Glasgow River Festival

We got up early; I tossed and turned all night and felt like a burst bag of spanners until after my 2nd cup of coffee. The kids were ready for their promised adventure and it was all I could do to keep my eyes open. I used classic mum distracting techniques; we started with pancakes, always a good one, then the sun shone so we hunted for beasties in the garden and found a toad in the man made pond the kids had created...think a manky bucket of green sludge and you get the idea but it seemed to have worked.

They searched for fairies, goblins, hidden packets of Haribo and Bob. They didn't know who Bob was but they knew if they found him they'd get a reward. I just love saying the name. Bob. Bob. B. O. B. BOB.

I packed a picnic and helped them get ready, reluctantly climbing the stairs to put some mascara on my weary eyes. By the time I came back down, Who Bob What Pants was on so they were glued to the tv. Of course by then it was lunchtime so I ripped open the foil and they tucked in to their sandwiches there and then.

Eventually there was no choice so we went on our adventure; a train ride to the SECC, a stroll along the canal and a busy festival was underway. We didn't stay long but watched the boats, the paddle steamer, the people and little plastic ducks. We decided we'd come back early tomorrow for a boat ride and to take part in some activities so we explored then ate ice cream, eventually getting a train home.

I began making lamb burgers when the phone went and it was a message from my friends Ricky and Irene, inviting us up to splash around the hot tub, have a BBQ and a wee drink and chat. I gladly accepted and changed my burgers to koftas (same recipe), added some of my BBQ sauce and chunks of onion and wrapped it all up with some mint raita to take with us.

So, despite the fact I promised a walk to Asda beforehand to pick up a DVD and that I have 50 minutes to get to Ricky and Irene's, I sit here typing, trying to gather the last reserves of energy to walk the hour it will take to do all these tasks. Incase you wondered why I walk everywhere, I enjoy doing so but I also...gasp...don't drive. I'm thinking of getting a pony and cart.

Have a wonderful Saturday night, peeps and remember, red wine contains flavanoids which help keep you healthy and chocolate contains phenylethylamine which keeps you happy. So eat, drink and be merry.

Oh oh, we're halfway there....

The marinades are done, the food is all bought. I made veggie burgers (recipe to follow), marinaded some yellow peppers and onions, spiced up some prawn skewers, bbq sauced some ribs and the potatoes are boiling for the potato salad. This is the point I wonder what I've forgotten.

Veggie Burgers (Non-spicy)

Boil peeled and quartered potatoes with a cupful of washed lentils. Once soft, drain. Peel and finely chop an onion, add some fresh thyme and fry gently in vegetable oil. Once soft, add some thinly sliced garlic and yellow pepper, chopped small. Add salt and freshly ground pepper, a tiny sprinkling of cayenne pepper...it makes the onions look wonderful...and stir. Cook for another few minutes.

Add to the onion mix the potato and lentil mixture and add a few good wedges of unsalted butter. Coarsely mash with a fork...you want little chunks of potato left...and transfer to a bowl. Add some more butter if required, a good grinding of nutmeg and adjust seasoning to taste. Cover and place in fridge until cold.

I plan to make these into small patties and roll in flour...I won't bother with the egg as it should stick fairly well and to cook, I'll place on a bbq foil tray with holes, brush with a little oil and cook. There is a possibility I may need to put a little oil onto the tray; these cannot go directly onto the barbecue as they would fall apart.

Now to make the potato salad....only 5 hours left til bedtime!

Staying In

Today, I am cleaning, finishing off a painting commission and creating the menu and food for Friday night's barbeque. There shall be no deviation from this plan or else the world will cave around me. So far, I've spent an hour on the computer, had three cups of tea and two of coffee, chatted with Brian, sent five texts and read Sunday's Style section of the Sunday Times. It's not going to plan. I have also cleaned a bathroom though and it isn't yet noon. I really need to get my bum into gear and stop this procrastination malarkey.

Lucy and Fraser are turning eight this weekend and there will be approx. 30 families coming along to help us celebrate but of course that means food, and lots of it. Lots of food means planning and that is something I sadly, yet happily enjoy doing. Yay.

I had a simple list to begin with but simple lists are made to be laughed and pointed at and therefore I'll no doubt come up with new ideas every 30 minutes or so until shopping tomorrow. I'll have to take in a budget, i.e. clutching the notes in my hand with the cards left at home or else I'll be buying smoked salmon, caviar and Madagascar prawns galore....hmmm.

So far, I'm making up two marinades for 12 chicken breasts, one made of garlic, lemon and olive oil with the other a home-made bbq flavour concoction. I'll batter each chicken breast until flat and tender and cut into two. I'll marinade them tonight until Friday. That way, they will cook really quickly and hopefully be very tasty. I thought instead of the faff of trying to fry onions to go with the burgers, I'll make some onion confit which can sit in a metal bowl over the heat, to be added to dogs, burgers or chicken as required.

I'll be doing my goats cheese pasta with lemon and pine nuts, tomato pasta and am thinking up a new one, possibly with some spicy sausage or chorizo. There will of course be the obligatory salads, one of sliced tomato, mozzarella and basil, a potato salad and homemade coleslaw.

Mairi and Sarah suggested Pimms as a good summer drink so I'm thinking of adopting it into some kind of punch with fruit but I shall wait and see what the weather is like. There will of course be plenty of wine, beer and Bombay Gin!

Birthday cakes will be two of the chocolate cakes I made the other week and I'll place them together to make an 8. I thought I'd also do a few lemon cupcakes, some brownies and a fruit salad. Wow, I hope they'll be hungry. I know the kids will take two bites of a hotdog and that will be it. Excitement, friends and games will get the better of them. We have a treasure hunt planned and the lovely Val has borrowed some sports bits and bobs as have I for game time.

I made up these party bags, if you can call them that; I bought mugs and filled them full of sweets, covered them in lovely wrapping and there we have it; 40 bags of sweets I've had to look at for a few weeks without being able to eat. Woe is me.
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