Don't Mondays come round quickly?
We had an early start to the weekend as we had friends coming for dinner on Friday evening and that always makes Friday feel like Saturday! Paul was supposed to be spending the day out walking with a friend but we woke to rain, which turned to snow (briefly) and they decided to postpone. So I had someone in the kitchen to help clear up the mess that I inevitably make :-)
I learned a valuable lesson that evening - that melted sugar is about the same temperature as molten lava. I had made some raspberry creme brûlée for dessert and was melting the sugar with a blow torch to finish them off. I thought to myself 'I'll just check my portion to see if the melted sugar has started to harden' I could have used a spoon to see if there was a pleasing 'crack' to confirm it was ready to serve couldn't I? But instead I tapped it with the tip of my index finger. What a mistake! Yes the sugar had melted nicely, but it hadn't yet cooled down and set in that lovely crisp layer. As my fingertip reached the sugar it brought tears to my eyes and I now have a rather lovely blister to teach me never to do it again!
One of our Christmas presents from Jon and Sophie was a voucher towards a hotel stay and I have been determined to use it as soon as possible so I have been checking out places to go and organising somewhere for Coco to stay overnight. It felt so nice to be booking something to look forward to after so long. We aren't going until after Easter but it's lovely to have something in the diary - now we need to decide what to do about a 'proper' holiday, dare we risk booking something?
It's our son in law's 40th birthday in a couple of weeks time and they are having a couple of celebrations with various friendship groups and this Saturday we were booked for babysitting. They went to a new restaurant in town which has salsa dancers performing in the bar area and of course after people have had a couple of glasses of wine and a good meal, they are encouraged to join in the dancing. Of course if your friends make it known you are celebrating a milestone birthday, you are the first to be invited to the dance floor!
That evening I learned another new thing. Which I probably should have already known but have never seen! We live in an area which has a lot of trees, and Rachel's house backs onto an area of woodland. I opened her back door to let Coco out into the garden and as the security light switched on I could see dozens of shapes up in one of the trees. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I saw that they were all woodpigeons, all asleep on the branches. Honestly, I was so surprised! I don't think I've ever seen birds asleep in a tree before. I don't know where I expected them to sleep (in nests probably) but definitely not perched on a branch. Have you learned anything new this weekend?
Your roosting woodpigeons gave me pause for thought - I'd assumed that in winter they'd be snuggled up somewhere warmer. Ouch as regards the burnt caramel :(. That brings back a few memories. Hope it heals quickly. I now keep a little phial of lavender oil in the kitchen and put it on neat on small burns (works a treat for me). A night away sounds like a nice plan ...
ReplyDeleteOh your poor finger - sending lots of positive healing thoughts. What we cooks don't do for our guests (col). Alexa suggests lavender for your burns, for us it is an Aloe plant for burns. I like the smell of lavender better.
ReplyDeleteI will have to have a Google look at Woodpiegons. We get birds hiding in our evergreens on a winter's day & I make the assumption some are there at night.
Oh a time away marked in the diary - gives me the good feels for you.
Wincing at the thought of you burning your finger.
ReplyDeleteHaving just been away for the weekend, it does indeed feel good to have holiday plans in the diary.
Ouch!! I hope by now your blister has started to heal. That sort of thing seems to take a long time--especially when it's your finger. You just can't get by without using your fingers!! Surely it will be fully healed by the time you get to take your holiday! I agree, it's so much fun to have something to look forward to!!
ReplyDeleteOh, the blister thing is just the kind of thing I would do, when my patience is non-existent. Hope it heals quickly. We have been surprised this week with a lone heron who seems to be hanging out at the edge of lake all by his lonesome. From a distance he doesn't look like a heron because he bows his head and neck down in front of his body, very strange looking.
ReplyDeleteHi Deb, it's always good checking in on how things are going with you! It's funny how the little trips are making us smile and the planning we do just in case there's an issue! The uncertainty is hardest to deal with I think. Take care x
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