Back to the Borough

Thursday lunchtime at Borough Market.  I still think of it as my local, even though I moved away from the area 12 years ago. And it's not like I go back very often.  But when I do, it's lovely to mooch about, check out the new suppliers, hunt out the old favourites and pick up some provisions.

Borough Market when you are on a diet, is a slightly less gratifying experience. Frankly, there is a lot of bread, cheese and cake. But I met up with my friend Sally today, hunted up something warm but healthful and sat in the sun having a good yarn. (OK, confession.  A large cappuccino and a Florentine assaulted me as I was leaving, but I figure I could have done worse.  It was only a small Florentine...)

Came home with assorted wild mushrooms, chipotle, autumn squash and a somewhat smelly cheese - which meant I attracted some very sour looks on the Tube. Sigh...I need to spend more time around here....

Stormy weather

Waking to gale force winds and rain puts me in a stormy mood.  And today has been a pearler with a litany of disgruntling news to match the weather. It started this morning when I hopped on the scales to find that, despite my long walks, excellently sensible eating and NO DRINKING while in Whitstable with friends over the weekend, I have lost zip in weight.  Then came down to the kitchen to find the fridge/freezer had frosted up again and was a bacteria nuturing 12 degrees. First job of the day? Sitting in front of the fridge in my dressing gown with a hairdryer aimed up the back freezer vents.

Later, after a miserly breakfast, I went to book my cheap Ryanair flight to France for a house party at the end of the month. And in true Ryanair fashion, the price doubled by the time I hit the pay button. There are so many layers of cost, I think you pay for your oxygen consumption in flight...

And lastly, had a quick trip to the docs to follow up on some blood tests. Brilliant. Vit D levels on the floor. Ditto with iron levels. Ditto hormones. Thyroid round my ankles. Cholesterol trying to make up for the rest by peaking uncomfortably high. No wonder I have been so drained lately. 

Came home and bared bits of myself in the blustery, patchy sunshine for 20 mins (check, vit D). Cooked beef, lentils and spinach for dinner (check, iron). Avoided dairy (check, cholesterol). But a long haul ahead I think with an unappealing array of supplements for the next 3 months.

The gales are meant to die down tonight. There had better be bluer skies tomorrow....

High Tea

Well, every so often, one has to invent an excuse for a proper High Tea.  Today was that day.  With one of my house guests winging her way back to Moscow tomorrow, we decided a champagne tea at Cannizaro House would be a good send off.

We pretty much went on hunger strike most of the day, anticipating the sandwiches, scones and cakey morsels that awaited - and a good thing too. While the weather outside was indifferent we took up a lovely  spot in the foyer looking out through the windows to the gardens beyond.  And yes, it was all lovely, including the plump strawberries that came out on platters to accompany our champagne. Much Anglo/Russian chat was had. And the almost non existent cellphone reception up there (a notorious black spot) was only a good thing.

We were there so late, and ate so much, that I think dinner is off the menu tonight. Must find another good excuse to visit again soon....

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

By Dr Seuss. Classic inspiration for those bumpy patches in life...


Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care.
About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town.
It’s opener there in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen and frequently do
to people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew.
Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.
I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true
that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.
You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.
You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked.
A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come,
or a plane to go or the mail to come,
or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls,
or a pair of pants or a wig with curls,
or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying.
You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.

Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.
I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too.
Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.
All Alone!

Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.
And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance
 you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul.
On you will go though your enemies prowl.
On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl.
Onward up many a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)
Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to Great Places! Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

The Russians are coming...

Well, the Russian girls anyway.  It started with my good friend Tatiana, who moved in temporarily and stayed (much to my delight - a very considerate housemate). Then her friend Svetlana moved back from a spell in Moscow and needed a place to stay until her London tenants move out - another lovely girl.  And this weekend, Tatianas sister Elena arrives for a weeks visit.

I quite like visitors from Russia - they bring excellent vodka of the kind not found in the UK, caviar and quite moreish Russian chocolate (who would have guessed?).

In addition, my house feels quite international with hearty Russian voices and laughter bouncing off the walls. So this holiday weekend we do Russian vodka night Saturday, the Kiwi bbq Sunday and Monday we are off to the Edenbridge/Oxted Country Fair for a slice of mellow English country life. A truly international Bank Holiday...

Jam making

plums plums plums more plums sweet golden plums dark tangy plumlets (or damsons) wash wash cut out stones cut out little worms cut thumb twice no three times more washing weighing measuring tipping into pot with water heat heat bubble boil put jars in oven and lids in pot to boil steaming plums mushy plums add unfeasible amounts of sugar and a bit more bubble stir stir stir bubble skim froth skim more froth stir more froth turn up heat and boil boil seethe and boil drip onto a cold plate too runny boil some more more dripping too runny but yum tastes nice boil boil drip onto a plate yep looks like it's setting take hot jars out of oven ouch burn forgot OK use tongs this time stove off oven off jars out now use little jug to pour dribble splatter ouch hot jam splashes hurt and again why am I so clumsy steady dribble top up jars just enough to fill them all well judged damp cellophane wrappers seal jars with elastic band no don't ping the bands all over the kitchen ouch jars hot this is tricky lids on breathe out.......... admire........

Enough of the baking...

Crikey, it's been a fortnight since I posted anything. But I have a good excuse - I have been a slave to my kitchen... How did I get here?  I never used to bake much - the odd birthday and Xmas cake, that kind of thing. 

And then about 4 years ago I baked a cake for the volunteers at a charity river clean up.  It went down gangbusters.  And ever since, I have baked regularly for the growing numbers of volunteers and increasingly for friends and family too.

Last week was my biggest challenge - baking for aroung 130 people a day, for 4 days.  I was manning the refreshments at a large corporate cleanup, and feeding this many people was relentless.  By the end of the week, I was in a heap on the floor and my kitchen was in extreme disarray.  After 350 cheese scones and the equivalent of 24 cakes, I had baked myself to a standstill. (I would be happy if I never saw another cheese scone in my life.)

Have recovered a bit since then. Whipped out a birthday cake and some cupcakes and slice for another river event.  Would really like a good long break though. I can see a kitchen strike approaching.