New Challenges Abound!

It's been a long time since I posted.
I have a new job. Getting to grips with it and currently busy, motivated and excited!
Tonight I watched "The Devil Wears Prada" I found myself comparing some of my all time favourite movies to it, in somewhat of a progression from Pretty Woman to Working Girl to Devil Wears Prada. Seems like something of an evolution.  I would love to be a clacker: in heels, fully made up, dressed up and drinking Starbucks all day long. In real life I'm more like Anne Hathaway at the start of the movie (if I was having a very good day) than the highly groomed and "together" character at the end. In real life my job means having to slip on steel toe capped boots and a hard hat on a regular basis. So pencil skirts and high fashion clothing aren't really going to be practical on a day to day basis. *sigh*

Should old acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind?  Should all acquaintance be forgot and all times past? Not for me, I'm all for fresh starts and new beginnings, but you can't rewrite history.  I'm content and happy with my life these days, looking forward to 2014 and stretching myself, a little, maybe... ;-)

Feeling festive! I'm not very good at this "selfie" lark! Ha ha ha, or should that be Ho Ho Ho!
Detoured to my sister's on the way home tonight, had a little catch up over a coffee.

It's my birthday!    BBE and I love to travel, eat local dishes and then try and recreate them at home.  As a special birthday treat I spent quite a few pounds on ingredients to make this Norwegian speciality.  We ate it in Oslo earlier this year.  It was on the menu everywhere we went, and we loved it!  We used the recipe on Nordic Nibbler,  but with different fish.  We used a mix of cod, salmon, smoked haddock, prawns and scallops. It turned out pretty tasty!



Ingredients to serve 4 -6

• 2 ltrs good quality fish stock
• 2 carrots, diced into ½-inch cubes
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 small celeriac, diced into ½-inch cubes
• 1 parsley root (or parsnip), diced into ½-inch cubes
• 125g cod fillet (skin and bones removed) cut into 1-inch cubes
• 125g halibut (skin and bones removed) cut into 1-inch cubes
• 125g salmon (skin and bones removed) cut into 1-inch cubes
• 125g monkfish tail cut into 1-inch cubes
• 125g fiskepudding (or homemade fish dumplings. Optional)
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 300ml double cream
• 2 tbsp good quality red wine vinegar (to taste)
• 1 tbsp sugar (to taste)
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper
• A handful of chopped chives to garnish

Method

1. Bring the fish stock to boil in a large pot
2. Add the chopped vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes
3. Whisk the flour into the cream and add to the soup, and bring to the boil
4. Add the sugar and the vinegar gradually and taste to get the right balance between sweet and sour
5. Add the fish and fiskepudding/dumplings and simmer until the fish is just cooked (around 6-7 minutes)
6. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground white pepper and sprinkle with some finely chopped chives
7. Serve with lots of crusty white bread to dunk in the soup

I've been out for a meal tonight with BBE.  We went to a local steak house that serves Chateaubriand for two, the included side dishes are delicious too, we had a bottle of  Amancaya Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon, to go with it.  BBE needed a little nap before going out tonight but he is doing really well in terms of adjusting to the time difference.

BBE is back.  He is shattered and went to bed early.  His first question to me was "Where is my Misfit?"   Well, dear reader, I broke it!  Oops!  The large framed print I collected 2 Saturdays ago was accidently knocked over and the glass broke.  I took it back to the Framing Cottage last Saturday.  BBE was mystified looking for it around the house and wondering where it could be! Oh dear...
Tigi Cat is pretty underwhelmed that BBE is home.  She seems happy as long as someone is feeding her :-)
BBE wasn't hungry tonight, too tired, and I've booked a restaurant for tomorrow night, so I'd best get cooking and freezing a few things! I need a good nights sleep myself first though.
It's good to have him home x

BBE is back tomorrow!  I am tracking his flights on Flight Aware, an App on my phone.  I am really looking forward to seeing him, of course! I have over-shopped in an attempt to have some of his favourite things available to eat over the weekend, he probably won't even be hungry after his long journey!  and I'd quite like to go out on Saturday night!  You can tell I'm excited by the number of exclamation marks I've used in this post!

I can't get warm tonight.  I feel sorry for BBE coming back to this weather and work on Monday.  I know that's mad; I shouldn't really be feeling sorry for him, after all he has just had 2 weeks away in the sun, whilst I have been in work and the cold! I think the contrast just makes it worse for him.  If it continues to be this cold I'll light the coal fire in the lounge over the weekend.  That's one of the good things about the cold, lighting the fire and making it nice and cosy!  Also enjoying some hearty food, casseroles, curry, chilli, PIE!  Maybe even a proper pudding with custard!  
Just heard that Nelson Mandela has died, he was 95.  R.I.P