Oh well hai there! How are you this week?
I’m feeling pretty smug today because I woke up bright and early, went for a run and was back by 10am AND I went to the supermarket and bought Kale.
I had to buy Kale because the recipe I plan to make for dinner today asked for Cavalo Nero (which is fancy Kale) so I ordered some with my shopping, but that was delivered a week ago and the fancy dark green Cavalo Nero has gone a weird yellow colour, so instead we are having really expensive Kale. Expensive because not only did I buy Kale, I also bought the slightly more expensive fancy Kale, which is now going in the bin.
Anyway, although Kale is possible one of the most interesting parts of my week, it’s time to crack on and tell you that this week I……
Didn’t have any sweets
I LOVE Halloween. Obviously I love the opportunity to theme anything and Halloween is the ultimate theming opportunity.
In the years since we moved into this house it’s felt like no one else in our area really “did” Halloween. I used to obligingly buy a bag of sweets, just in case. But in 3 years we’ve not had a single trick or treater at our door.
On Monday night I was merrily doing whatever the Halloween equivalent is of singing Christmas carols while I decked the halls with plaster skulls, pumpkins and spooky candles when there was an insistent knock at the door and the sound of youthful voices. I froze in an “I have no sweets” panic and stayed very quiet until they went away.
I thought that would be it. But then it happened again, and again, and I felt really guilty for being the scrooge with no Halloween goodies who was blatantly hiding in her living room in fear. I have a glass front door, so honestly, no one was fooled by my silence.
I had to go to the corner shop for a few final ingredients for my Halloween cocktails and when I left the streets were literally teeming with trick or treaters. I don’t know what happened in the last 12 months, but trick or treating has definitely finally reached my neighbourhood.
I returned home with a small bag of chocolate pumpkins. After which not a single person knocked. So we ate them all ourselves, washed down with midori and prosecco cocktails (Midori = Halloween cocktail essential).
Made experimental food
On Friday I posted a recipe for pumpkin and chorizo pasta, I was really excited about posting recipes as I am tragic that way. Then no one read it, so you obviously all hated it. I’m planning to push on with the occasional recipe anyway as I’m really getting into this cooking lark now I have someone to cook for.
We share the cooking 50/50, but I decided I wanted to cook something special on Halloween. Having already made the pumpkin pasta the week before I went for something else autumn themed and made a sausage and toffee apple tray bake with marshmallows. If you’d like the recipe for that then let me know, otherwise I thought I might try something more festive for my next recipe attempt!
I also made pumpkin crumble, but I think we’ve had enough of Pumpkin for one year (though my freezer is full of Pumpkin puree, so maybe not.
Got Tipsy on Bourbon
This really wasn’t my fault.
On Tuesday night we were invited along to a Buffalo Trace Bourbon tasting. Occasionally getting invites to this sort of thing is one of the perks of organising Norwich Cocktail Week. I love them. You learn about brands history and get to try some of their range. All, obviously, through a filter that subtly suggests that THEIR brand is awesome and all other competiting brands are slightly rubbish and probably not doing it properly.
This one included a tasting of 5 bourbons, including 2 that were over 60% ABV. Mr Chick came along too, I was surprised as he’s not a huge whisky fan, but he reassured me that Bourbon was MUCH nicer than Scotch and he’d DEFINITELY enjoy it.
After one sip he poured all 5 of his bourbons into my glasses. Now, I don’t like to see things going to waste, so I ended up drinking quite a bit of bourbon in a very short space of time. One of them so strong that I couldn’t feel the end of my nose after I obligingly knocked it back to free up some glasses for the bar staff.
All that Bourbon put me in party mode, but Mr Chick vetoed my suggestions that we move on to many more pubs on the way home. Instead I tottered home all warm and at peace with the world, and then nearly fell asleep in front of the TV before 10pm.
Had Squeaky Cheese for Lunch
Or Halloumi as I believe regular people call it. Having Mr Chick at home is really nice right now. I’m hoping we can make enough money between us to keep going and none of us are going to have to go back to stinky office jobs anytime soon.
Although we’re both super busy (doing the aforementioned “trying to make enough money that we don’t have to go back to stinky office jobs”) it’s nice to be able to go out for a spur of the moment lunch at a nearby cheap cafe. I had Halloumi and Chorizo on toast, Mr Chick had a full English breakfast because he doesn’t understand that is not lunch food (the clue is in the name).
Suffered a serious crafting injury
I haven’t made Pom Poms since I was a kid. Turns out I still have the knack. I am seriously not a crafty person, so discovering I can still do the types of crafts 5 years olds can do is a genuine cause for celebration. These are for some ace handmade Christmas tree decorations that we’ll be selling at craft fairs and on Etsy in the run up to Christmas. (see above “making money” don’t worry, Christmas decorations isn’t a long term business plan)
It was kinda fun, if a little fiddly. Right up until the point where I snipped through my thumb instead of a piece of wool. Then the next day I snipped through my finger badly enough that I needed an actual plaster.
This is why there’s an age limit on buying scissors. Though apparently 18 isn’t old enough. I suspect maybe 60 might be old enough to not cut your own fingers off while making pom poms?
Went back to Roller Derby
The Norfolk Brawds had October as an off season, which meant I haven’t played Roller Derby for a whole MONTH. Honestly I was a bit nervous, it looks way scarier when you’re watching, and I was worried I’d have totally forgotten how to play and would hate it.
Turns out I still love it. In fact, I loved it even more after a break. I came home all hyper, like when I’d just passed my minimum skills and Thursday night scrims nights were all shiny and new and exciting.
I cannot WAIT for the coming season.
