Monday, March 18, 2024

 A quiet day — no one came to see us. And, again, a spring day. They’re having nice weather in Kirkmichael, too. Helen has sent a picture of our teeny tiny wellingtonia. It’s looking well. 

  I pressed on with knitting. I have finished the Calcutta Cup, and — because I positioned the Cup farther down than I meant to — I have almost finished the first half of the plain vanilla st st band at the waist. Within a couple of rounds, I must turn around and knit the same amount up again and join for a hem.

   But mostly, apart from dozing, I have pressed forward with Chinese cookery and my project of working my way through Fuchsia Dunlop’s “Every Grain of Rice”. I won’t be able to attempt the next recipe until I have a grocery delivery on Wednesday plus some more delicacies from Sous Chef. 

   Dunlop has a page early on called “magic ingredients”. If you have them in your larder, you can whip up a delicious Chinese meal in no time from the desiccated vegetables in the back of your refrigerator, or so it is claimed.  I am ordering ingredients as they crop up in recipes. No point in getting too far ahead of myself — I might lose interest. I sent for six items today; two or three last week. I haven’t got any of Fuchsia’s magic ingredients yet. My next recipe will be “Cold Chicken with a Spicy Sichuanese Sauce”.

  Wordle: Mark’s brilliant two was the scene-stealer today.  Thomas and Ketki and Theo were the threes. Alexander and Rachel and I came chugging up behind with fours. Nothing from Roger yet. It’s early. I may yet be able to record his score before I fold and go to bed. And I am able: it was a very creditable three, and I can still hold up for another ten minutes or so.  


5 comments:

  1. Mary Lou10:30 PM

    Three today for me. I haven't even opened Dunlop yet. I do have some desiccated vegetables regularly, so I'd better look!

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  2. Anonymous11:27 PM

    The tofu bamboo sounds very good. Thanks for the recommendation.
    Really excited to see the Calcutta Cup sweater when photos are available!
    Lisa R-R, Toronto

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  3. Anonymous8:05 AM

    In my 12 years of Catholic education I never heard (that I can remember) that St. Patrick was not a saint. So I looked it up. According to one source , during the early Church there was no formal process of canonization, so he became a saint, more or less, by popular demand. Will check other sources later (it’s early here). Chloe

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  4. Anonymous8:07 AM

    Sorry, this post was meant to go under March 17. I’m behind. Chloe

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  5. More on St. Patrick's day in its North American manifestations. I don't get it, especially since I lived and socialized and worked with Irish people (i.e., born and raised in Eire) in both Montreal and London, in the 70s, and they were all a bit bemused at the fuss North Americans make over it. I do, though, like the way it tends to introduce some Celtic spirituality into a Sunday March 17 service in my (Protestant) church. And I do get that it's a statutory holiday in Newfoundland & Labrador, given the strong Irish heritage and historic connections there.

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