The teams - or team, rather - was compact, as was the project budget. The pace was noticeably slower, from the meetings to the processing speed to the comprehensive of data familiarization. That said, there lies opportunity in tasks of all categories and calibers. A condensed crew meant more frequent communication, along with room for error and experimentation. The comparatively more forgiving nature corresponded with reduced stress levels, for while deliverables would be as per the contract, there was greater tolerance for slowness, stupidity, and slipups.
Alas, the paved pathway only persisted for roughly 280 m. Soon, it transitioned back to sidewalks, back to the unwanted bumpy ride. Frustrated and fatigued, I turned to road cycling instead. Primarily industrial in nature, there was little greenery to be seen along the stretch. Furthermore, it appeared a preferred route for motorbikes and trucks, entailing more fumes than I would have ever liked to experience on a post-work respite.
And I did. The repercussions weren't too severe either.
1) Blue Sky Bran Muffins with an insane amount of dried cranberries
It would then be left to cool on the stovetop for over an hour before being transferred to the fridge. A total of four hours passed before it would be retrieved from its parchment paper packaging, its contents unveiled to the world.
Utilizing the remainder of my expired cream cheese and year-old matcha was an added bonus of this project.
Unmarbled yet again and ready for stashing in the freezer, SK's two-tone banana bread recipe was executed with four small bananas, an additional 20 g of flour, and plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg for an enticing, spicy essence.
Orangecane and I had expressed interest even in the pre-launch phase, and agreed to consolidate our orders, with transfer scheduled on Easter Friday. The only caveat: delivery was limited to weekends.
Our issue was posed to Issho Bakery, who were, thankfully, able to accommodate a long weekend delivery in Mississauga.
The Sernyk, depicted as a curd cake with caramelized apples, was sampled first. Wispy thin slices of apples had been caramelized and laid atop (or underneath, rather) beautifully. An initial forkful spoke of a structured sweetness laced with a hint of tartness, then a moist and slightly gritty cake base. I was tempted to conclude the texture as almond flour, but, upon conducting further research, learned of the possibility of semolina or polenta. Regardless, I was impressed. The apple slices were neither so thin that they would disintegrate upon touch, nor so thick that their centres were still a tad crunchy. Furthermore, the inclusion of sugar had been done tastefully, resulting in adequate caramelization without excess stickiness. Ideas for yogurt cakes with almond flour floated to mind shortly afterwards; they shall be stashed away for another day.
Mantulky, known as honey cookies, were a phenomenal addition to the box and absolutely adored by our household. The floral fragrance of honey was irrefutable, while pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and more poppy seeds gave off a craggy bite. The cookies themselves were quite appropriate for morning snacking, embodying the crunch of breakfast granola and zesty surprise of dried cranberries.
Layouts adopting static concepts were the last item of interest on my list. In a work-from-home world where commutes are nonexistent and static activity is in excess, why would I want to spend my free being, well, more static? I was overruled by majority in this scenario, thus accepted my fate.