Sometimes you complain in your newsletter that you had an emotionally tough moment that week. Then something so genuinely awful happens that it blindsides you to the point you’re in a Sainsburys, almost crying in the dessert aisle while buying at least three different types of potato.
I’m fine now, but hubris is a bitch and some weeks well and truly suck ass. That is, until they eventually don’t. The sun comes out, the blossoms are on the trees once more and you get reminded life goes on and you have to savour each little joy as it’s presented. This week’s joy was sitting in a park, not needing to wear tights and getting mildly pissed.
This newsletter is dedicated to my friends, who are wonderful angels whom I love dearly and have probably stopped reading this newsletter at least a month ago.
Anyway, time for the little edible joys of this week, almost all of which consist of potatoes and sandwiches (sorrynotsorry).
Sainsburys Bakery Soft Rolls
Sometimes when you’re sad, any semblance of a balanced diet can fuck right off. Instead, you just need an oven chip butty with the softest white bread and lots of butter. In this case, I recommend the six pack rolls you buy in the bakery section (usually found among the baguettes and cookies) which are incredibly soft yet not massive. Enjoy with liberal application of salt, vinegar and sexy David Duchovny in the X-Files.
A picnic sandwich
Sometimes the greatest thing you can make requires no cooking at all. A lot of my cherished food memories are hastily improvised lunches from the local supermarket. (If anyone has a lead on where I can buy pretzel bread loaves in the UK, that would be greatly appreciated). I am also a big believer in what I call ‘sandwich weather’ (please sing to the tune of this Circa Waves hit), where it is simply too hot to cook. The first day this year with sandwich weather, I spent it in a local park with tins of beer, hummus and a Co-Op Parisien baguette, filled with chunky slices of cheese and garlic sauce.
potato and tomato salad
A slightly simplified version of the last potato salad I made the other week. Buttery Salad potatoes with cherry tomatoes and honey and mustard dressing.
Tasty Peanut noodles.
Not much to say here, but I discovered this recipe in lockdown last year and is a go to especially in the warmer months (you can easily swap in and out vegetables depending on what you have.
decaf tea
I bought a box and I cannot say what a blessed relief it is to drink normal flavoured tea without the worry of heart precipitations.
potato cakes with cheesy mushrooms
I got some potato cakes reduced in Co-Op which I popped in the freezer for when i can’t bothered to cook, which has been a lot this week. I topped with a creamy mushroom sauce and cheese. Simple and very carby.
Mandy strikes again!!
Mandy, my flatmate’s mum and an ever more important supporting role in this newsletter, sent us a bunch of Easter stuff in order to celebrate properly and as always, came through with the goods. In this case especially, because she was uncertain what kind of Easter Eggs I could eat, instead presented me with this Easter egg-shaped Oat Biscuit with my name piped on.
Honestly, everyone should have a Mandy in their life.
Aims:
Sangria!!! bevs in my garden
We’ve been setting up our garden to have socially distanced guests around, so the moment the bank holiday hits you can bet your sweet ass there will be a large jug of sangria to celebrate seeing more than one person at a time for the first time in 3 months!!
birthday treats
As I am an Aries, I have mentioned it is going to be my birthday on the 6th several times already, but am currently trying to decide my birthday menu. How early is too early for buck’s fizz?
That’s all for this week but as always do get in touch! I’m always open to recipes and the like, but this week especially I’d love to hear the joys that people cherished recently, food or otherwise, particularly if you’re going through it a bit. You’re not alone, and any friend of the newsletter is a friend of mine.
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