Aftermath

When our friends said we could come and stay, we offered to cook Sunday lunch for them. As V's parents would be bringing their kids back from a night of being babysat in Surrey, they were invited to lunch too. And why not V's brother, wife and daughter too. So, that's how we came to be cooking Sunday lunch for 13* in someone else's kitchen.

I got on with some pre-dinner mini-quiches, and various other bits of prep while Mr B took the kids on their annual trip to Clarks for shoes. Then he took over with the preparation and cooking of two large legs of lamb (so large they had to be broken with a hammer to fit in the oven) and all the trimmings. Yorkshires are, of course - being classesd as 'baking' my responsibility.

All went surprisingly smoothly, despite our hosts arriving back and plying us with wine... This is the chocolate sauce for dessert. I have a chequered history with chocolate sauce, but have finally found a foolproof (it needs to be - chocolate seems to seize when I go anywhere near it) recipe**. And very delicious it was too with poached pears and ice cream and/or meringues.

So, a lovely sociable day, and the kids didn't notice until the next day that they had had a late lunch and no dinner.

** Double cream and sugar brought to boiling point, then stir in chopped up chocolate, et voila.


*We ate in two sittings, in case anyone's superstitious.