.

Then it was time to sit in the atrium and play some cards and let our dinner go down. We watched the activites that took place in the atrium which included line dancing and ballroom dancing and we then took a stroll around the promenade deck, which is deck 7 on Ventura.

As it was a day at sea, it was Black Tie evening and so we dressed in our finest clothes (ha ha) and headed to the atrium to hear the Captain’s welcome. Unfortunately we arrived a little late and only caught the last part of his speech, but what we did hear was very funny and we came to understand through the Captain’s announcements that he likes to inject humour into his messages and some of the things he said did make us laugh.

As we made our way to the restaurant I noticed that a lot of people had made the effort and some of the dresses the ladies were wearing were absolutely gorgeous and of course the men looked very dapper in their dinner suits.

Phil had the Hand-cut Salmon Ceviche with Keta Caviar Pearls for his starter, followed by Herb-crusted Atlantic Halibut Fillet with a Velvety Savoury Jus and for dessert he chose Classic Apple Tart Tatin.

I opted for the Forest Mushroom and Blue Cheese Cannelloni with the Curried Corn-fed Chicken Kyiv in a Crispy Panko Crum to follow and then just a Cheese Plate for dessert.

Salmon Ceviche
Mushroom Cannelloni

We made our way to the Arena theatre and watched a tribute act called Maroon Live in which he obviously sang Maroon Five songs. He was very good and we were surprised at how many of the songs we knew.

Then we made our way to the Tamarind Club and watched the karoake where some of the passengers had incredible voices and there was even a girl of about ten who sang This Is Me beautifully. She had a lot of confidence to go up to a full club and sing and she got a standing ovation when she finished.

As it was heading towards midnight and the clocks were going forward at 2.00 AM, we headed to our cabin and I think I was asleep before me head hit the pillow.

To watch our day at sea on YouTube, please click below and if could please like and subscribe that would help my channel a lot.

Cruise Blog, Cruising, Diary, Walking Dead Poetry

P&O Cruises: VENTURA 10 Day Cruise to Spain, Portugal and France

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DAY ONE (8th April, 2026): Embarkation

I woke up on the morning of this cruise with the feeling of excitement and a slight apprehension that we hadn’t finished packing our suitcases. Our boarding time was 12;45, so we had some time to complete this and due to the fact that we live in a village just outside Southampton, we didn’t have to leave until about 12:15.

After some clearing up: emptying the dishwasher, taking the rubbish out to the bins and making sure the toilets were pristine (just in case a burglar needed a wee whilst robbing us blind!!), we booked an Uber and we were suddenly advised it would only be five minutes before he arrived! (We later discovered the time you put in is the drop off time and NOT the pick up time!!) We then realised that we would be about an hour early at the port, but it was too late to cancel the Uber now.

Our Uberdriver took us on a very strange route to Southampton Docks, but as we had plenty of time, we weren’t duly stressed.

On arrival, apparently the hour too early didn’t matter, we were told which bay to deposit our suitcases in and then we headed to the main terminal. Boarding was probably one of the easiet we have had in a long time and about 15 minutes later, we were on board Ventura.

We headed straight to the buffet and filled our plates with salads, chips, ham, anything that took our fancy and after a stroll around the upper decks, we were informed that our staterooms were ready.

We had booked an inside cabin on deck 15, which was midship and we found it with no trouble. The cabins are practical, consisting of beds, bedside cabinets, vanity dressing table, dressing area, space to hang clothes, cupboard which includes a safe and a bathroom with shower and unfortunately a shower curtain,

Then we decided to go back up to the sun deck to watch the Sailaway from Southampton as we love seeing our village from the ship, it makes a change from us watching the ships sail down Southampton Water from the beach.

We had purchased the alcohol-free package prior to boarding and received 1.7% discount on the total price because we are at Atlantic tier in the loyalty tier.

Non-alcohol package is approximately £26 to £29 per person, per day, depending on which tier you are on.

