Life Really Does Still Go On

Well, five days back into work and it really isn't the worst thing in the world. My brain isn't functioning at it's usual ten per cent, however it has been declining at a steady rate over the last few years or so anyway, leaving me literally too stupid to worry. It just amazes me how, after six weeks of no work (oh, yes, I've even lost enough brain to forget the six hundred emails I received and had to deal with during my 'break') I've just fallen back in. It wasn't bad, in fact, it was good.

I did miss the Mad House, though, and of course, the family. Husband#1 has been kind enough to compile me a new Rock Liz CD (it's number 7) and it is probably the best, apart from the Pink song he's included. I love Pink - in fact I'm a great fan, (when not generally a liker of lady crooners), but the song he's put on is 'Who Knew,' which, having watched Pink Unplugged, we know is about someone having died. Nothing wrong with a song with meaning except when you're travelling to work, missing your family and you ball all the way there. Hmmm. Not a pretty sight when I arrive. I've had to ask for a remix which won't render me a blubbering wreck.

So food-wise we've been good, I've substituted 3% fat cream cheese instead of butter or mayo on wraps, made a lovely tomato salad to go with pitta - all our home grown tomatoes, just with extra virgin olive oil, basil and salt. For tea we had the lovely mackerel roasted with crushed new potatoes and then Husband#1 made fish in tomatoes with olives - all lovely. Last night we had a blue cheese (St. Agur) pizza with balsamic caramelised red onion and a few tomatoes. St. Agur cheese has to be the best blue ever. Today we're both cooking, which is quite exciting, and I'm just blogging whilst Husband#1 is making Ina's Scallop Gratin (who else's?). I made the starter, which used home grown green and yellow French beans, which I blanched a couple of days ago, mixed with home grown tomatoes, black olives and Feta cheese. Actually, it wasn't Feta, it was a Low Fat Greek Salad Cheese - but still good! I added a little basil and a balsamic dressing, it was really nice.

For pudding, it will be plum crumble for the next few months. We took about ten pounds of plums from the tree today and I started to cook them into fruit for crumbles,  but I'd only done a couple of pounds and already there was enough for ten portions of crumble. The girls didn't like, and this isn't a surprise. I did add some sugar, but when I got to the fifth tablespoon it was sweet but still tart and I gave up. I also added two teaspoons of (good!) vanilla essence. Not sure now what to do with them as I just haven't got time to cook them and then pull out the stones and they just aren't compliant before cooking.

Help!