Love Haiku: Loyalty

You are there always —

when I’m lonely, sad, broken,

always, you are there.

A Child and Their Dog

Walking along a London street I spot some impressions in the sidewalk.

It made me smile.

The Best Lasagne in the World

I’m a lucky girl. I have access to the best lasagne in the world. Only available chez Drumguy and Winehippie. The béchamel just creamy enough, the meat spiced just so, the tomato sauce a revelation, the pasta properly al dente, the mozzarella gooey and full of flavour. And secret ingredients, because every great cook has secret ingredients.

 

Portraits

Have been practicing taking portraits on my kindly accommodating  flatmate Tangogirl. Who’s next?

Berber Baking Party

The neighbours were having an engagement party, so Berber Angel and I joined the ebb and flow of Berber women next door as we baked up a storm.

Habiba poured something fragrant onto a plate. “Qu’est ce que c’est?” I asked Berber Angel. She put some in my hand and motioned for me to chew. Ahhh! Caraway!

There was much rolling and pounding of dough…

…and chit chat…

…and more mixing and stirring…

…and bread making…

…and decorating…

…and cookie-making… (hundreds, I tell you! Berber Angel doesn’t do things half-way!)…

…and delicious things to eat at the party.

I’m going to have to get Weight Watchers on speed-dial when I get back home.

Barbecue Italiano

Tootsie and family are in Canada on holiday so I’m using their house in the country. 🙂 I had the Italians over for the weekend for a barbecue. The garden was ready, pool and all, and the sun was shining.

Drumguy texted me a list of veggies to buy for veggie kebabs (aubergine, courgettes, peppers, mushrooms) and while Winehippie cut up the veggies…

…I made up my famous sherry marinade for the chicken kebabs (a big glug of sherry, another big glug of olive oil, a chunk of scored ginger, a head of peeled garlic, salt , peppers, chunks of chicken and whole mushrooms — try it, you’ll love it!).

I’d picked up some barbecue coals while I was out — not realising that it was the slow-burning stuff (meh — even if I’d  noticed, I wouldn’t have known the difference). Poor Drumguy. He struggled getting it lit. It huffed…

…and it puffed…

…Winehippie and I munched on veggie crisps and drank wine while I learnt a lot of really great new Italian words.

Then I called a cab and we raced to the Co-op to buy some super fast-lighting coals. Okay, so now I know. I picked up an extra two bottles of wine because we were working up a mega thirst.

Then it was barbecue time!

And eating time!

The afternoon blended into evening and we lit up the chiminea…

…ate the home-made tiramisu (which was outstanding!)…

…laughed, and argued and drank numerous bottles of wine until it was time to turn in.

The next day, after a breakfast of my famous scrambled eggs (I am a scrambled egg Jedi Master), croissants and coffee, we headed out into the fields of Sussex for a Sunday morning stroll…

…before heading back to London for the new week ahead.

A Dabble with Dye

In between running back and forth (twice!) on buses to get a spare set of keys cut for the new flat, helping my new flatmate Tangogirl unpack 85 boxes, and cleaning every surface of the flat, not to mention biting all my fingernails to the quick as Vanman and Laughing Boy attempted to fit my 3-seater sofa up some awkward stairs and an even more awkward hallway into the living room (they did it by the skin of their teeth!), Tangogirl asked me to dye her hair a deep, rich red. As you do. So I put on me marigolds…

…whipped up the formula…

…painted it on a bit at a time until it was all done…

…and, ta da!

Not bad at all if I do say so myself.