Drinks shown are Paradise Punch: Pineapple juice, cranberry juice, orange juice, lemonade and grenadine.

The sailaway was vibrant and loud, with lots of singing and dancing and thankfully the sun was shining throughout. The last time we left Southampton on board Regal Princess it absolutely poured down.

After sailing past the Royal Victoria Country Park in Netley, we went back to our stateroom to change for dinner.

We had booked an early sitting at 6.30 PM and had chosen to sit at a table of six. I need to eat early as I have a stoma bag as a result of having had bowel cancer. I have blogged about my experience – please click here to read about my fight against bowel cancer.

We found the restaurant, The Bay Tree, and then found our table, we were the first to arrive. Minutes later another couple arrived, a man around his mid-50’s and his wife, also mid 50’s. They introduced themsevles as John and Martha, (not their real names) and then two ladies arrived who told us their names were Caroline and Mandy (again, not their real names.) Caroline and Mandy were good friends and had gone on many cruises together.

We all chatted, informing each other where we came from and both couples said they came from the North. We ordered our meal, which was very nice, the only glitch was that the waiters forgot my dinner and by the time I had mine, the others had nearly finished their dinners. Dessert was good and we finished with a cup of coffee.

After dinner, we went for a walk around the Promendade on Ventura which is on deck seven. There are some stairs at the front of the ship, which were only open a couple of times during the whole cruise, so it wasn’t always possible to walk around the entire ship.

Screenshot

Then, because we had been awake since early this morning, we decided to go back to the cabin and watch a bit of television before we fell asleep.

Our video below is embarkation day….

Cookery

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Pork

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This is an easy dish which you can make in your slow cooker and accompanied with rice or noodles makes a lovely dish that everyone will enjoy!

Ingredients

500g pork loin, cubed
440g pineapple pieces with the juice
A large red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, quartered
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1/4 tsp of ginger, grated
3 tbsp brown sugar
60 floz of apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce

Method

  1. Put the pork into some flour, seasonsed with salt and pepper and then place into a frying pan over a high heat and sear the pork loin.
  2. In the slow cooker, put in the brown sugar, ginger, apple cider vinegar, pinapple juice, ketchup and soy sauce.
  3. Add the pork, red bell peper, carrot, onion, pineapple pieces and stir gently.
  4. Cook for 6 – 8 hours on low.
  5. Serve and enjoy.
Slow cooked sweet and sour pork on a bed of special friend rice.

We served our pork on a bed of special fried rice and our own recipe is below:

Ingredients

250g basmati rice
1 red onion, chopped
1 carrot
1 stick of celery, chopped
100g of peas
250g of bacon lardons
1 clove of garlic
Soy sauce

Method

Boil the basmati in a saucepan.

Put the onion, celery, bacon lardons and garlic into a pan and fry until softened.

Once the basmati rice is ready, put into frying pan and then add soy sauce to taste.


Serve up with slow cooked sweet and sour pork meal.

Reviews

The Importance of Being Earnest Review

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In The Importance of Being Earnest, while assuming the role of dutiful guardian in the country, Jack lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy takes on a similar façade. Unfortunately, living a double life has its drawbacks, especially when it comes to love. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate.

Last night, my husband and I took a trip to London to watch a show. It wasn’t our usual musical, this time it was The Importance of Being Earnest written by Oscar Wilde and being performed at the Noël Coward Theatre.

After dinner at Mother Mash (see my review), which is literally around the corner from the theatre, we were ready to watch the show.

Oscar Wilde statue in Dublin

I studied The Importance of Being Earnest for my O’Level English Literature exam, yes I know that makes me old, along with The Merchant of Venice and To Kill A Mockingbird. I am ashamed to say that all I could remember was it had something to do with a handbag and a baby being left at a station cloakroom….

The cast was the main reason we decided to watch this play which included Stephen Fry, Olly Alexander, Hugh Dennis, Shobna Gulati, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Kitty Hawthorne and Jessica Whitehurst.

