Here and There: my favourite place to think

Here's where I do most of my thinking, reading, internet surfing, writing.... I sit here, at one end of our sofa, often with a pile of books, lists and notebooks all around me, with the laptop in reach and a cup of rooibos tea at hand. Looking to my left I can see through the front window into our small front garden with its 90 year old evergreen hedge and the beautiful mallow, overgrown and tumbling over the fence. On the windowsill are my favourite Art Deco vases, a family heirloom. Under the window in her bed lies our labrador, Star, snuffling as she dreams. Rows and rows of books line the alcoves each side of the fireplace opposite. As the autumn days draw in I look forward to closing the curtains early, having the fire on and snuggling up with a blanket and a book or a favourite television programme. This afternoon I am watching a rerun of the House of Eliot, with a cup of tea and a piece of bread pudding. Soon I will have to leave my comfy chair and start this evening's meal, minced beef with onion, carrot, peas, some herbs, worcestershire sauce and a bit of this and that, served with mashed potatoes, my favourite, and I usually end up having bread and butter soaked in the gravy, guilty secret. At the moment I am wanting comforting, warming food that lends itself to these chilly darker evenings. Roast dinners with roast potatoes and yorkshire puddings, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, soup, butternut squash. I do realise potato featured three times in that list, I am rather fond of the humble spud.  


Egg and Mash - comfort food 


Potatoes, mashed with milk and butter until creamy
2 soft boiled eggs
Salt and pepper if you like (but that's a bit too grown up for me, this is nursery food)


Mash the eggs into the potatoes until there are smallish pieces of white throughout, and the yolks have mixed in with the potato. 


Light the fire, take a seat on the sofa with big squashy cushions around you, have a blanket across your knees for warmth. Eat from a bowl, with a spoon.