For fun and food and friendship...

...we give you thanks, O Lord.

Hello to my dear Readers - good to have you here, Peeps!

This week has been reasonably calm, although I do marvel at how I manage to while away hours and have not-a-lot to show for it! Still, I have (so far) made 24 Thanksgiving cards to sell for church funds - we have ca lot of Americans in the congregation, & I thought I'd get in early, in case they were thinking of having family send packs of cards from the States! They are fairly simple, either using a zentangled design of pumpkins from last year (photocopied, stuck on cards and fancied up a bit) or some Thanksgiving themed designs I bought cheap about 3 years ago, which I hadn't used.

Planning for next week has been completed. I know I keep banging on about how busy I'm going to be - which for you full time workers is probably producing the reaction "So what?" but it's a long time since I've done anything approaching full time work!! It was never in the plan. Still, I know it's only till Christmas, so I should just be very grateful, and save up the pennies while they're coming in!

Food has been as planned, although I swapped a few things round. Lots of meals put in the freezer to aid Mr FD in preparing meals. He's a perfectly able cook, but I feel that, as he's working too (although not full time) I want to make things relatively easy for him - because I'm so kind-and-nice!

I'm slow-cooking another meal at the moment - for tomorrow and for a future couple of meals - then I'll prepare tonight's meal (plus two for the freezer) this afternoon. I really need to
(a) defrost the freezer
(b) complete an inventory of what's in there.

Anyway. This week's meals are:
TODAY: Chicken Tagine - this  links to another recipe, which, I think I will use instead of the one I was planning on using. The one I'd planned on using is another of the trumpeted "5 ingredients only" recipes, burt quite frankly, what's the point of it being only 5 ingredients if it lacks taste?! I'll go for more ingredients, I think!!

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SUNDAY: Paprika Beef. I'm actually at a Church Parish Away-Day where a meal is to be provided. Last year's meal was a bit of a disappointment, in this land of good food - a ham-and-cheese puff, tinned ravioli, a wedge of camembert and a choc-ice. However, I suppose we are helping to keep the Diocesan Centre going (it's a facility we hire from the RC diocese), so we should not complain. But let's hope tomorrow's offering beats tinned ravioli into the proverbial cocked hat! So Mr FD will have paprika beef stew for his main meal, and the rest will go in the freezer for another time.

MONDAY: Turkey ragu sauce - in the freezer - with pasta.

TUESDAY: Lamb pilaf from last week. I'd planned to eat it twice, but instead we had the postponed chorizo/sweet potato/egg hash yesterday. The pilaf went in the freezer. It will come out again.

WEDNESDAY: Hairy Dieter's "smashed up chicken"  This is a full-on Mr FD will have to prepare it meal. Once a week won't hurt him!!

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THURSDAY: Thursday is my only planning day, but I have two phone lessons to give as well. And we go shopping at 4.00. I've invited Alison & her children for apèro-diner...that is to say, apèros with slightly more to eat than just nibbles. I may do some puff pastry bits, and maybe some pizza and barbecue-sauce-sausages. We'll see what we can buy that's quick to prepare!

FRIDAY:   Mediterranean Sausage OnePot

And on that note, I have a 3 hour pause - today is the "Classe" of St Just . Everyone (who wants to join in) whose birthday this year starts with a 0 has their Classe today. It starts with Mass, then a procession through the streets with a band, and everyone wearing hats with a certain colour band (or, this year, feather boas for the ladies). The procession goes up to the Maison de Retraite (old folks' home) to fete the people there (a 70, an 80 and a 90 year old this year). It's my friend Alison's classe plus her daughters (10 and 50) so I went to wave and join her as the procession passed the house. There was kir flowing, and so everyone was already a bit wobbley on their feet. Alison suggested I went with them for the Apèro - everyone welcome! - so I did. Several plastic cups full of vin-peche and some dancing later I too am a bit wobbley on my feet! I've had lunch though, so I'm feeling slightly better now. A slice of nut meusli cake & my cup of coffee and I should be fine (ish!). The Classe people have gone on for a long and no doubt very boozy lunch at the Salle des Fetes. Mr FD is off being fit-and-healthy and riding in a bike race with Louis. 

 Part of the procession 2012

and 2014

2014 again - the 60 year olds.

So again I thank you for your comments from the last couple of posts...

POM POM wanted to come for dinner last Thursday - any time, Pompom. You'll be welcome! We had the pasta/pesto combo as planned. It was nice; we had it with gnocchi, rather than pasta.

Thank you FISHCAKE RANDOM for best wishes on my healoth. By Friday I was almost back to as-normal-as-I'll-ever-be.

KEZZIE asked my opinion on the first Doctor Who episode. I enjoyed it, & look forward to the resolution, but I am a bit bored with the Daleks now, and would be happy with a break from them. But I don't do a lot of heartsearching and comparing with the "story arc" or whatever lots of people do. I enjoy the episode and then move on! The Thai chicken was good, although I did change the recipe, which left me with quite a lot of coconutty sauce, which went into a butternut/sweet potato soup. Nomnom.

MAGGIE - I know what you mean about being careful getting out of bed. I'm rather nervous still while in bed, as that's when my vertigo appears to start!

MICHELLE: I'm not sure quite how encouraging my stories are re faith...but if they help you (or others) then more power to them!! 

Then lots of people commiserated on my failed bread making attempt.

JO suggested no-knead bread, which I may try. My soda bread isn't too bad, though I say so myself! But slow cooker bread may be left as a one-off (failed) experiment!

JANE-AND-CHRIS thought that maybe the bread knew I was afraid of it. I'm not sure I was afraid, but certainly I was sceptical. Maybe it knew that!!

POMPOM was resolutely sympathetic. Thank you.

MICHELLE has given me a recipe to try (when I'm feeling less sceptical, perhaps!!) Thank you, Michelle, let's hope I'm as successful as you are at it.

KEZZIE joins me in the ranks of disaster bread makers, and FISHCAKE RANDOM, thank youi for your kind encouragement!

SANDRA (at THISTLECOVE) - Mr FD had half of it toasted and said (through a mouthul of toast-and-plum-jam) that it wasn't too bad. I crumbed the rest, and have to say that claggy bread makes wonderful crispy breadcrumb topping!!

Have a good week, peepos. I'll see you next weekend (as I doubt if I'll have time midweek)