Sunday - a bit of a wash-out

We have a bit of a lazy routine on a Sunday if I have got the lunch all sorted which I had.  We take it slow and have a coffee and read the papers in bed and I like to check to see that the PV panels are up and active even if they are not generating much.  Today the monitoring system showed nothing, nada, niets, which was strange until we realised that the weather had taken a real turn for the worse and we were surrounded by a thick blanket of fog.  Just to make doubly sure that nothing had tripped on the PV system I shot out and used my camera with the long lens to take a picture of the fuse box outside, which is for the PV, and although it isn't particularly clear we could see that all the switches were 'up' so nothing had tripped there thank goodness.   

This was the view down to the coast - we couldn't even see as far as Andreas's villa over the field and Mum was due up to us for lunch which worried me so I sent her a picture and explained how bad it was and suggested she rang me when she was about to leave and I would give her an update because it is not the nicest of journeys when it is like this and you are traveling on your own.  

At 11.00am when Mum would normally leave I went out to check the situation.  It was marginally brighter but the visibility was still shocking so I took another photograph and sent it to her.  

She agreed to hold on for half and hour and then she made her way to us and I was very glad to see her arrive safe and sound.  She said she was the only vehicle on the road - as I pointed out she was the only person mad enough to venture out!!!

The weather was bad enough but was forecast to get worse at around 3.00pm so Mum decided that she would have her lunch but not hang around too long which we thought was infinitely sensible as the fog never lifted all day.

 I only had the vegetables to finish off and then I was ready to serve our meal so we sat by the fire and had a chat whilst we were waiting for them.  Mum had been out for lunch with Lilian yesterday but it hadn't been very successful.  I just hoped that she would like the meal I had prepared today because although it was braised steak it was braised steak with a twist!  Actually she ate a really good meal - I think she probably managed more than I did so John and I were really happy.

The meat was slow cooked and served with carrots and mange-tout and, something which I have not ever cooked before, roasted cabbage.  The wedges of white cabbage were seasoned with lemon pepper and basted with olive oil and orange juice and the zest of an orange and then put into the oven at the same time as the potatoes.  It was actually very nice and made a change from plain boiled.

Anyone who knows John knows that he absolutely, categorically will not eat anything with mushrooms but he had seen a recipe for roast potatoes where you prepare them in the shape of a mushroom and when they are cooked low and behold they look like a mushroom.  

He thought it would be nice to try them and to see Mum's face when he had them on his plate and she had them on hers because she doesn't eat mushrooms either!!!

It was all a bit faffy and they took ages to take on any colour but they tasted all right and we had a bit of a laugh over them.  Personally give me a normal roast potato!!

So Mum left early and I was a bit on edge until she text to let me know she had got home safe and sound.  She was a bit longer going home than she had been coming up but she said there was a lot more traffic on the road and she just took it slowly which was sensible.

Nicky and Mark popped over for an hour or so in the evening - they have been very busy putting insulation into their lounge roof and I think they just wanted to get out and get a way from it once it was completed!