Of course, Stephen Fry stole every scene he was in as Lady Bracknell and her witty, dry one-liners were delivered with precision and wonderful comic timing.

But the remaining cast more than held their own in this play, from Olly Alexander as Algernon and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Jack, their chemistry was undeniable and they acted their socks off.

But my favourite were Gwendoline and Cecily, Kitty Hawthorne and Jessica Whitehurst, their range of facial expressions, the different tones to their voices when angry or excited was a joy to witness. One scene when they were arguing with each other, they had trouble controlling their giggles which delighted the audience.

The cast stuck to the original story of Oscar Wilde, who I have to say was way ahead of his time with his comedy, both physical and verbal, but modern touches were also added like Olly playing a pop song on the piano.

Our only disappointment on the night was that Hugh Dennis didn’t appear as the Reverend…

Overall, a thoroughly delightful show, a superb cast and a fabulous theatre. I would definitely recommend it, though you will have to be quick as its run ends on 10th January, 2026.

the walking dead, Walking Dead Poetry

THE WALKING DEAD: S2 EP 1 – WHAT LIES AHEAD

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The group leave Atlanta and head for an army base not far,
But soon they find their way blocked by abandoned cars.
The RV's radiator hose breaks, they search the cars and trucks,
Glenn and Dale manage to fix the hose, that's a bit of luck. 

Rick spots a walker, but behind it is a very big herd, it's badass,
He tells the group to hide under the vehicles until they pass.
Dale lies flat on the roof of the truck, Andrea is inside busy
with her gun, she suddenly sees the walkers outside the RV.
Dale lying on top of the RV while the walker herd passes by.
She scrambles to the bathroom, a walker wanders through the open door,
Andrea tries to assemble her gun, but a piece drops to the floor.
The walker hears it and pushes the door with all its might,
Dale sees that Andrea's in trouble, she will have to fight.

He throws down a screwdriver for her to use,
She stabs it in the head, until the blood begins to ooze. 
Once the herd is past, Sophie emerges from her hiding place,
But two stragglers have seen her, they then take chase.

Sophie runs into the woods, followed by Rick,
He manages to grab her, and tells her to be quick
And run back to the highway if he doesn't come back,
But when Rick returns, Sophie's gone, but there are some tracks.
Rick and Sophie
Daryl tracks Sophie and she was heading to the highway,
But then her tracks veered off to another path,  to his dismay.
They continue to search and Rick kills a walker to see,
If it has any remnants of human flesh in its belly. 

They find that a woodchuck is all that the stomach contains,
There's still hope, they will continue the search again.
The next day the group goes back into the woods and they hear
The sound of church bells and they sound quite near.

They hope that Sophie is responsible for that sound,
But when they get there, she's nowhere to be found.
Rick, Shane and Carl continue searching and they find a deer,
Carl moves closer, he's curious but without any fear. 

Then suddenly, the sound of a gunshot rips through the spot,
The deer falls to the ground, so does Carl, he's been shot!
Carl sees the deer…
Cookery, Cooking and Baking, Gousto

Cooking with Gousto

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We have been using Gousto for about six months now and have been impressed with their variety of meals and step-by-step instructions which even I can follow! So we decided to show you how easy it is to cook with Gousto.

Disclaimer: We have no affiliation with Gousto and this recipe was ordered from our own account.

Shredded Hoisin Chicken Wraps

Ingredients:

You are provided with the necessary ingredients and the only one not included was vegetable oil.

British chicken breast strips
Tortillas
Cucumber
Gem lettuce
Hoisin sauce
Soy sauce
Spring onion
Toasted sesame seeds

Method

First we had to let the chicken air for a little bit before we started cooking it and then drizzle a little vegetable oil into a pan over a hight heat. Cook the chicken strips for about 5-6 minutes on each side until golden and the chicken is cooked through.

