Ottolenghi

Mad, mad day.

Work, rush into town to get to the charity shop to get a book K had seen this morning and wanted in his £10 bag. Failed. They shut at 3pm.

Rush to Waitrose to use of £10 off £40 voucher. Think I can get most of the £10 bag here but suddenly get a shopping list as well. Search Waitrose, Aldi and then Sainsburys for the elusive black pudding. Failed again but did finally get home by 7 armed with the required shopping, something to constitute the £10 bag* (and actually overspend spectacularly as there wasn't a price on the random kitchen implement and I was in a rush) and some bargain meat items as Sainsburys was about to close.

Run around like a nutter trying to get the place looking tidy for tomorrow. It wasn't too bad a few days ago but one of the new cars came with roof racks, bike racks, it's own tailgate tent, the works. And all of this was now on the dining room floor around the Christmas tree. K had really helpfully done some tidying when I was out. And I'm not being sarcastic. Yet. Unfortunately it was the kind of tidying which leaves you with spotless cupboards and all the gubbins left out. Cue attempts to stop steam coming out of my ears as I try to make it look presentable without messing up the newly tidied cupboards. All the while K is understandably frustrated that he wants to relax.

And just as I was about to sit down K decided he wanted to go to Midnight Mass. As a born again Atheist, or at the very least agnostic, I shall just draw a veil over the whole experience. Panic inducing, seriously uncomfortable and never to be repeated. The choir were lovely though. I took a half decent photo of people coming out of the cathedral after the service but it can't be today's blip as it was after midnight and it's not going to be tomorrow's as I don't want a reminder.

So instead you have a quick snap K took of some of the contents of an Ottolenghi Jerusalem hamper he got from my parents. We already have the Jerusalem book but have only had a few things from it. I suspect that's about to change. Starting with braised lamb tonight. Oh yes!

Vx

* a silly stocking thing of small presents mainly from Poundland and the charity book shops normally. We usually do this on the last Saturday before Christmas and then meet at our favourite deli for latte and panettone afterwards. A very pleasant tradition normally and it gives us something to open on Christmas Day. This year it was all a bit too manic as the weather changed our travel plans and we were both working on Christmas Eve.