Monday 19 October 2020

Photo diary: week 42, project 366

The week began with an anxious email from Eddie's school to say that one of the younger classes has been closed for two weeks due to Covid. The remaining classes are expected to attend, though I don't see the logic of that, as the siblings of kids who go to the affected class, still go to school, but then I suppose it's tricky to decide where to stop the chain.

I haven't published a single blog post since the last Photo diary, even if I had good intentions. I have started a few blog posts, they just need to be edited.
My blog turned 10 years old last week.

From other non-news, I've watched the whole season of The haunting of Bly Manor. It wasn't as jump-scary as The haunting of Hill House, and rather touching. It's based loosely on The turn of the screw. Creepy children, a vulnerable governess and plenty of ghosts. It was rather uneven. One of the episodes, with the back story of the original ghost of the lady in the lake, was a self-indulgent drivel, going on and on (if you watched it, you know what I mean, that incessant: She slept, she woke, she walked...).

We've spotted this egg on the ground outside the clinic, it must have fallen from the tree. The next day it was gone.

Chez Maximka

For three weeks in a row I'm posting a flower in a bottle from The Blue Boar, sorry, I know it's a lazy snapping, but I'm usually so knackered after the weekend, that I have no energy or enthusiasm to find any new subjects. And I do treat myself to a latte first thing in the morning, after I accompany Eddie to school.

Chez Maximka, pubs in Witney

Last week my husband has found out that one of the secondary schools in town is offering tours (not just the virtual tour), he booked an only available session left for Eddie and me to visit on Tuesday after school. We had an hour to kill, but rather than go home, went to the book shop and Costa for a little snack. While talking to his father on WhatsApp, Eddie did a screenshot of our heads.
Visiting the school and talking to the teacher who took us around was very helpful. We couldn't go inside the school, but it's a pretty big campus, with many buildings, sports and art facilities, and a great library. The original school dates back to 1660. We were able to have a peek through the windows and ask questions about the school. 
I wish the other school also offered the similar tour, to help make up our minds.

Chez Maximka

The last episode of GBBO saw the contestants baking brownies. I believe that brownies don't need one zillion fancy ingredients. If anything, too many ingredients in the brownie dough spoil the texture and flavour. Eddie and I watched the episode together, and the next day I baked a batch of salted caramel brownies. They are so lovely, still warm, with a bit of whipped cream and some fresh berries.

Chez Maximka, GBBO

It was a chilly morning, when I walked with my ninja to school.


If my shopping bag is not too heavy, I like to walk back home through the flood fields and cross the bridge over the Windrush. It is so peaceful there, with lots of birds and other wild life.

Chez Maximka

Photos from 5 years before have popped up among my Facebook memories, including a series of images from taking part in Grana Padano Top Chef blogger competition. 
I can't believe it's being five years. I was crowned the winner. I remember how reluctant I was to go to London in the first place, as I am not confident travelling on my own. My family and friends had to push me to go. It was such a fabulous event, we had to cook three dishes in a set amount of time, and our food was judged by the celebrity Italian chef Francesco Mazzei.
It was a huge surprise for me to be chosen a winner, as I'm not Masterchefy at all.

I still keep in touch with Federica from Pasta Bites, who posts mouth-watering photos on Instagram.


Chez Maximka





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22 comments:

  1. Happy 10th blogiversary!!

    It's great that you were able to see at least one of the schools. It's strange that the siblings of the child with COVID do not have to isolate too. I love the ninja photo!! It's so cute.
    Your brownie looks so good. I mentioned that I made babka, as my husband wanted that one. I would have preferred brownies too.

    Well done for winning. It's incredible how fast time flies, isn't it? :)

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    1. Thank you, Anca, babka is on my to-try list, hopefully one day I'll find time to make a proper one. In one of GBBO books I have, there is a recipe for chocolate, cardamom and hazelnut babka, which I think was Benjamina's recipe (it was still a season, when Mel and Sue were around), and that's the one I really fancy.