Then it’s time to cut up your cucumber into discs and then into matchsticks and slice your spring onions lengthways into thin strips.

Once the chicken is cooked, you need to shred it apart using two forks.

Put the shredded chicken back in the pan and add your soy sauce and hoisin sauce to it and cook until warmed through.

Wash your lettuce, pat it dry with kitchen paper and then finely shred it.

The tortillas just need to go into a microwave for about 20 seconds, just to warm.

Assemble the wraps…

Cover the tortilla with some hoisin sauce (we added this from our own hoisin sauce bottle!)

Add some lettuce on top…

then cucumber…

and sliced spring onions…

and lastly the shredded chicken.

Thoughts

This was a very simple recipe to follow with not much cooking involved and it took us about 20 minutes from start to finish. There are more complicated recipes and we will be doing one of them in the near future. The meal was tasty and three tortillas was just enough for us, which is another good thing about Gousto, it gives you portion control.

I have uploaded a video where we make this dish on my YouTube Channel, please give it a watch and see how we got on.

Christmas, Days Out, national trust, Reviews

A Nutcracker Christmas at Mottisfont

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The biggest Nutcracker I’ve ever seen!

Prices:

Free entry for National Trust members, Art Fund Members and under 5s.

Peak admission

Adult – £21,00
Child – £10,50
Family – £52.50
1 Adult Family – £31.50

Off peak admission

Adult – £19.00
Child – £9.50
Family – £47.50
1 Adult Family – £28.50

Parking

This is free.

Length of time spent here:

We arrived at about 10.20 AM and stayed until 2.30 PM.

My Review

We were babysitting our two grandchildren, Harry (5) and Olivia (3), so we decided to take them to Mottisfont to take a look at the Nutcracker Christmas. This particular ballet has become very familiar to us this year as Olivia’s dance show was based on it and Harry’s school Christmas play was also The Nutcracker, so Harry was fully aware of the story.

We arrived at about 10.20 AM and the first red flag was that we had to queue to park our car. I have a Blue Badge and so we were lucky enough to be able to park just at the entrance, but this was no advantage as the queue to get in snaked around the car park like the queue for a Disney ride! I must admit that when I looked at the website there was a warning that it could be busy, but I didn’t think it would be THAT busy!

So my advice would be to either go later in the day, perhaps Sunday morning wasn’t the best time to arrive or if you can, go during midweek.

Nutcracker Trail

We decided to follow the Nutcracker Trail which had miniature theatre scenes of Clara’s family home and the Land of Sweets. There was a also a chocolate boat that children could play on, a game where you had to throw bean bags at the mice and a Nutcracker puzzle.

Harry and Olivia playing on the chocolate boat.

Inside the House

After you have paid your entrance fee, then you queue again for some timed tickets into the house. They are for every half an hour and you can go in anytime during that half hour.

This is where the story of The Nutcracker comes to life. The story begins as you enter the house and you can see the German village where Clara lives.

German village

Each room as you walked into it was more magical and more enchanting than the last. There were scenes from The Nutcracker: the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Land of Sweets and a duel between the Nutcracker Prince and the Mouse King.

It was very well done and there was lots of attention to detail. Both of my grandchildren were captivated by it: there was ballerinas for Olivia and soldiers and mice for Harry!

Please take a look at the short video….

After looking around the house, which I would say took about half an hour, we went for a walk along the river. Even though there was a few people doing the same, it was still very peaceful and the kids loved seeing the ducks and playing Poo sticks on the bridge.

We did buy some hot chocolates and sausage rolls from the Coach House Café where there was a long queue but it did move quite quickly. It was a bit expensive at £35 but everything was hot and tasty!

This is the third time we’ve visited Mottisfont, it’s not very far from where we live and it’s nice to see it in the different seasons.

We all enjoyed our visit and even though there was a fair amount of queuing it was well organised. I would definitely recommend a visit to this beautiful place!

