Bee troot to yourself

I've been going out a bit too much lately. Not very me you'll agree. Thought I'd rectify this uncomfortable situation with a home cooked dinner with my two best vegelezzes, Dani and Becky. I've got stacks of beetroot from Blue Granny so decided to build them into a risotto, fortified with red wine. Give us a bit of strength in these new cold days and also colour compliment the veg. Ideally at the end of the meal we'll all have silly purple mouths so won't be able to leave the house anyway!
I roasted the beetroot with some garlic too for extra protection from the cold cold night. Made the risotto, chucked the beetroot and garlic in towards the end with mascarpone and parmesan.
Haven't bothered putting a dish close up in as I've started to think no one looks at this, let alone recreates my dazzling dinner ideas.

Ladies fright

I had been dizzy with anticipation about ladies night all week. Prepped as far ahead as Monday by firing up my drive time anthems cd in the laptop and sticking my 'real prosecco not cava' in to chill.

Bob and Chaz giggled over about 7 and we poured out some easy bolognaise and spaghetti. We were a bit giddy by serving time thanks to cocktails a la chaz. 'Do you think the spaghetti is done?' I asked. 'Well you know how you tell?' Bob whooped. And before I could say, 'No! We have house rules', the spaghetti was up on the ceiling. Well it did stick. And was done.

Left a bit as a momento. See, this is a real food blog. Cooking tips as well as silly stories.

It's kind of a blur after that unforch but needless to say I was in bed by midnight, ever so ill. Woke up with a black eye, a deep cut under my eye, and Bob and Chaz full of stories of havoc. Never knew I could pack so much into one half hour out of the house. Won't need to leave again for weeks. xxxx

Moet floaway

Was swept along on a sea of excitement and champagne the other day when a sedate afternoon of culture with Dave burst into quite the event. We'd planned to play a new game I invented called 'La Pétillante'. 'She who sparkles!' We based it on the new carbonated water fountain in Paris. What you do is stand on the bridge spitting fizzy water at each other, and passers by. Whoosh Swhoosh. 'What?! We thought you wanted more culture?', we'd cry at them.

However, luckily for south bank francophobes we quite forgot as we were distracted by the idea of dinner at Dave's in the new resort town of Rotherhithe village. Luckily for us, Chris had put the moet on ice so we could still get fizzy wizzy.

Dave, with the help of Sue the sou (that's me) whipped up a frenzy of chorizo sausages on a bed of spinach, drizzled with a

medley of peppers and onions, and served with a side helping of sweet potato chips. Roast and Marty helped us gobble this up.

Drinks were harvey head bangers as expertly mixed by Chris. Pudding was meant to be smashed banoffee but we forgot to buy bananas. Well, toffee and cream always slips down a treat.

Oh what a sparkling party!

p.s the sweet potato chips were definitely worth commenting on. Slice them up and stick them in the oven for a while. They shrink right down to become sticky chippies.

Bob and Franny's big night out.

Bob had seen on the tube some posters about some free stuff night at the shops so she scooped me up and via Wags (we had a voucher but chanced paying with our special Edward Cullen £50 anyway) we hit the big time.
First we stalked round GAP sniffing out the free beer. For a while all we got was some swanky toasted sandwiches. We'll rub them into the clothes if you don't give us beer now!

After draping ourselves in cashmere and playing soft soft soft gangs we tracked down the bar and having drained GAP we headed upwards to Selfridges.

Selfridges yielded a perfumed fan, the opportunity to chase Lily Allen round with a camera (don't lose the baby again, Lils!), two mojitos, seeing Sashy at work with the diamonds, and a free photo shoot with wind machine! Bob kept pushing me off the photo booth seat with her hair though. Cheered up by 'acquiring' two not so strictly free cupcakes from the food hall. 'Shall we give one to Sashy? Erm maybe not. Think her work might mind.

We giggled all the way home. Weeeeeeeee.

Home and Away

Let me be the one that you tattoo (noo Jim, leave Marky alone), the one you can rely on. Home and away. Closer each dayyy.
Well obvs we all are that close, but this song was sung not for us but to illustrate dinner tonight. In honour of Vietnam core having dinner togevs we ate ken hom's stir fried salmon with spinach and rice. Loads of spices and grated ginger, lemon and special oil stuff in it. And for pudding Blue Granny's apple pie with cream. See, home food AND away food. And wine with a great dog blog label.

It got really romantic whilst I was cooking as the power went off! Luckily gays love tea lights and we could empty out Alex's drawer full onto every surface. But calamity struck when mid stirfrying sliced ginger, etc, I thought ooh it's quite a lot brighter than it was over there.
The tupperware was on fire! The boys pulled together and it was out in no time, although it was really my hot brow which needed dousing after that furore. Sponge me, sponge me!

Many disapproving looks later I'd pulled a dinner out the wok and we sat down to eat. It was oh so moreish. Just like being back with our Vietnam Mother. "Dinnehh!"
We touched down to earth with comely portions of apple pie and cream. Aahh. Home sweet home and no jet lag.

P.s. That's not Bob to your left, it's my new housemate Jess. Bob is actually in Montenegro if you want to know. Hope they don't remember she's on Bosnia's most wanted list. We should all send her our prayers. Although actually now I think of it she didn't even come to Vietnam so doesn't count.

The evening ended really closer each day as Marky and I snuggled up to each other in bed. Aah.

xxxxxxx

The last supper

Ah, Becky, bolognaise and I have been through a lot at Cranston.

