Food for Friendship... *warning: this post contains Grief*

Hello MrsB *waves*
This is my better half, sat in Carluccios Manchester. Meeting up with FRIENDS for Afternoon Tea / Late lunch / Hot Chocolate, who knows what else. I find a lump in my throat, when i say - i have barely cooked a thing for the past few weeks.
My daughter commented "we haven't seen the Greengrocer Lady for a while"... i suppose because we haven't needed any fresh food.

I feel griefstricken when i think that, all my cooking efforts (it hasn't been an 'effort' but a delight) of these early weeks in 2010, have involved my Nanna.

The Lemon Cheese.... The Marmalade.... The Lemon Drizzle Cake... The place where she sat when i cooked a Birthday Dinner for my dad.... who knew i would miss her this much?

I was making her Chicken Soup, that never made that journey. My food comforted her but i couldn't sustain her.

I think our regular BIG STOVE readers, will giggle with me when they know: the last thing my Nanna ate was my Lemon Drizzle Cake... and we had a big plate of it served served at her 'parade party' (as my daughter beautifully named the Wake)

I didn't cook for a while after her leaving me :(

And then i went to stay with my friend, who met me at her door with ribbons and cupcakes. We met with other friends for food and chatting and later we made a big curry dinner together. It sort of broke the Grief Spell.

I think i can cook again now, but i might have to leave the Lemon Drizzle Cake to one side for a little while yet xxx

Food for Living...

Don't mistake me... i love pretty things & pretty food. I love fabric Jam Tops and dainty labels with all the "use by" dates. I like a tea party and i like to use Cake Forks and silver Chutney Spoons... (i like a pretty red bowl, sshhhh) But food is about life and living and sustenance.
Like i said, my Nanna needs a bit of 'life' right now, so:
Marmalade with GIANT WRITING so she can read the label with her poor eyesight.
LEMON CHEESE also with giant writing... and i call this Lemon Curd. It is a debate we have had for some years, my Nanna and I. But she is in her 90's now and i can give in gracefully to this one. Lemon CHEESE it is.
And.... a crunchy top Lemon Drizzle cake - also Nanna's favourite.

That's the funny thing about being poorly.... when you are healthy and well (and elderly...) people are inclined to visit you less often. And as soon as you are poorly and tired and maybe ready to 'shuffle off the mortal coil'.... everybody comes a calling!

So, in true Postman Pat style "special delivery service", the delightfully smiley ChildFish and I, are off to spread cookery joy where it is currently most needed.

x x x "Here's to the many many mothers who gone before us, making pots of Lemon Cheese by the barrel load" x x x