Monday 22 June 2009

Ups and Downs

It hasn't been the best of weekends. The sort of weekend that started in the early hours of Saturday morning with a knock on the door from two police officers and the words "There's been an accident". Fortunately Joe walked away with minor scratches and no one else was hurt or involved, which is more than can be said for the car he flipped over which seems quite badly damaged. There are times when I love the fact that he has a "Devil may Care" approach to life, living and enjoying every moment... but there are other times when he just worries me sick.

And so I did what I always do when feeling stressed... I cooked! Sunday all the family except Ben were here, including my Mum and Dad so we had a Father's Day meal for nine of us.

A red onion, spinach (from the garden) and feta tart.

Chicken braised with lemon, garlic and thyme (from the garden)

A middle eastern taboulleh salad (mint and parsley from the garden)

Potato and horseradish salad with radish and chives (both from the garden)

Herb (from the garden) and Garlic bread

And a blueberry and peach cobbler... which involved absolutely nothing from the garden!

Maybe this week I'll get some embroidery done!

32 comments:

  1. Police at the door during hours in which you are normally asleep is one of those universal stomach dropping moments - we always fear the worst. I am happy your news was not like that !

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  2. Oh my goodness, the first paragraph made my blood run cold. Thank goodness he's OK.

    I hope there was a large glass of red in with all that food!

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  3. oh that is every mothers' nightmare - i'm so glad he's alright. your cooking looks lovely and very tasty!!! I'm with Dotty about the wine!!!!

    xxxx

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  4. Blimey - I wished I lived next door to YOU!! I'd be over the fence after one sniff of this little lot .........


    Carolyn
    LOVE STITCHING RED

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  5. Oh Gina! What a horrifying start to the weekend. Thank God Joe was ok!

    Your cooking therapy however looks and sounds gorgeous!

    Lucy xxxx

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  6. I'm so relieved that Joe is OK - that knock on the door is everyone's worst nightmare. I need a strong cup of tea just thinking about how you must have felt!!!

    The food looks amazing - a perfect selection of dishes as far as I'm concerned.

    Celia
    x

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  7. Thank goodness your son was alright. Our son did something similar a few years ago but because he is a policeman and an 'old' married man, we didn't have his colleagues waking us up in the small hours. Your lunch looked delicious and I am drooling especially as I have recently been advised to lose some weight. I can survive without sweet things, but the fact that so many savoury delights are packed with calories is most unfair!!

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  8. I'm so glad to hear Joe is ok.
    That Father's Day spread looked (and I'm sure, tasted) delicious.

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  9. I certainly recognised the stomach dropping feeling as I read your piece. But oh, the food that followed! Taboulleh.... love it.... and your potato salad.... all so beautifully cooked. x

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  10. Joe, eh? Who'd be his mother? But putting a positive spin on it, it was around 4pm in Vancouver so you would have been okay for a G&T.

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  11. oh dear what a terrible start to the weekend... I'm glad he was ok.. so that you can kill him when he has recovered sufficently!

    the food looks fabulous though.. especially that your grew so much of it... we moved house last year and had to leave my lovely bigish green house behind, i has small plastic temorary one now and its just hideous and i really don't feel much like pottering around in it to tend to my little tomato plants.

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  12. I'm so pleased he's okay. Glad to see it didn't totally ruin your weekend. The house must of smelt lovely on Sunday with all that cooking.I wouldn't know where to start. Keep smiling :-)

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  13. Thank goodness all was Ok. that food looked like just the tonic after the fright.

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  14. I can understand your need to soothe your self with cooking, I think a little stitching might completely restore your equilibrium! So relieved no real harm was done. x

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  15. Are you breathing evenly again yet? Glad to hear Joe is fine - oh the immortality of youth!

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  16. I am so glad for you that Joe is all right. Cars can be replaced but not sons. It looks as though you had a wonderful feast yesterday and lovely to have the family around you.

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  17. What is it about young men and thinking they are invincible? My partner sometimes tells me stories from when he first passed his test that makes me glad I didn't know him back then. As it is, I sometimes sit with my foot on the imaginary brake pedal. Glad to hear your Joe's okay.
    The food pictures, my stomach just rumbles!

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  18. Scary stuff, Glad joe is ok. Delicious looking feast. Jane x

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  19. That's horrible, and my worst fear. Who'd be a parent, I used to worry when Rachel came home on the train now she drives I worry just the same but about different things! Still at least Joe's ok and a car is only a thing and that can be replaced! The food looked lovely.

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  20. Oh Gina, so glad Joe's ok. I've experienced that knock a long time ago (and unfortunately not with the same result) so I expect you'll feel a bit wobbly for a few days. Kirsty starts her driving lessons on staurday - one more worry to add to the list!

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  21. Oh heavens Gina!! A phone call from A&E is bad enough but a knock at the door must be terrifying. So glad to hear Joe is ok - hope you gave him plenty of time on the naughty step for the fright he gave you!!

    Looks like you had quite a shock, judging by the enormous quantity of gorgeous food you whipped up!

    Glad your weekend turned out well after such an horrendous start :-)

    xxx

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  22. Boys!
    But on the upside thanks for the inspiration for food. I am 'hosting' a well known embroiderer for our group this week and her husband and couldn't think what to cook. I will do cous cous with mint and parsley..from the supermarket..etc etc. looks great.

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  23. Blimey Gina, that must have been a really scary moment. Thank goodness Joe is OK.

    Your Sunday feast looks fab. Drool.

    Monda
    x

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  24. Oh Gina! How scary to have police knocking at your front door. Am relieved that Joe is OK.
    And your food looks exquisite. Must be very satisfying to eat food from goodies from your own garden.
    Yummmmm.....

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  25. So glad to hear he was alright after the initial shock - kids eh? x

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  26. Yes, these are the trying times with these boys, aren't they? I just keep saying...if we can get them safely past these young adult years. I feel your pain! I love your strategy for soothing the pain too -- nothing like tons of good home cooking to help!

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  27. Oh Gina, I really understand and am so happy for you that it's all o.k. I had the dreaded knock on the door that my daughter had been knocked down when she was 13, I still go sick and cold thinking about it, she too was o.k. and I am so thankful.

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  28. I am so glad that your son was ok. When the police knocked on my door early one Sunday morning, it was to tell me that my son had been killed- my nightmare came true!

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  29. Blimey Gina. How awful for all of you. Hope all is well now and you get to relax a bit. he food looks just gorgeous x

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  30. glad that joe is ok... what a shock for you all.
    your sunday meal looks delicious and so good to use so much produce from the garden.

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  31. I've already had one "police at the door" experience quite recently! I'm really glad that your Joe is fine. xx

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  32. Oh my goodness. I'm just catching up on your posts now. I'm so glad he's okay. K x

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