Friday 28th March 2025

To our surprise, Jools was expected to go into work. We thought this was probably for presenttions, which proved to be right.

Meaning Jools woke my up as sheleft for yoga,and I did the usual chores for Friday: the bins, get the milk in and fill up the feeders. The only change was there was no work to do afterwards.

Which will take some getting ued to.

After breakfast I cleaned the cooker hob and vacummed the living room again, so the place was looking respectable.

A few weeks back I bought a Mandoline to help slice potatoes for fancy dishes.

And today's fancy dish was Boulangere Potatoes.

I stand here before you today and will admit to being stupid as:

1. Bought a Mandoline.
2. Ignored instructions.
3. Used for the first time today.
4. 4th slice, took the top off my thumb too.
5. Blood. Everywhere.

I had done a proper job.

A series of paper towels were used to stem the flow of the red stuff, so by the time Jools came back at midday laden with flowers and cards, she helped put on a bandage and paster tape.

I cooked the onions, slow, to make them caramelise, this took 40 minutes, at which point I had lost patience.

I used the took to hold potatoes as I sliced them, then layered the onions, potatoes, stock and clarified butter until the tin was full.

Into a low oven to cook.

As it tuened out, the conversion on temperatures from the recipe to our oven was off, so the potatoes didn't cook as much as they should. As I adjusted it through the day, the 90 minute cooking time stretched for over four hours.

To go with it were to thick rib-eyes and mushrooms.

Although not perfect, the potatotes were excellent, wonderful flavour. And the steak perfect and melt in the mouth.

THankfully, my thumb dodn't really hurt, and soon I forgot about it.

There was football on in the evening, and Sheffield Utd thrashed Coventry 3-0. Could have been six.