Reflecting on my week #126

We made the most of our weekend not going to Devon! Thankfully the weather helped. Wasn’t it glorious, and so good to feel some warmth from the sun. We spent a large chunk of Friday gardening, more on that later, and then a much larger chunk of Saturday enjoying the weather. Our laburnum tree is in full flower now and looks best against the bluest skies. Though we’ve learnt this weekend that it seems to set off MOH’s hayfever, oops…

This is just a short update as I posted my weekly update so far into the week last week, but there has already been more lockdown baking. This is a habit that we should keep up, as I’m sure our home-baked treats are far better for us than anything we’d buy at work. I think that’s probably why I’ve been able to tighten my belt by a hole already - long may that continue.

Like everyone else my bananas are also ripening more quickly than we’re eating. So having already made banana bread, a good few weeks ago, this time I opted for Nigella’s chocolate banana muffins. Super quick, and a good result, both of which are good for me as a lazy baker, and our tea breaks this week are sorted.

While we spent time in the garden over the weekend we often had the company of a neighbour’s cat, who got braver the more time we spent in the same space. In true feline style, being up high was preferable, and the tree camouflage almost perfect.

#NOTMYCAT

We have lots to do in the garden - it’s the time of year where we always have plenty to keep us busy. I was keen though to sort out the fence, which is thankfully behind the fatsia, and which the previous tenant next door had got trigger happy tackling the ivy. Unfortunately they also unearthed a very delicate fence, and quite soon after moved out leaving the ivy to die and look a real sight. New tenants have moved in, and have temporarily moved out of London for the lockdown, and so I was keen to tidy this part of the garden up.

It was never going to be pretty, mainly because I refuse to replace a fence panel that isn’t ours, we can’t really see and which could have been tackled more sympathetically. But with some wire mesh, patience and some plants, should in time recover. You might have seen on Instagram stories at the weekend that I’m calling this the prickly trellis, and it’s a name that works well on many levels, but mainly because the largest plants I’ll be encouraging to grow are holly and pyracantha, both of which were handily growing within tie-in-able distance.

The plus side was being able to spend time admiring the camellia, which while fading is still as beautiful - it’s having a good spring, despite flowering much later than our neighbours.

Take care, stay safe and if the weather forecast is anything to go by, stay dry.

Reflecting on my week #125

I’ve been losing days this week, lots of them. In fact it’s gone past asking what day it is, this week I’ve asked if it’s a four day week or not, sadly it wasn’t. Though it kind of is, as we’re off on Friday as we’re not going to Devon.

Yes, not going. Perhaps this is some kind of lockdown humblebrag, who knows. But anyway, it’s been good to get out into the garden. There’s been some pottering, plenty of checking on seeds - in exciting news, my broad beans are finally peeking through. They will of course soon be overtaken by the lettuce and other quick crops.

I’m also hopeful for plenty of tomatoes, and somehow managed to take the photo below without realising, discovering it on my phone later on. It’s a shot through my bench in the greenhouse of the pots below, and one I wouldn’t ever have planned to take.

The laburnum is also in full flower, and looking gorgeous. We’ve had lunch out in the garden a few times this week, enjoying a break, the warmth of the sun and my yellow view.

We still have lots to do in the garden, but doesn’t everyone? Our not going to Devon trip will give us some time though, and I’m already planning how to maximise the full potential of our green bin.

I’ve not posted this week, mainly because I seem to have run out of time, or lacked the headspace to make it happen. There’s still plenty to occupy me at work, and plenty buzzing around my head with stuff to plan, and I do like to plan, but some percolation is needed first. I know that’s how my brain works, but it also makes focusing on one task harder, as I’m off down all sorts of rabbit holes and avoidances.

I decided more baking was needed. I’d done banana bread a good few weeks ago, we’d recently finished the pecan and white chocolate brownies, and remembering I’d been meaning to use my vintage madeleines tin for a while, it was decided.

I am a lazy cook, and worse baker, so close enough is my motto. But even so these lemon madeleines, adapted from an orange blossom flavoured recipe, turned out well. They are evaporating though, as one is never enough, so I’ve a feeling my tin will be getting a fair old workout…

Blixen and gold trainers

Back on a miserably wet evening in March, when going out to restaurants was still very much the norm, we did just that. Because back then, we were crazy fools. I mean, it was even a Monday.

It was relatively quiet on the DLR up to Spitalfields, and while I’m used to seeing face masks walking around Greenwich, I was surprised to see quite so many in evidence as I walked through the City. It was a grim evening and by the time I arrived at Spitalfields Market I was quite wet. The plan was to meet up with MOH at some point, somewhere and have dinner in Blixen.

He was off collecting a record he’d ordered. Record shops aren’t my thing, and when I’m hanging around they’re not his thing either. I’m sure he spent way too much on whatever record he was collecting, so it worked for both of us. it’d been a while since I was up in town, let alone in this part of town where I spent a week back in 2012 as one of London’s Ambassadors, and so it was good to see how it’d changed.

And well, who can resist taking a snap of a phone box filled with flowers?

Especially on a grim wet evening, this brought a smile to my face. It wasn’t long though until MOH appeared and we headed off to find Blixen and dry off a little. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but it’s interiors were fantastic. Set in an old bank, they’d done wonders with the old banking hall. Initially we were shown to what I can only describe as half a table. Now had we been a courting couple, or even less drenched from the weather it might have worked, but it didn’t though part of me wants to believe they mistook us for that kind of couple, I think they really were having a chuckle at us. Instead we moved and sat in the raised area which gave us plenty of room to sensibly dry our damp clothes, air umbrellas and generally be quite sensible (well, sort of).

Our new spot gave the perfect vantage point for interior spotting as well as everything else going on inside and out. Of course, there’s no pictures of the food, food is for eating not photographing.

And yes, gold trainers. Super comfortable, a little damp and from Marks & Spencer!

In places with such good interior decor it’s always a bit of a treat to head to the loo, and check out potential content for my ‘loo series’ and that was my plan. And while the loos were equally worthy, somehow and unusually most of the pictures are of me in the mirror, so instead I’m treating you to those, with the final one being my favourite, though including just that one would have been odd…

Unusually, there were very few loo photos.

But heading back upstairs, it was easy to forgive as the lush green decor more than made up for it. The food was pretty good too. I think we’ll be back here one day, but probably not on a wet and miserable Monday evening, maybe we’ll even be offered that half table again, who knows?