Potatoes and Plague Houses (Kind of...)

Hello dear Peeps!


Last week we were a bit of a Plague House so the planned menus went rather to pot...

Wer had a lovely time with our friends on Sunday - it wasn't too hot but it was hot enough to have lunch in the courtyard, which was very pleasant. We spent a good 4 hours over the meal, from aperos through to digestifs, and then went for a short walk up to the Chateau de Cornes d'Urfé, where we went with Huw and Trish a couple of weeks back. Everything was very yummy, and Veronique brought a "Soupe aux Cerises"


There was some left over which I have frozen, but am thinking of using to make a type of clafouti for the church picnic next week. Or maybe not.

On Tuesday Cathy and I drove down to Roanne - she wanted to buy garden chairs and other such stuff and I went along for the ride. We did the shopping and then had lunch at La Pataterie
 
This is a chain restaurant, serving meals based mostly around potato. The focus is baked potatoes, but they have other things, including a burger served between two potato rosti, with a mound of chips on the side! We both chose a baked potato - mine was Basquaise, and Cathy's was Montagnard. I had a spicy tomato sauce, chorizo and pieces of duck, Cathy's had jambon cru, and raclette cheese. The servings were huge - two enormous potatoes each, and a big salad, with plenty of appropriate accompaniements. 

In the evening Mr FD & I went up to Cathy's to help her fit one of her purchases- a new satellite dish. Mr FD was up the ladder, unscrewing the old dish, trying to fit the new one, stripping wires etc. Tools going from hand to hand, sometimes in the mouth to hold them...Therein lay the problem...The pigeons/swallows had been roosting in the area and also had been shitting there. With Mr FD's cavalier approach to hygiene and tool holding, on Wednesday he was mighty ill, thanks to transferred pigeon shit.

Mr FD doesn't look as cute as this when he's ill!

Since then he has not wanted to be far from a convenient toilet! Things are getting better now - he ate a meal of rice and vegetables and a bit of meat yesterday and it has stayed put, so we are hopeful of a recovery in the near future, but of course, we haven't eaten what was planned.
On Tuesday, Mr FD had pasta/tapenade/lardons. I had a salad as I'd eaten well at lunch time.
On Wednesday he ate nothing and I ate a big salad with ham, and eggs 
On Thursday he ate nothing and I ate pasta/tapenade/lardons
On Friday I ate beef, rice-and-vegetables and another big salad, while Mr FD ate similar, but smaller and sans salad. 

I haven't been fasting this week as my back has been very painful, so I've been taking strong anti-inflammatories. As these need to be taken with a meal I thought fasting wasn't a good idea. I need to get back into it, as I'm aware that there is a roll of something flabby appearing thathasn't been there for quite a while! My back is getting better - I'm off the anti inflammatories and back on normal paracetemol!

Today I'm off to watch a friend's daughter's dance spectacle. We have been promised pizza and wine to make it more bearable!! Mr FD is going to have soufflés plus a sauce.

SUNDAY: grilled chicken, remainder of the soufflés, vegetables.

MONDAY: Up at Cathy's for Apèros-diner - that is for drinks, but with enough substantial nibbly bits to mean we don't need dinner afterwards! Monique, Michel and Richard will be there too.


TUESDAY: (fasting) Pasta & roast vegetables.

WEDNESDAY: Back to Cathy's for dinner with her next door neighbours (who are our friends) .
I will skip one of my dance classes, so I get there at a reasonable time. 

THURSDAY: Round about this time it is La Fete de la Musique - to celebrate the official start of summer. Our friend, Pierre, who came to dinner last Sunday, is in a jazz band and invited us over to Lyon to hear him play. So Mr FD, Cathy and I are going over to Lyon on Thursday for the concert, and staying at Pierre's overnight. I have no idea when, what or where we will be eating!


FRIDAY: I'll root around in the freezer to find something!  



As usual I want to thank my dear friends for their comments. It's always lovely to hear from you.

JAN - I hope the weather is getting warmer in the UK (especially as I'll be across there working near Newbury for July and part of August!) It was cooler on Wednesday/Thursday here, with a thunderstorm on Wednesday evening, but the sun is shining again now. I think the washing on the balcony will soon be dry again. Time for another load at lunchtime I think!

MICHELLE: I hope you enjoy the cauliflower when you make it. I thought it was okay - but then I'm not a great cauliflower eater. Have you tried cauliflower pizza crust? That isn't bad.


I have been going to the Cat Refuge in Roanne on Fridays when I am down there shopping, and taking some cans of cat food with me. Yesterday I spent half an hour in one of the cages stroking and cuddling cats. Some of them were really keen to be cuddled, and climbed on my knee, or rubbed against me, which was lovely, but it was so sad how afraid some of them were of my hand. Obviously they had only known a raised hand to mean "I'm going to hurt you" rather than "I'm coming in for a stroke"

There were four cats (at least!) who I was sorely tempted to smuggle out in my bag - but I don't think Mr FD (or the Very Bad Kittens) would have been very pleased with me! Still, I will continue to go to Roanne a bit earlier than usual so I can fit some cat cuddling in between shopping and teaching!


So that's my week! What about you? Do you have anything planned to celebrate the start of summer?

Have a good week, whatever you've got planned. God bless xx


Comments

  1. It always amazes me how many yummy meals you have; I'm afraid you'd find my food life quiet limited and plain! Although I did have a big bowl of fresh garden strawberries and (soy) cream for breakfast, with two slices of homemade toast.

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  2. I love the look of the cherry soup! I hope Mr FD is all better now. X

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  3. You are so funny with your cat pictures! Cherry soup sounds intriguing! I stewed some rhubarb today with water, brown sugar, left over raspberry jam and marmalade- it was delicious- the liquid especially!
    Sorry Mr FDM has been ill- eeek re the pigeon poo!xx

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  4. Poor Mr FD, I hope he soon feels better. I made clafoutis once, but was disappointed with what seemed to be soggy Yorkshire pudding with cherries in it. Any idea if I did anything wrong?

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  5. I hope that you have a great time at the Music Festival. Your meal at La Pataterie looked like very good value. We are going to be on holiday in France in September so I will look out for one in the areas that we're visiting. Jx

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