Boxing Day Sales and Guests

I woke up this morning and immediately thought of the post-Christmas sales (one of the three things I can stomach about Christmas, the others being the break from work and watching all the good films on my mum's telly). So I left the kids in bed with their dad, who was trying to ignore them and sleep, and headed to the town centre. I was hopin to pick up some school stuff for the kids or some gifts to stash for use throughout the year. An hour later, hands and face numb from the bitter cold, I decided to give up and head home.

Retailers are complaining that shoppers are staying way and that lack of pending is contributing to the recession and retailers going bust, but today was a reminder why in some cases. The shops were full of useless junk - either surplus to a persons needs or poor quality. The few things I liked the look of were still very expensive or not reduced at all. All of the shops sported signs proclaiming 70% off, but inside all I could see were 20-30% off in most cases. I think I might till the end of the sales and have one look around.

Instead of a bargain, all I managed to do was knacker myself out. This nasty virus we have all had seems to be lingering and I still get tired very quickly, or suddenly find my feet dead and threatening to topple me. My nose still looks like someone took a blowtorch to the underside and I am still getting through a roll of tissue a day, making disgusting snorting noises. Alhamdulillah, it's nothing like two weeks ago when I was really bad.

I was annoyed for getting so tired, because we had guests due to visit today. So instead of being sensible and giving my husband a shopping list which he would happily have trundled off with, I did the rounds of the butchers and grocers. Of course, there being so many Asian businesses in this area, everything was open despite it being Boxing Day. Heck, everything was open here on Christmas Day, although I am sure that's not allowed and the traders must have known this because they didn't have all their junk blocking the pavement as usual.

As soon as the shopping as done, I headed straight for the kitchen where I spent the morning in a grump because what I really wanted to do was lie down. i got a good chunk of the cooking done and then finally spent an hour in bed mid-afternoon reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt (which I haven't decided yet if I like or not).

Much refreshed despite continuous disturbances from the kids, I spent the rest of the day in the kitchen.

I made the food I make most often when I need to cook for quite a few people. Pilau rice and very spicy chicken curry. Brother-in-law kindly picked up the naan bread on his way back from collecting the guests.

The better half and my cousins (who were also in attendance - including my cousin Tayyib) all love salad with their rice, so I chopped up cucumber, Chinese lettuce, tomatoes and green bell pepper, added some sweet corn and grated in some carrots

My husband also can't do without mint sauce with his rice so whizzed some up (recipe to follow).

Didn't have the enrgy for a sweet dish so made seasoned fruit salad for the grown-ups and jelly with peaches or the children. Little Man managed to wolf down nearly the whole bowl of jelly by himself.

My aunty was kind enough to wash most of the dishes and my husband seemed to think it would be a good idea for him to do the rest whilst I hoovered. The assortment of kids managed to make a big mess, some of which Little Lady managed to tidy up. The kids were so tired they were out for the count in minutes (Gorgeous closed his eyes before his head the pillow). I'm still going to make them scrape off the stickers they stuck all over the floor tomorrow. I am just cream-crackered, so I am taking my sore self off to bed and having another go at that book.