Sour Crepes

[QueenQueenie]

Well someone had to do it....

Beachy - thank you so much for the camp invite but we will be in the middle if the baccalaureate and are unable to move anywhere until July. It sounds like a lovely occasion.

Having a tricky day with ill DD so had to rush to work this am for important meeting then rush home to take over from DH. She's got sore throat achey limbs and stomach ache which seems a weird combo.

Sympathies to all those still enduring tube strikes - I spent 45 minutes on a stationary bus yesterday in gridlocked traffic trying to get to a meeting. Bus driver refused to let anyone off.

Some bloomin lovely food seemed to be dished up by you lot last night.

BD, shall I soothe you too?

Bought Fishcakes tonight. And salad. I foresee complaints. The Inferiorettes feel I have a strange and tedious obsession with salad.

Camping date is just before DD2's birthday so I suspect I shall be surrounded by smiling cherubs. Ahem.

Or possibly Bought Oven Ciabatta (thank you Aldi) and tonno e fagioli, ie naice tuna in olive oil and cannellini beans. And salad.

It's only half-way through Wednesday, isn't it. I have at least done most of my feature on ward rounds (I want to give it the title I Get A Round but fear that the readership may not love that) and can move onto one about phone apps and sight tests. Don't ask.

Successfully negotiated transport devilment to get DS to his hospital appointment. This involved walking from Liverpool Street to Old Street roundabout, with him on his scooter in his Sportacus outfit. Quite a sight in the City. Nearly everyone we passed smiled. DS then said 'I don't like people looking at me...' Er...

As for dinner, I've recently discovered the delights of tray roasting. Bung items in oven, leave for hour, eat. Items could be chicken joints, potatoes, garlic, rosemary, lemon, or sausages, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, balsamic, olive oil.

Keeps in oven for late-arriving menfolk. Minimal washing up. Win win.

well done Herbs. @ ds in Sportacus outfit.
I also favour the bung it all in the oven technique and will be employing it this evening with veggie sausages, apple, butternut squash, red onion, jersey royals and a courgette.

thanks for the cheesecake offer Windy, but I made one which was sniffed at for the most part by DF. AND we are in Ireland du Nord.

I was greatly cheered by this piece in the NYtimes today. Bittersweet but nicely put.

Yes MI, a soothing hand on my tortured brow would be nice.

QQ - are you there? DP and I have a 'date night' on Friday, and are contemplating dining out in Islington. Do you have any recommendations of new(ish) places?

We've ruled out Almeida for being too French/formal, Ottolenghi for being too communal and Pasha for being too aubergine-based.

Herbs, well done! Your story reminds me of one time when DS was about 3 or 4, scootering down the road in DD's pale pink ballet leotard, tutu and headband. An entire busload of passengers were giggling at him as he grinned at them - he had no shame

I haven't done any tray roasts recently, but I feel one coming on...

I AM here Herbs... What sort of thing do you have in mind? Tell me your hearts' desires and I'll se what I can do

How about these to get on with?

Trullo

Drapers Arms

Le Coq

Moro

Isarn Thai

Bless your ds - what a sweetie. His Sportacus antics bring back awful memory of ds2 breaking his leg in Suffolk, aged 5 and trying to explain to the A and E staff why he was wearing a Peter Pan outfit and no pants or socks, in February as well as how he broke his leg (he fell off his bike and dh crashed into him and fell on him ). Thought SS were going to arrive...

Ooh, QQ. Since posting, I had discovered the Smokehouse and fancied that, but now Trullo looks blasted delicious. I love Moro, but it might be a bit of a trek, and I had a lovely bit of Coq for my birthday! We hired the private room downstairs.

I hardly ever go out for meals these days, so deciding where to go takes on a weighty significance.

Smokehouse looks great but I haven't been, think it's pretty new?
Trullo is indeed good - if you do go ask for a table on the ground floor - the basement is a bit dark and depressing.

I have instructed DD2 to empty the dishwasher and DD1 to cook dinner (ie bung fishcakes in oven and put together a salad). They both, obviously, feel this is domestic slavery

BD, I'll soothe yours if you'll soothe mine.

Hope you realise I'm having to Google all these cooks. Ottolenghi looks particularly delicious and I might have to buy his book!

Herbs Though I'm not sure I'd want to spend a date night with DH ATM as he is being particularly stubborn and stupid about us buying a new (second-hand, of course) car.

Ottolenghi does a column in the Grauniad. His dishes are indeed yummy!

You're on MI...

Hatty 'Plenty' is a fabulous cookery book ....

At the moment I'm lucky to see dp passing on the stairs let alone have a date night.....

Coq for your birthday, Herbs? I'm surprised you had the energy.

Beachy - do PM me your camping details. However, I am hampered somewhat by the fact that we don't actually own a tent. I decided long ago that a solid roof and an en suite toilet were holiday must-haves, so have boycotted camping ever since. Will our "mutual friend" be there? I have seen her twice this week, but only as we flash past each other in our cars outside one of the two schools.

The Payroll lady who had the huge row with Irritating Accountant in the office hasn't been in all week, and I just heard she's been signed off for four weeks, due to stress. Much eye-rolling in the office. The good news is that Irritating Accountant and I seem to be getting on better, now I'm keeping him at arm's length (and now he's doing two people's jobs he hasn't got time to meddle with my stuff anyway).

BD, we are like that here. We were due to go out to lunch last week, arranged in Feb, first for ooooh, possibly a decade. Instead, he went to A and E with a nasty eye thing.

Ottolenghi is indeed yummy but I do find his recipes a bit of a faff with all those ingredients (am not very good at following recipes, so it may be that).

Crepey camping sounds great fun, think we still in exam season then though.

CV, Decathlon do great pop up tents that are very easy to put up, reasonably priced and excellent in high winds and rain as they bend in (I am really selling camping here aren't I?). The YHA are extending the number of hostels that let you camp in their grounds, which I am excited about as we have found it a perfect half way house (you can use the kitchens etc but still get to watch the sun come up with a cup of tea).

I quite enjoyed Youth Hostelling, now I come to think about it.

I just don't have an outdoorsy family.

I doubt I'd persuade DP into a tent in a million years. In fact, we don't have a tent. And the date of Camp Beachy is his birthday. So, all in all, put me down as 'remote chance'.

As for Otto, his recipes are indeed delicious, but a right royal pain in the arse, even once you've spent two days sourcing dried Iranian lime powder. But I'd like to go to the restaurant and have someone else make it for me. Trouble is, it's all communal tables, so not very 'date'.

Cv I think the last time we went camping with my sister and family( never again for reasons previously expanded upon) I recall my sister and I lying freezing in a damp and freezing tent , hiding from midges and a small noisy dog, my dsis said: if only camping could be warm and cosy with comfortable beds , a proper loo, and running water. Then I might like it.
From outside the tent her dh wryly said: yes it called caravanning

I think the chance of getting DH in a tent is probably slightly more remote than me having a nice bit of coq in the foreseeable future.

I am working with a bunch of librarians and don't find them overly friendly. Territorial, yes, friendly, no.

Cremo, DH's parents have a caravan on a site with laminate flooring in the awning and a 3 piece suite, real double bed, TV, etc, etc - sounds like your dream