I've still got it!

I stepped on the scales this morning before getting in the shower and was horrified to learn I have gained even more weight. So I decided that the container of icecream I had bought on Tuesday night and eaten some of that evening and yesterday just had to go.

So once ready to head over to the pool to take my first session of Aquamove for the day, I got the offending (but essentially innocent) icecream from the freezer and headed over to the Maintenance guys to get them to put it in their freezer so one of them could take it home at the end of the day. 

Just before I got to the workshop I said hello to Gendy and our friend Peter who were getting ready to drive the Parkwood van this morning (taking non-driving residents to and from the shops at Waikanae). Peter called out that he would see me at 12.45pm. 'Yes?" I said questioningly. 'For lunch,' he said. 'But that's next Thursday,' I said. 'No, it's today,' he asserted. 'Are you sure?' I said.

Yes, he was sure that he and our mutual friend Murray were coming to lunch today. I wasn't sure. In fact I was sure it was next Thursday, but not to worry. 

So I turned around and took the icecream home and put it back in the freezer, told David his schedule was being changed, we were having two guests for lunch, pointed to the delicious dal left over from last night  - a recipe that serves 6 (why don't I modify amounts? For just this eventuality, obviously!), informed him I would make individual apple tartlets when I got back from the Aquamove sessions, and headed off having asked David to set the table in my absence.  

Fast forward to my arriving home and the following things occurred between 12.15 and 1pm:

• I discovered/remembered we had two bunches of asparagus in the fridge so I decided they would be the starter, and prepped them, and preheated a pan of water
  
• I put two mugs of rice in the pyrex bowl and got David to do the 4 mugs of water, the salt and the butter, and put it into the microwave to cook while I prepped the banana, threaded coconut and lime juice side dish
• David spooned 3 chutneys/relishes into little dishes
• I prepped the apple tartlets (a sheet of puff pastry from the freezer, cut it into 4, scored each piece with a sharp knife about a cm from each side, spread each piece with raspberry jam, peeled and sliced the braeburns from the fridge, placed the slices on the jam and sprinkled them with a mix of white sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon that I keep in the jar to use on banana and blueberry muffins) and got them into the oven to cook
• I reheated the dal
• I put some chilli flakes in one wee dish and a mix of chilli flakes, cayenne and salt (received a few weeks ago as part of a Wonky Box as a flavour sachet for avocado which I jarred and kept - near the 2 sugar/cinnamon mix...)

• Peter arrived early and we chatted, Peter poured the drinks and we waited for Murray. Who didn't arrive. So Peter called him. He was still at home because the lunch was scheduled for next week... 😜😛😛
•  So I put the asparagus on to cook.

The three of us sat down to eat at 1.05pm.

See, I've still got it - a 3 course meal in 45 minutes with 3.5 hours' warning 2.75 hours of which was taken up by Aquamove sessions...

And the lovely thing is, Peter and Murray and another friend (Tom) are coming for lunch next Thursday. Peter says they would love the dal, so I will make that again next Wednesday and once more be prepared ... Peter is going to bring the asparagus, and I've found another apple dessert to try!

 

Seeing these women in the pool at Aquamove today made me smile. I really enjoy taking these sessions.