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  2. Oh no! What a worrying week. I am just starting with the worry today. We had our first case at my youngest girls school today. Thankfully the student hasn't been at school for a week or so before the positive but the worry is still there.
    Happy birthday to your blog! 10 years is amazing!
    That's great news about the visit to the secondary school. They seems rare at the moment with them all being virtual tours.
    Those brownies look so good. Way better than some on the GBBO. lol
    I need one of those balaclavas for the winter, especially when I'm on my bike. hehehe x

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    1. Thank you, Kim! We had such harsh wet winds in the last weeks, that I wished I had a balaclava hat like Eddie.

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  3. The brownies look delicious - I must get some baking in while I'm on holiday. I think the last time was in the summer holidays ! Aaaah I remember your Grana Padano win - time does pass by so quickly. I love Eddie's balaclava ! Glad you managed to get in a school visit. Good luck with making the final choice. Good luck with avoiding the covid bugs too - it's always scary when they are in your school or town :-/

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    1. Thank you, Cheryl, we've finally submitted the application, fingers crossed, we get our first choice.

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  4. Been debating whether to watch The haunting of Bly Manor. I didn't watch the other one in case it was too scary.

    The brownies look so good!

    Must be so hard to have to make a decision without visiting the schools. I remember visiting really helped make our decision easier.

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    1. Thank you, Fozia, I didn't find it too scary, or at least not as bad, as the previous series.

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  5. Where has the time gone! Your cooking always looks amazing to mw, I wish I had your skill and imagination. Love your ninja. I'm going on a school tour in the morning, but it's brand new so I'm sure it's easier than normal schools as pupils don't move in til next month. But have to go alone so still hard to make a decision #366

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    1. Aww, you're too kind, Mary! Did you like the school you've visited?

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  6. That's so good about the tour. We've still got another year to go before applying, but we've just done virtual tours. It doesn't give you the chance to actually ask the questions you want or see anything as none seem to have properly done an online tour, just talks.
    Happy blogiversary.

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    1. Thank you, Emma, we watched two virtual tours, and still had lots of questions, so it was good to be able to visit one school in person.

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  7. Congratulations on 10 years blogging and the cooking competition five years ago. Blogging has definitely brought some amazing opportunities. Great that you have been able to visit one of the schools, fingers crossed that the other has a change of heart and you manage to get a tour. Yummy chocolate brownies.

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    1. Thank you, Clare, we've now finished our school application form, without visiting the 2nd school, which last week got closed due to covid.

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  8. Well done on 10 years - I hit that in the spring. It's good to look back at what blogging has brought to you. I'm glad you had a chance to have something approaching a proper tour of at least one school.

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  9. Glad you were able to have a tour at the school even if you couldn’t go inside the building. Good luck with secondary school applications. That salted caramel brownie looks delicious. Eddie does look like a ninja in that photo but he looks nice and warm. Happy blog birthday. 10 years is an amazing milestone. What a lovely memory from five years ago too. #project366

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  10. What an achievement with the cooking/baking well done. Love the brownies you made. The external tour of the school sounds like an excellent idea, help it is informing your decisions on which school to send Eddie to. Love his hat/ninja mask

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  11. I get really confused with the rules too. Eliza has a year group excluded, yet the siblings in her class are still attending yet in our preschool we don't allow the siblings in if one of their family is isolating

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  12. I am craving your brownies now! They look delicious with cream and berries. Glad you managed to book in a proper tour rather than just a virtual one. It's a big decision picking a secondary school so its better if you can see it for yourself.

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  13. Happy anniversary to your blog! and what a lovely memory of your win from 5 years ago. I hadn't spotted The Bly Manor show so will see if I can watch it. #project366

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  14. 5 years already! It was such a great event, and you were a fabulous worthy winner. If anything, I am so glad we met there and we're still in touch. COnfident we'll see each other at some point too. Over a brownie perhaps :)

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  15. We've had 5 cases of covid and our college stayed open. Happy anniversary to your blog. I watched The Haunting of Hill House a few weeks ago by a friend's suggestion; apart from one jump scare, it wasn't that scary to me (i have a high tolerance of horror movies) but the story was really good. I kept hearing about Bly Manor and wonder how it is.
    I hope the mother found her egg. Cool screenshot and the school sounds good.The brownie looks delicious. Loving the ninja mask. Wow, congrats on being the winner! I'm not surprised; the food looks delicious!

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