No More Hoodia, US Trip for Romy and More Food

This rather odd image is of shadows from the plants in my windowbox on my blind.

It is now Saturday. I have stopped the Hoodia as it was giving me weird dreams and I am not sure it did not contain some unknown stimulant as it made me feel warm and odd and probably raised my blood pressure, apart from the enormous appetite, which was becoming worse.

Romy has arranged to rush off to America to meet her long-losts, and is currently sunning herself in Spain for a few more days before returning to the fray on Tuesday. We are going on the Bluebell Railway with two coaches full on 1st May. I always remember May morning at Oxford with the Magdalen tower songs, the punts and the Morris men. About 40 years ago.

No internet at home yet again. Bought a few more clothes from Land's End which should do me for the summer. I will have to clear out some older stuff. My neighbour commented on the lovely smell coming from my kitchen. I made a kind of coq au vin with some chicken breasts. First I cut up about four rashers of dry cured streaky bacon into one inch lengths before frying until crisp then removed then to a casserole. I then fried a couple of chopped onions in the fat, then added a bit more oil and added the chicken breasts cut into about three sections per breast. I then put the meat and onions in the casserole, sprinkled a little flour into the frying pan, then added some water, herbs etc to make a stock into which I put three large cloves of garlic, some parsley, some rosemary and some concentrated chicken stock. Following the advice of my friend Miss Bettaware I also added a teaspoonful of made up English mustard and the same of tomato puree. Adding a few miniature carrots (Chantenay) for colour, and a few baby mushrooms on top, I simmered with the lid on and the stock in for 20 minutes. Later I shall drain off the liquid and reduce before serving. I may serve it with rice.