Mum and Lilian come for lunch

So for some random reason I was awake mega early and we got up and had a coffee and a chat before going back to sleep and then when I woke for the second time it was so cosy in bed that I didn't want to get out but we had Mum and Lilian coming for lunch so I had things to do!!!

First of all my apologies that none of these photographs that follow are mine, save for the one of the pudding, but they are very close to what I actually cooked and I know people get fed up of me happy snapping all the time...

John had got the house super cosy - it was actually a sunny day so the conservatory was a nice temperature but in the lounge John had resurrected the log fire and it was just so warm in there and we had the blinds down and the Christmas lights on along with some Christmas music playing so it was about as festive as we could make it.

I did not do a starter because during the time that Lilian had her operation on her knee she lost her appetite (although she says it is fast returning!).  I had planned pork medallions in an apple, mustard and balsamic cream sauce.  I had made the sauce yesterday and I like to cook the pork there and then so that I know it is just done and tender.  I pan fry until it is just a little pink inside and then take it out to rest.  I check every piece so I know that nothing is either over or under cooked.  Then I poor the sauce over and leave some extra in a jug if people want it.

When I was in Alpha Mega with Mum on Wednesday I managed to handpick a load of small new potatoes that were all the same size so these got a quick wash and were scored and then roasted in good old lard until they were tender and crispy (and bloomin' delicious if I do say so myself).

To accompany I did a selection of roasted vegetables (parsnip, carrot, onion and sweet potato) some green beans and peas and then tried out something new for John - roasted beetroot!!!  He actually said he enjoyed it but would have liked it a bit more roasted than I served it as he was expecting it to be quite crispy on the outside - I don't know if that happens but mine were soft and sweet especially as they had been drizzled with some of Bassam's delicious home made honey from the beehives set in the carob orchard.

I was super pleased with my pudding.   I wanted to do something light and tasty but as I much prefer to cook savoury rather than sweet things I often struggle with dessert.

I had a tin of Ambrosia Creamed Rice Pudding in the cupboard which I decided to tart up with the addition of some vanilla and nutmeg.  This was decanted into ramekins and John blow torched some light brown sugar so that there was a thin crispy layer upon which we put a serving of raspberry coulis which I made from frozen raspberries soaked in some orange juice, orange zest and sluggette of brandy with a little piece of garden mint to add a spot of colour (you see I have been watching that James May cookery programme "Oh Cook!!" which reveals all the tips and tricks employed by cookery programmes to make your food look amazing!!).

The pud was actually really lovely, I might even say moorish and I will be keeping a tin of rice pud in the store cupboard for another time when I need to rustle up a dessert - it really worked!!!

Mum, Lilian and I retired to the conservatory whilst John cleared up, as he always does on a Sunday and then he settled down to put himself through the pain of being a Blades supporter.  I will quickly move on - the less said about this season's performance so far the better.

We managed to watch the end of Season 2 of Tin Star but only after we realised that we had watched several episodes in the wrong order - it didn't really matter as it is the most bonkers thing I have seen in a long time so I would have been confused even if I had seen it all in the right order.

On saying goodbye to Mum and Lilian we spotted Lakis's car had collected a puncture on its way back from the airport last week which is a real bugger as John was going to take it for a spin tomorrow.  The weather forecast for tomorrow is appalling - something like 2cm of rain to fall in the morning - deep joy.