12 April, 2008

Saturday afternoon (just)


and still in my dressing gown. I have a busy weekend ahead cooking and gardening and going to a 40th birthday party tomorrow. And I'm still not dressed. In the mood for pottering rather than catering. My grandmother and I used to spend ages pottering after breakfast in our dressing-gowns and would often be caught by visiting delivery people or relatives and look sheepish. I think the dressing-gown is probably my favourite garment. It took me years to find one long enough and the one I am in now is an old towelling one from Long Tall Sally, as I am a Long Tall Ellie. The other one I own (one must have 2 after all) is from Toast and is thick and soft with a hood but isn't quite long enough, which is the story of my life. It was originally at an astronomical price but I got it in a sale.

Anyway. Enough about dressing-gowns. Think I should probably get dressed and make pastry. First though I have two questions for you.

1. Should I be feeding my tomato plants? I've potted them up and they are growing well and clearly what with it still being winterish they won't be venturing out for weeks and weeks, but do they want food?
2. Does anyone know how to get nappy cream out of children's hair? Small children went mad with the cream after I'd put them to bed and thought I was safe for the rest of the evening. But no. Half an hour later they turned up very sheepish, having, I suspect, attempted to rectify the situation themselves without telling me and then realising that the cream was too big a hurdle and needed adult help. Cue another bath and failure to remove the stuff. There's a reason it protects kids' bottoms.

3 comments:

G said...

1. No idea, not even having a garden of my own.

2. I applaud you parents for peopling the world. Again, no idea.

What did you cook for the party? I think the dressing-gown part of our wardrobes is the best. I love being in mine. I have three which could qualify: one short purple silk one (only useful for being ripped off really, she intoned hopefully), one summery cotton one (long, Chinese print), one warm velvety burgundy one (long too).

Eliane said...

I baked two French Onion Tarts (my usual Elizabeth David favourite), loads of meringues with the left over egg whites, and a chocolate chestnut cake from Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess. Jack roasted beef, poached salmon and did something with pork in a marinade that I didn't get to try. Oh and baked two cakes - one orange and almond, and one chocolate genoese. All went down very well!

G said...

Wow! That all sounds incredible and worth the flight from Toronto. :)

I've not made Elizabeth David's French Onion Tart, but I shall do so soon.