Restaurants, Reviews

KANISHKA BY ATUL KOCHHAR, 17-19 MADDOX STREET, MAYFAIR, LONDON

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About Kanishka

Atul Kochhar is at the forefront of fine Indian dining. He is an established restaurateur, television personality and author of cookery books.

Kanisha opened in March, 2019 and Atul appointed his protegee, Ashok Kumar as Executive Chef.

The restaurant is named after King Kanishka, an emperor of the Kushan dynasty known for his military, political and spiritual achievements.

Atul was the first Indian chef to receive a Michelin star in 2001 and won a second in 2007. He is the Chef/Patron of seven British restaurants which promote the best of Indian gastronomic fare combining modern techniques and traditional recipes and ingredients.

Ashok Kumar was featured in The Great British Menu, London and Southeast region in 2024 where the theme was celebrating the Olympics and Paralympics with a banquet hosted by the British Ambassador in France.

We were in London for a very special reason, we were going to a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, so we decided to have a special meal to celebrate this and because we had eaten lots of times at Sindhu on P&O Cruises (Atul’s restaurant on board), we booked Kanishka.

We decided to go for the Tasting Menu which was £105 each but decided against the wine pairing as we’re not very big drinkers, so we ordered a bottle of wine instead.

As it happened, both Phil and I had different menu choices for each course, most probably because he loves fish and I am definitely not a fan!

NASHTA
Atul Kochhar Blanc de Blanc

The first course was Nashta, which is the one in the background – the outer casing was very crispy and crunchy and the filling was smooth and moreish, almost like a humous texture and taste. The front two were complimentary and everyone received those, the one on the right was VERY spicy and they were both mouthfuls of tastiness.

Then it was onto the next course:

NADRU KI CHAAT
Lotus stem kebabs and crisp with tamarind, cherry chutney, yoghurt

DEVON CRAB BONDA
Devon crab fritter with chickpea sundal, tomato chutney with Isle of Wight tomatoes

I had the kebabs, which didn’t look like the kebabs we normally get from our local van in the layby and Phil had the crab. The kebab had lots of different textures which all blended together extremely well and the pomegranate seeds really made it pop! Phil said his crab was delicious, he wished he could have ate more!

JAL TARANG
Scallop, chicken jus, hazelnut & crispy chicken skin

So, I ordered the DHUYEN KI BATAK – home smoked Margret Duck breast, orange and spring onion chaat but forgot to take a picture of it! I have to say, this dish was superb, probably my favourite one of the night. The duck was cooked to perfection and together with the refreshing orange segments and spring onions, it tasted wonderful. Phil loves scallops and this was one of the best ones he’s had and together with the chicken jus, was incredible. He did wish though that he had a slice of bread to mop up that delicious sauce.

CHICKEN TIKKA PIE
Speciality of the house served with spring berry chutney

JOHN DORY
Cornish John Dory with Isle of Wight tomatoes

I had the chicken tikka pie which definitely didn’t taste like any other pie I’ve had! It was absolutely delicious. Phil enjoyed the John Dory and was impressed with the tomatoes which came from the Isle of Wight!

Time for a break – a toilet break – which I just had to take a picture of, it was a very nice restroom!

DO TARIKE KA GOSHT
Lamp chop, lamb loin, Swiss chard and jus

PURANI DILLI KA BUTTER CHICKEN
A classic of old Delhi – chicken tikka in rich tomato sauce

Phil’s lamb chop was ‘melt in the mouth’ and the spices were just about the right amount, not too spicy so that the taste gets overwhelmed. My butter chicken was amazing, there were side dishes that came with it and there was quite a bit of it, especially after eating all the previous courses! This has made me change my order when I go to an Indian now, I always order the butter chicken rather than the Chicken Korma!

Indian desserts are usually not very good but these were on another level! Refreshing and light after such a lot of food!

We met the Executive Chef, Ashok Kumar, who was in the TV programme The Great British Menu and we had a chat with him, but unfortunately forgot to take a picture!

