This weeks training

Training this week consisted of a Sunday morning mountainbike ride with my friends Mark and Fiona Brogden. We headed out on a loop of Hayfield, over Lantern Pike down into Rowarth at the Little Mill Inn and back round and over Lantern Pike again. Just enough to blow the cobwebs off. I like riding with Mark and Fiona as you get a nice cup of tea and a piece of Fiona's fruit cake at the end. Lovely!
I cycled to work every day except Tuesday! I used my road bike (my beloved Scott CR1) and tried to stick to going over Sitch lane which is a particularly steep bit of tarmac that cuts over the back of Lantern pike into Thornsett. Its a real lung buster to start the morning but if you keep standing on the pedals all the way up, you're soon at the top and can freewheel down into New Mills, before climbing back up into the town centre. Then on towards Marple keeping a steady fast pace. Its about 6.5miles and I find it really good for keeping the fitness up. I installed a shower at work over last Christmas so its really nice to freshen up for a days work (and also so I'm not called 'the smelly bloke' at work - well not that I know of anyway)

I mentioned that I didn't cycle on Tuesday. Well there's good reason for that. A few weeks ago I had the crazy notion of asking a different member of staff to make a cake (or pudding) on a Tuesday. We take it in turns so every 5 weeks its my turn and guess what! It was my turn this Tuesday. I think one or two of the staff think I am completely mad for this idea (well just Danny, my warehouse manager to be precise) I don't think Danny and his oven are properly acquainted. However he is on first name terms with the bloke from the Kebab shop. I think he asked Danny to be god father to his new baby. I'm digressing sorry! Where was I? oh yes, my turn. Well up until this week I was languishing at the bottom of the leader board ( bit like the Top Gear fastest lap board - but for cakes). Anyway Sheryl was top with her fantastic banana cake, followed very closely by Bill and his chocolate fudge brownies (with a subtle twist of black cherries) and Jane with her rhubarb crumble and custard mmmmm possibly my favourite. Danny had surprised us all with his giant jaffa cake. A work of genius, especially considering he had conceived it in the pub that night and baked it at midnight from ingredients bought at the late shop (he was sound man at an open mic night, not boozing by the way - well that's what he tells me) Anyway I had to improve on my lemon cheesecake offering, so I scoured the internet, poured through recipe book after recipe book until finally I came up with an idea.......and

      Behold the legend that is schwartzenwald kirchentorte. 

No1 on the leader board.

Cake envy - (wikipedia -the curious phenomonen manifest when confronted with an epic black forest gateaux)


editors note - I cannot believe that was actually made by myself. I promise there was no cheating and Rosemary didn't help (well actually she did de-stone the cherries on top as I am a ham fisted bafoon)

Surely the cake is worth a donation alone - click here to donate