Last night was our final meal with our visitors.
We were joined by the very jet-lagged father of the family
so I pushed the boat out
(try explaining that one!)
with a peppered fillet of beef with mustard mayonnaise,
new potatoes, beans, courgettes and salad from the garden,
and Nigel Slater's blackcurrant trifle.
This morning they departed for two nights in Paris
taking our son with them as interpreter and guide.
Before they left we were showered with
exquisitely wrapped cakes, sweets and gifts.
おいしい
oishi
delicious
What a bevy of delicacies!
ReplyDeleteDoes "pushed the boat out" mean you "went all out"?
Yes. And I think that in addition to making an extra effort it means you have spent more than you are accustomed to doing, as it is a special occasion.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had a great visit with you friends. You are also such gracious hosts and your friends will have beautiful memories to fall back upon.
ReplyDeleteA warm, heartfelt, personal blog.
Helenxx
What a special meal!
ReplyDeleteYour special meal looks delicious, and what beautiful gifts. I hope your son has a great time in Paris.
ReplyDeleteYou did push the boat out, it all looks lovely. Can't beat a Nigel recipe can you?
ReplyDeleteThe Japanese gifts are different, are they confectionery and candles?
Just how beautiful are those presents?!
ReplyDeleteYou did , indeed , push the boat out for the whole of their visit and they'll have wonderful memories ... not least of blackcurrant trifle !
ReplyDeleteI have read to the very bottom of the page, enjoying it all, especially how you describe the sound of the paddle in the water. It reminded me of a children's book I loved to read to mine when they were little. A girl and her dad go out fishing in a rowboat early one morning. "Creak, swoosh. Creak, swoosh," say the oars. I also like your 'cool, goosey green air'.
ReplyDeleteI have recently returned from a visit to my mom and dad's, and came home with the first volume of Godden's autobiography. I love reading her descriptions of India. What a wonderful writer she was! (I saw her book in your pink post)
Cheers,
Rebecca
One more thing...I remember the Japanese students I worked with teaching me to take one of those flower sugars and put in just behind my teeth as I drank green tea.
ReplyDeleteRebecca I will try that with the sweets. I suspect not terribly good for your teeth but as we used to be given blood oranges with a sugar cube pushed into a square hole in the top to suck, it's probably too late to worry.
ReplyDelete