Level 2 Chi Kung. Microcosmic orbit.
Nick’s turn to have a morning off, so he was off for a long bike ride to test out the cycle computer he got for his birthday. I fed everyone, then, discovering evidence that Jack had spent the dawn hour ransacking the tins in search of chocolate cake, I thought I had better make the ganache for the cake I baked yesterday. Then, since it is now properly autumn, my thoughts turned to rice pudding, so I grabbed the Edmonds book and, while the ganache was cooling to room temperature, I got a rice pud in the oven, and filled the house with the smell of freshly grated nutmeg. Mmmmm mmm!
Nick wasn’t impressed with the cake – he thinks both the cake, and particularly the ganache filling/icing, are too rich. It certainly won’t be replacing my old favourite devils’ food cake recipe. The rice pudding, on the other hand, got rave reviews.
After more than 20 years in the UK, you would think that I would have found a way to feel positive about rain. There was a brief period, when I owned the perfect raincoat – beautifully cut, stylish, silk-lined, and waterproof without being sweaty – and shoes that were smart, waterproof and perfectly comfortable, that I didn’t mind it. But sadly the raincoat was stolen, from my wardrobe, in mid-summer. We were burgled on a day of persistent drizzle, and the burglars (presumably a husband and wife team!) stole both our raincoats. After the theft of the much-lamented perfect raincoat, and before the children, I was briefly inspired (after watching an old film) to walk home in the rain without coat or umbrella and, arriving home soaking wet, invite Nick to ‘help me out of my wet things’. Fun while it lasted but not a strategy that’s going to work now, when the first words I’m likely to be greeted with on stepping through the front door are ‘Mummy, I’m hungry!’