Lamb is easily my favourite roast. Of course it has to be accompanied by roast potatoes and my own special gravy. As a celebratory dinner it’s pretty high on the list.
Of course, we were going to visit St John’s to celebrate my graduation in style but all week no-one has answered the phone. Generally they have an answering machine where you can leave your booking and they ring you back but even this has disappeared. We are facing the awful truth that our favourite restaurant has closed.
Given the Awful Truth, we decided I’d cook a celebratory dinner instead. Mirinda immediately opted for my signature dish of camembert parcels followed by venison and fig tart. I need a day’s warning to make my brulee so we went for syllabub for dessert. Sadly Waitrose did not agree with our choice. They had no venison and no figs! This sort of destroys the dish somewhat so the second string option was called in and I cooked a roast.
In the morning Mirinda had her first guitar class for ages (she was a bit rusty but her teacher said it could be part lesson, part practice) while I went for supplies.
After lunch Mirinda studied while I marked out the new bed extension in the garden in preparation for the load of bricks that are arriving on Tuesday. I’m quite keen on anything that reduces the mowing but I have a feeling that the constant weeding required with this bed expansion may just outweigh the benefits! Still, the mowing strip will be a great improvement. It also sorts my week out very well.
While I prep’ed for dinner, Mirinda took the poodles up to Hankley for a lovely if somewhat soldier ridden, walk. She returned to a delightfully lamb scented house. Like baking bread, the smell of roast lamb is wonderful and always makes me wonder how vegetarians can resist the power of the odour.
The meal was delish and afterwards we settled down to watch Made in Dagenham, a wonderful movie in the same vein as Calendar Girls; the sort of movie the English do so well. Highly recommended for anyone who likes a feel good movie with great performances. Sally Hawkins shines as the main character, the woman who brought out the machinists at Ford’s Dagenham branch in the late 1960’s. Miranda Richardson had a wonderful role as Barbara Castle, Minister of State, an amazing woman in her own right.
So, a lovely relaxed day with no downs and many ups.
