Staying with Mum, getting pats and dinner!

We had a good time together, Mum and me. We ate mostly takeaway Thai food from the fantastic Thai Noodle Bar around the corner. That was wonderful. We drank wine in the evening together, with Friday at our feet. It was very good. The girls were sad about losing Friday but so happy that she loves Mum. It was a growing up experience for them, a moral lesson about putting Friday's and Mum's interests ahead of their own. Though I know that Gruesome said she understands Men Who Kidnap Their Children now.

We talked to her (Friday) when she caught us half way down the stairs with our new purple suitcase. She figured out that we were going. We told her how much we wanted to take her, and that we would take her if she wanted but that we thought she would prefer to stay with Mum, getting pats and dinner. She seemed to agree with that.

We didn't cook a thing the whole time we were away. Made a salad or two, but that's it. When we visited Watkins we brought Mary a whole barramundi and intended to cook it but got distracted by the Vesuviano family drama down the road and a wonky corkscrew and Nadia cooked it instead, the champion.

Now we are home. I made dinner for Nadia and Troy for their Doctor Who evening here and I'm so grateful that it no longer hurts to cook. It doesn't even hurt to hunt for saucepan lids in the back reaches of the cupboard. It doesn't even hurt to fetch a chair to have to retrieve the salt from the mantlepiece where Gray sometimes puts it. It does still piss me off that things are never in the same place and I'm trying to deal with my outrage in a healthy way, but apparently failing. I do wish I had my own kitchen. I suppose I am selfish.

Dinner made:

Tomato and mint salad - peeled tomatos with finely chopped mint leaves, pepper, salt, slivered onion and smashed garlic, steeped for at least an hour
Orange and sultana salad - diced orange pieces with sultanas, steeped for at least an hour
Yogurt with corriander - there is no mystery here
Baked spicy potato - baked with a rub of hot spices
Rice - with lemon myrtle powder, so aromatic
Lentil and Carrot Tomato Curry - sweet and spicy

There was also a jar of green chilli jam.

It was such a pretty plate!