Saturday

Good morning, everyone.  Welcome to Saturday and my post!  It looks like the weather is going to turn.  Rain, rain and more rain although, to be fair, it also looks as if the east side won't get nearly as much as other areas.
Time will tell.

Yesterday ended up quite busy.

I went to Slimming World and faced those scales.  Oh, dear.  Never mind, it is what it is and I know why.  Isn't is annoying how one goes for rubbish when feeling poorly!  As if that will help!!!

Then I did the weekly shop.  It was a shocking price for not much but I got the Christmas cake ingredients including the alcohol.  I don't care much for brandy so I use Cointreau which makes a really lovely cake.  

Alex came over and roasted the chicken really well.  I wish I had taken a photos - it looked so good and he was well chuffed.  He took pretty much all of it home and I hope he's really enjoying it - him and the cats.  Beth won't have any, of course.

I've done two thoroughly Christmassy things.  The first is getting the fruit soaking in the Cointreau.  It's plumping up beautifully and smalls amazing!  It's be ready for making the cake tomorrow, for sure.

The other thing is . . . 

. . . this.

Yes, the Jacquie Lawson Advent calendar is out so I have bought mine!  It just wouldn't be Christmas without the calendar!  This year is is a sort of 'build a village'.  It starts with your house as in the picture and, I gather, each day adds another building to the scene.

This is not an ad or anything, I've been a subscriber to her lovely cards for ages now and I still like them, even though the style has changed over the years.  Do go and take a look.
https://www.jacquielawson.com

Today, I have had a gentle start.  

I made some really nice soup using the chicken stock that Alex didn't want and some tomatoes from my neighbours' garden.

No, I didn't steal them.  E and N are away on holiday and I am feeding the hedgehogs (yes, hedgehogs!!) and they said I could have the tomatoes as they will just rot on the plants otherwise.  Some were split so I decided that roasted sweet potato, red pepper and tomato soup was just the ticket.
When it's all cool, I will freeze it and it should brighten up some lunches in the wet days to come.

The only diary thing today is a Thermomix class about making sushi - and by that I am guessing it is how to cook the sushi rice in the Thermomix and then how to use it to make sushi.
These classes are so good and, amazingly, they are free.  I've had to pull out of the one I had planned to go to on November 1st but I have booked one about making Christmas food gifts in the Thermomix.  That should be really good.

I'll take the bus in (remembering my brolly!) and I want to pop into the picture framing shop and into Franklins as I walk to the studio.
Beth sorted out the problem with the non delivery of her machine.  A crowded shop and staff with Covid.  And then had her address, of course, but no contact info so they couldn't let her know.
It should have arrived yesterday late afternoon so fingers crossed.

I decided that, for once, I will support local business and get the yarn I need in Franklin's rather than Wool Warehouse.  A bit more expensive but . . .  you know!

And then this evening I can knit/crochet while I watch Strictly.  Perfick!!

Well, I may be having a gentle start but I have to get dressed at some point so I will stop whittering and get going.  Have a lovely day, everyone, whatever the weather.  All the best.  xx