Last night saw the 2nd of my Pop-Up restaurant evenings; Mexican March. It was almost a full house with 11 people crammed into my living room, but it was such a good atmosphere and i think most people enjoyed the more authentic Mexican food served (no Tex-Mex here!). We now know that we will have to limit our restaurant evenings to a maximum of 14, but i don't think that's too big a problem. The Other Half was successfully chained to the kitchen and yet managed to get equally successfully sociable by the end of the evening - I think the number of empty Corona bottles in the kitchen was a clue.
Sadly we were very short-staffed as The Boy had taken to his bed with a headache (dehydrated again no doubt) and Girlie was next door baby-sitting, so yours truly (dressed appropriately in flowing cotton with flowers in my hair) waited tables like a whirling dervish (double pain killers last night and this morning and wondering whether i could squeeze in a quick hip replacement before the Trek). Still, a most enjoyable evening and so great to catch up with friends that i hadn't seen in ages.
On Friday I did my annual trip up to London to talk to 2nd year medical students at UCL about living with a genetic disorder. I love doing this, and not just 'cause they pay me! Although they get younger every year (to me) they are as bright as anything (even those with hangovers!) - it's almost a therapeutic experience for me with the added benefit of hoping that one of these young things will remember me when faced with a difficult-to-diagnose patient in the years ahead, and possibly make an earlier diagnosis than i had. Bless them; they had swotted up on me and wished me luck with The Trek - wish some of them would come too!!
In between all these activities of course, I've been constantly watching the news since the Japanese earthquake and tsunami - absolutely shocking. I have never been there, but am due to go in June to talk at a medical conference and so have been in contact with doctors and the chief of their new patient group - all lovely people. Thankfully, they are all okay but it has completely shaken everyone there.
Well, i best go and continue changing the restaurant back into a home; stacks of washing up and furniture moving to do as well as lots of left-over tortilla chips and After 8 chocolates to hoover up!
Sunday, 13 March 2011
Sunday, 6 March 2011
The White Stuff
We all returned safely from our now traditional half-term ski trip to the French Alps. I am always so crippled with butterflies in the stomach beforehand, and indeed, they got the better of me somewhat this year.
What little confidence I gained last year seemed to desert me and I only skied a handful of times, albeit managing the final little piece of black run that ran down into the resort (that was almost fun). Otherwise I kept to the greens and a little bit of a blue. I did successfully negotiate a chair lift (my nemesis from last year) and even did so without falling over at all and despite feeling sick to my stomach the whole way up.
But it was the kids that amazed me. Last year, Girlie lost all her confidence skiing with me (believe me, my skiing will knock the confidence of a world-class downhill skier), but this year we managed to persuade her to join an adult class and it all came back to her, with more on top.
The Boy just blew us away though. He passed his 3rd star level with the ESF (French Ski School) and is now relatively comfortable on black runs. He's really found something he loves to do - shame it's so bloody expensive!
So who knows what next year holds. I think I might be better with the non-sliding sort of activity afforded by snow shoes, and failing that, at least I know that I am completely comfortable in a restaurant or bar practising my French and drinking gallons of 'vin chaud' or 'chocolat chaud'.
What little confidence I gained last year seemed to desert me and I only skied a handful of times, albeit managing the final little piece of black run that ran down into the resort (that was almost fun). Otherwise I kept to the greens and a little bit of a blue. I did successfully negotiate a chair lift (my nemesis from last year) and even did so without falling over at all and despite feeling sick to my stomach the whole way up.
But it was the kids that amazed me. Last year, Girlie lost all her confidence skiing with me (believe me, my skiing will knock the confidence of a world-class downhill skier), but this year we managed to persuade her to join an adult class and it all came back to her, with more on top.
So who knows what next year holds. I think I might be better with the non-sliding sort of activity afforded by snow shoes, and failing that, at least I know that I am completely comfortable in a restaurant or bar practising my French and drinking gallons of 'vin chaud' or 'chocolat chaud'.