Thoughts

This was an amazing meal and we felt it was good value at £105 each. The staff were very attentive and friendly. There was a smell of varnish as they were in the process of redecorating, but as we were sat downstairs we couldn’t smell it whilst we were eating.

Overall, a wonderful dining experience.

Creative Writing and Short Stories

The Ghost Hunters

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This was it, the building they were investigating. Why this building? Well, it was rumoured to be the most haunted building in America, it had been featured on an episode of Ghost Adventures, where they had experienced lots of phenomena. Now it was their turn…

“Are you ready?” she asked her fellow ghost hunter, “It’s giving me the chills just looking at this place.” “Yes, as ready as I’ll ever be,” he replied, trying not to show the fear he felt, in his voice, “Come on, let’s go for it.”  

“Wait a minute, I haven’t set my camera up,” he said, “Well, do hurry,” she replied, feeling sure that he was playing for time, “We need to get in before dark.” “Okay, all set,” he answered, placing the camera on his shoulder, “You go first.” 

She tentatively opened the door and the hinges let out a huge squeal as if in indignation at being opened, she gazed into the gloominess and heard a door bang in one of the corridors, she screamed and turn around, running out into the daylight, swiftly followed by her fellow ghost hunter.

They reached the safety of the grounds and looked at each other, “Well, we got further than the last time,” she said, “We even managed to open the door this time.” 

Great British Bake Off, Reviews

Great British Bake Off: Episode 1 – Cake Week

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Please be aware that this blog will include spoilers… you have been warned!

A parody of Barbie, with arguments over who is the best Barbie between Noel and Alison and Ken (Paul Hollywood) picking Weird Barbie (Prue) with a bad American accent, kicked off the new series of Bake Off.

Signature Bake: Loaf Cake

Prue says that to really impress her, the bakers need something that surprises her, “They could put two kinds of sponge together, so it looks marbled or they could bury something interesting inside.”

Paul Hollywood advises us that, “Time management is critical, you don’t want to put decoration on top of a warm cake, it will literally just melt and slide off. It’s gonna be tricky.”

They have been warned!

Illiyin’s “Cinnamon Roll” Loaf Cake –
The judges loved this loaf cake praising the flavours. This earned Illiyin the first handshake of the series.

Gill’s “It’s all V’s Fault” Loaf Cake –
The marbling was good inside the cake and it tasted nice and orangey, but it was let down by the overall look as the icing had melted.

John’s Cherry & Chocolate Marble Loaf Cake –
A proper loaf with enough height, the inside was more of a splodge than a swirl, but the overall flavour was good.

Andy’s “My First Bake” Loaf Cake –
Lovely flavour but the texture was very heavy.

Mike’s Lemon & Linseed Loaf Cake –
Paul noticed it had a big crack inside. The lemon flavouring was spot on, but Paul couldn’t taste the linseed and Mike obviously had an issue with timing as the icing was melting.

Georgie’s Vanilla & Chocolate Marble Loaf Cake –
Nice flavour, but was criticised for not having enough height. Paul said, “I don’t dislike it, I just think it could be better.”

Sumayah’s “Halwa Surprise” Loaf Cake –
A good strong bake that hadn’t been overmixed with the perfect coconut level in the flavour.

Jeff’s “Guiding Star” Loaf Cake –
Prue was impressed with the star running through the cake. The flavours were good, but the overall look was compared to “lava flow.”

Nelly’s Coconut Loaf Cake –
Prue commented that it was basically pudding and was delicious. Not the best decorated but flavour-wise was lovely.

Dylan’s “Sticky Rice” Loaf Cake –
Neat with a good height. The flavour was there but the bake itself was doughy and dense,

Christiaan’s “Umami Apple” Loaf Cake –
Clever decoration, but the judges weren’t impressed with the miso/apple combination.

Hazel’s “Raspberry Surprise” Loaf Cake –
The shards were too thick and it was slightly overbaked.

