Blossom: Day Twenty, Return to Cheer

Good food, great company.

Saturday 20 Frocktober

Outfit/s

• Cotton dress, cardigan, beret.

 Menu

• Breakfast - toast.
• Lunch - leftover kugel.
• Dinner - dinner out! Homemade beef stew and bread-and-butter pudding, yummm.

Mood

• Much better now, thank you.

After my unfortunate adventure with ersatz coffee, I went and washed my face, had a cup of Horlicks and brightened up considerably: the Captain and I were visiting my lovely sister, brother-in-law, nephews and niece for dinner.

Ready to go out (still slightly shaken).

The prospects of wonderful company and home-cooked foody goodness mostly drove the spectre of bad, bad beverage away, and opening the door to encounter a tsunami of kids and puppies completed things. By the time we were seated in a warm, comfy sitting room surrounded by the awesome kiddies and their gigantic puppy and clutching a glass of wine, the world was once again a happy and secure place.

And it just got better from there. My sister had prepared her own version of my favourite beef stew recipe - I think every member of my family must have it in their recipe book. It is always satisfying, and every time it is a bit different yet always delicious.

Tonight, it was as if my sister had stumbled upon the only known remedy for ersatz coffee poisoning.

This, my friends, is more than a plate of delicous stew. It is a plateful of happiness. Thanks, Sis!

With the cheery carryings-on of the kiddies, every mouthful was a distillation of joy and courage. By the end I was ready to face whatever the world might bring, with a big smile on my face.

And then the pudding appeared.

The sound effect I would like you to imagine you can hear right now
is a 200-piece orchestra playing the HALLELUJAH chorus.

That in the front, my friends, is bread-and-butter pudding. And in the back is rice pudding. Both lovingly homemade, and both classic forties-style comfort puddings.

No, they didn't taste as good as they looked. They tasted BETTER.

Homemade bread-and-butter pudding is like some kind of miracle food. I do not believe that the burden of war could have entirely withstood the powerful punch of cheerful fortitude that is delivered by this magical comestible.

What I'm saying here is, it was absolutely delicious and made me very very happy.

I have never tried making it before but after tonight I am definitely going to be giving it a try.

Good company, beef stew and bread-and-butter pudding: 150/10. Give it a try some time.

Frock you later,
Blossom