Military Manoeuvres
Well, Girlie went off on Friday after school on military manoeuvres somewhere near Folkestone (hilly, windy spot near the English Channel crossing and Dover). Bless her; she puts up well with being called 'Sarge' and 'Combat Barbie' on Fridays when she begs a lift off me so she doesn't have to catch the bus to school whilst wearing her fatigues!
Her perseverence paid off this weekend. I got a text during lunchbreak yesterday practically squealing (in text speak of course) that she'd finally fired a rifle. What's more, she'd hit the man-shaped target 18 times. We are all going to have to be so much nicer to her now she's a crack shot. Thank goodness the school keep the rifles locked down!
At 14 years old she is a proud member of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) based at the Boy's Grammar School across the road from her Girl's Grammar School. We were in total shock when she expressed an interest in it (and I was openly jealous as i would have loved to do that when i was a teen), and of course, she's not so proud that she'll catch the bus to school on Fridays in her uniform!! Nevertheless, her schoolwork has improved dramatically (despite being AWOL for manoeuvres on occasion) and we are very proud of her. She has no intention of joining the armed forces when she leaves school, but rather is thinking ahead about university application forms!! So mature :-)
She will be so cross if she knows I've posted her photo here, but heh! (note to self: buy bullet proof vest) -
Anyway, The Boy has discovered something called War Hammer - i don't understand this stuff at all!! All i know is that he spent his entire Saturday in a shop making a model of a futuristic tank, spent a fortune (all his savings) on a handful of weird figures sporting weapons and came home reaking of glue. This can't be good, but it seems all the rage with both his peer group and older friends. I am going to have to investigate but i'm not sure woman are even allowed in these places!?!
So now this blog's reference to chocolate!!
Mexican March at our Pennington Pop-Up Charity Restaurant is under a week away, and so we experimented yesterday with delicious results (and improvements and tweaks that we have made note of).
Thank god for the Aztecs, or whoever it was over there that discovered chocolate. And then to those who thought it would be a good idea to serve chicken/turkey coated in chocolate and chilli sauce. I loved Mole as a child when a family friend married a Mexican, opening up a whole new culinary world for me. I am so excited about next Saturday! We found a milder version for those with sensitive tastebuds, and even The Boy ate that which is a good sign!
As for the proper chocolatey stuff, we've saved some for Girlie, who tastebuds are as tough as her CCF boots!
Her perseverence paid off this weekend. I got a text during lunchbreak yesterday practically squealing (in text speak of course) that she'd finally fired a rifle. What's more, she'd hit the man-shaped target 18 times. We are all going to have to be so much nicer to her now she's a crack shot. Thank goodness the school keep the rifles locked down!
At 14 years old she is a proud member of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF) based at the Boy's Grammar School across the road from her Girl's Grammar School. We were in total shock when she expressed an interest in it (and I was openly jealous as i would have loved to do that when i was a teen), and of course, she's not so proud that she'll catch the bus to school on Fridays in her uniform!! Nevertheless, her schoolwork has improved dramatically (despite being AWOL for manoeuvres on occasion) and we are very proud of her. She has no intention of joining the armed forces when she leaves school, but rather is thinking ahead about university application forms!! So mature :-)
She will be so cross if she knows I've posted her photo here, but heh! (note to self: buy bullet proof vest) -
So now this blog's reference to chocolate!!
Mexican March at our Pennington Pop-Up Charity Restaurant is under a week away, and so we experimented yesterday with delicious results (and improvements and tweaks that we have made note of).
Thank god for the Aztecs, or whoever it was over there that discovered chocolate. And then to those who thought it would be a good idea to serve chicken/turkey coated in chocolate and chilli sauce. I loved Mole as a child when a family friend married a Mexican, opening up a whole new culinary world for me. I am so excited about next Saturday! We found a milder version for those with sensitive tastebuds, and even The Boy ate that which is a good sign!
As for the proper chocolatey stuff, we've saved some for Girlie, who tastebuds are as tough as her CCF boots!
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