So we already have the first handshake of the competition, was it too early or do you think that doesn’t matter, if Paul thinks it’s worthy then that’s fine?

Technical Challenge

We were told the news that Jeff wasn’t feeling well, so he won’t be participating in the rest of the programme.

The technical challenge was to bake 8 symmetrical mini-Battenburg cakes but there was a twist – it’s a Taste and Bake Challenge. There was an example of a Battenburg under the gingham cloth and they had five minutes to inspect that before starting on their own ones.

There was a certain amount of trepidation from the bakers, apart from Georgie who admitted she’d looked at a Battenburg recipe last night! (That’s my girl! – if you look at my previous blog, she’s one of two I have chosen to win this year!)

11. Mike
10. Hazel
9. Sumayah
8. Andy
7. Illiyin
6. Gill
5. Nelly
4. Dylan
3. John
2. Christiaan
And the winner was…. GEORGIE!

Showstopper Challenge

Paul highlights Christiaan, Mike and Hazel, who may be in trouble and have to leave the show today.

This week’s Challenge is a hyper realistic illusion cake with flavours and types of sponges up to the bakers in just four hours.

Georgie’s “Fanny the Chicken” Illusion Cake –
Prue commented it was an odd shape, but that the chicken had a real personality. Alison asks the judges, “How does Fanny taste, guys?” The judge’s managed to keep a straight face and replied, “Absolutely lovely!” Bake Off with its best innuendos. Two of the sponges were overbaked but it had a lovely lemon flavour.

Sumayah’s “Pato the Duck” Illusion Cake –
An exceptional illusion cake, probably one of the most realistic looking cakes in the tent. Beautifully baked. But no handshake!

Wow!

Dylan’s “Canopic Jar” Illusion Cake –
Impressive illusion cake. An unusual flavour, but delicious.

Christiaan’s “Sweet Seams are Made with This” Illusion Cake –
Prue loved this sewing machine illusion cake comparing it to her own one at home. Paul didn’t hold back on his critique saying it was massively overbaked and bone dry and the flavour was quite sour.

John’s “The Perfect Brunch” Illusion Cake-
The judges were impressed with the illusion cake and they loved the flavours.

Gill’s “Crown Green Bowling” Illusion Cake –
Good illusion, although Prue wished the bowls were more rounded, The judges loved the taste of it.

Mike’s “My Favourite Cake & Books” Illusion Cake –
Each book could be picked up separately, the judges loved them. A beautiful cake, executed very well from Paul and Prue just said, “Ditto.”

Amazing!

Andy’s “It’s an Overnight Job” Illusion Cake –
Exceptional illusion cake, Paul could tell straight away that it was overbaked. Lovely flavour with the sharpness of the raspberries.

Hazel’s “Handbag” Illusion Cake –
For a first for Bake Off, Hazel carried her handbag illusion cake by its handles. But Paul commented it wasn’t very neat, overbaked but a beautiful lemon flavour.

Nelly’s “Retro 90’s Shoes” Illusion Cake-
Good chocolate flavour, but lacking the flavour of the raspberries.

Illiyam’s “Flowers in a Vase” Illusion Cake –
Paul and Prue loved the flowers but weren’t keen on the vase. A well baked cake with amazing flavours, but the design was slightly flawed.

Who went home?

Actually nobody went home because Jeff was ill, but they were warned that two people could go home next week.

Star Baker

Thoughts….

A great start to the series, cake week is always a good one as we do get some great bakes. Not to brag but my two choices, John and Georgie won both the Technical and Star Baker! I think Christiaan and Hazel may be gone next week, but let’s hope they do better with biscuits.

Maybe not sending anyone home in the first programme could be established in future series, I know that I would probably need at least a week to settle in and get my nerves under control, they do this in Strictly and it gives everyone a chance for a little bit more practice.

Next Week:

Biscuit Week and it looks like carnage as we see two people fall to the ground…