From tears of heartbreak, stomachache, unemployment, destitution and that time when Dashy tried to touch her up, to the joy of most things (we're very bouncy people), we've had it all over a steaming bowl of spaghetti and quorn ragu in Povvo Towers.

Was only fitting that she came round for one last time. And that we make it a bit better than usual.Wasn't really watching what she did do as whilst she was cooking I was chatting but if you want her methods I can pass on her number.
Anyway, it was a jewel in the dust of packing. As Brian on Celebrity Big Brother winners Come dine with me would say, it produced, 'the watering of the mouth.'

Pillow talk

Couldn't sleep the other night night so succumbed to my Nigella transformation by tiptoeing into the kitchen and sticking my fingers into the gooey mess that was the quadruple chocolate loaf saved for the special 'last london family at the flat' night supper. Ooooohhh.

Don't look at me like that! I made it. And I had a bath before bed so my fingers were squeaky clean.

Actually, the real reason I was up was because I was awoken by a mouse at 2.am rustling by my bed.

Probably was Hunca Munca from Beatrix Potter come to tell me to tidy up. Was very scared but after having a calming snack and a glass of milk I boxed my toes in with protective cushions and managed to return to sleep

After all that night time exertion I had to rest well in the morning with a double dose of Mad Men in bed before skipping off to meet my darling Lizzy B for lunch on the canal.

We shared some cannellini bean mixture on bruschetta, some sort of bean stew, tea for two and blueberry pie. Every mouthful was heavenly, as was the company.

Night night little lambs, don't let the mice bite xxxxxx

Liquid lunch

I was ever so tired when I got home from work so after a nap and a tea fetched by Dashy I thought I'd combine my two favourite past times. Bathing and eating. I'm really into Nigella's naughty quick meals at the moment. Basically, you add fat to fat, with a vegetable mushed in for health points.

I melted a large block of soft french cheese, warmed it in the pan with

spinach and one chopped tomato and used the resulting soft gooey liquid to swell up some cous cous. Armed with my plate of calor-veg I ran

a bath, bubbled it up, and settle down to watch mad men.

I have to say it did start to taste like I was eating bath water, but washing up was a breeze!

Lush bath bombs are better than Fairy any day!

xxxxxx

From nose to wail

Some people like to go out on hot dates to hot restaurants, I like to sit in and weep about how I don't like change. But just like Fergus, I'm going to make sure I use up every last shred of my Cranston estate experience. Povo offal to some, but heart and lungs to us. And using up the kidneys too with how much we've drunk tonight.

Marky sent out the memo early this week that we were going to share a last supper at the flat. Apart from Jim (but what's new? Joke! Don't worry the chance of him reading this is as low as him changing his sheets), all the regulars gathered in the 'sitting room' to be served up a feast of goats cheese stuffed chicken breasts with roasted vegetables and boiled new potatoes.

Was an absolutely dream. When I went to fetch the quadruple chocolate loaf cake for pudding I have to confess I ran my finger over all the bowls and utensils and then stuck them in my mouth.

After that it all got a little shady. Last thing I remember was sobbing in the bath whilst eight people showered the strawberry sauce off me.

Would you like a Fran with your sauce?

I just can't function without a good luncheon

Roast rolled round this afternoon for a late lunch and cuddle. I'd previously tempted him round with the offer of spaghetti hoops and grated cheese on toast but flicking through Nigella Legspress our greedy eyes were caught by something entitled: Back from the bar snack. A gooey mixture of potatoes, peas, bacon, eggs and cheddar cheese.

I think if you actually ate it in the middle of the night as she suggests you'd put on a stone then and there but it meant we could have fun sprawling on the bed in our gaping silk robes, flicking the light on along with our hair, and pawing down the stairs for a pretend midnight stuffing.

Oh we were very Nigella and started hoovering up our snacky cheese straws when at the till. Think the cashier blushed!

We began watching Annie Hall but half succumbed to sleep, so weighed down with potatoes and cheese as we were. Mmm what would wake us up?

I know! A quadruple chocolate loaf cake! We accidentally got a bit worked up by Nigella bandying about words like 'drenched', 'glory', and 'melting squidginess falling darkly onto my white sheets' and the chocolate batter got everywhere!

Surprised we didn't end up on the floor in a buttery mess!

After picking the chest hair out the batter we slid it into a loaf tin and into to oven for 45 mins.

All that was left was to enjoy a slice with a cup of tea, and to wash my clothes!

Roast practically needed a 'obesicycle' to get home after that marathon meal, and I need someone to lick the last few splodges from under my chin. I just can't reach and I promise it's tasty!

xxxxx

In a spin (ach)

What mischief are you hot young things up tonight then?My boss asked. Oh dear. A Wednesday night with nothing to do! I'm letting Shoreditch down..

Luckily I was saved by Dani Bristol who threw me a line requesting dins n cins.

First though, I set about solving the quandary of what to do with my hoard of massive spinach leaves. I'd only just exhausted my last reserve of leaves and inspiration. I had some time on my hands after work so I investigated some options..

Rakish hat? Coy fan for this steamy weather?

Ah sensible Dani came to my rescue with the idea of spinach and

ricotto baked wraps with a soft tomato mix melted onto the top with cheese. As usual somehow she did most of the cooking. It just seems to naturally happen if I hang around looking useless enough.

Then we trotted off happily to the Vue to see 'The Switch'. And no, i'm not embarassed.

xxxx