Thursday 14 May 2020

Alert Level 2 today!

And we had friends around for dinner - just two of them, as the rules state no more than 10 may gather together at the moment, while we wait and see if our low infection rates continue with more and closer contact.

So Simon and Jane came for dinner. There was lots to catch up on and it was hard to resist the automatic urge to have hugs all round - we did resist though, and did elbow bumps instead. Amazing how warm and friendly an elbow bump can seem when hugs are not allowed!

Dinner was yummy!

We had beetroot and carrot salad (courtesy of David), a green salad, a kumara and orange salad with bacon and toasted slivered almonds, and a filo quiche thing made with sauteed onion, silverbeet (swiss chard to UK people), smoked fish, salmon, parmesan, eggs and cream with tasty cheese grated on top. It was all extremely yum.


Dessert was poached pears (a Jamie Oliver recipe that I adapted slightly - 3/4 of the sugar stated, probably about 1/4 cup chardonnay added to the syrup, and the syrup quoted for 2 pears/2 people was plenty for 4 with some left over awaiting the next guests on Monday).




I had declared that filo was too much faffing about, but it tasted so good I will have to keep using it, I think. There is enough left over for David and I to have it for tomorrow's lunch. I may even be able to do another pear each ...


By the way, we are not going to be exercising much of the new-found freedoms that come with Level 2 until we see how the infection levels pan out. We have had several days in the last week where there have been no new cases, and the Director General of Health is fairly confident we have no hidden cases waiting to pop up. But the counsel is to be careful, so as I noted above, we will be - waiting and seeing are the watch-words.

4 comments:

Jenny said...

Wait and see, a very sensible approach to take I think. I don't be rushing out straight away, and I've never been a fan of malls. Would like to get the library sometime soon, need a hair cut like most people, and what I'm really looking forward to is a "real" coffee!

Bernice said...

Same at this end of the country, taking a wait & see approach. As for your filo dilemma....is it the buttering of sheets that is a bother? I use spray oil, easy to use, and quick and tastes just as good. You’re welcome xxx

Marilyn, nb Waka Huia said...

Jenny and Bernice, I am pleased we are all in accord re waiting and seeing!
The vegetable market stallholders delivered this morning and we had a chat, appropriately distanced. They said it is likely that the Waikanae market won't open for about 3 months, and they will continue deliveries until then. So the council, who oversees the market's operation, is also taking a cautious approach. A very good thing too, as most of the customers there (and a number of the stallholders) are in the +65 age bracket.

Good tip re using spray oil for the filo, Bernice. Quicker and less messy. I will give it a try.

However the issue was more that it is a faff to handle multiple sheets rather than one fatter puff or short pastry sheet. As you know patience and I are not closely connected ...

Big hugs to you both, Mxx

Carol said...

We also agree with the above statements re wait and see but unfortunately we will have to move from our marina mooring once the river is fully open as we're taking up space that should be occupied by other boats who may want to cruise.

So once again we're anxious about where it will be safe to go and continue to self isolate but think that we will have to venture out by public transport to shop occasionally. I just hope that it takes the EA longer than some would like, to fully open the Thames.

Stay safe and well. x