Today has been frustrating and I have been all of a dither.  The plan for today was for Lara to come home at lunch time, spend the afternoon baking while I worked and then we would spend a couple of hours early evening setting the house, making it look special so we would be ready for the family and family friends celebration of her 21st tomorrow.

I have even been dithering about with buying food.  The majority was delivered by an on-line supermarket on Thursday but other items, such as salmon fillets, were due to be picked up today.  Supposing no one could come due to the snow?  What would I do with 30 salmon fillets?

I had a vision of the perfectly planned lunch for my gorgeous girl’s 21st.  We are ready for everyone and hope everyone can come.  But just in case people can not come, some things have not been done and we are not spending the evening preparing the house.  Instead, we will gratefully receive each and every dear and precious visitor who braves the roads or trains and we will ply them with decent food and plenty of it.  It will be homely and comfortable rather than glitzy and sophisticated.  Rather like myself.

Now normally when I am stressing and anxting, I eat.  Constantly.  But not today.  Today I completely lost my appetite until about 1:30 when I had a wrap spread with mayonnaise, humous, lamb’s lettuce and rocket.

Then I nibbled some chocolate and peanuts.  I didn’t go crazy but there was quite a bit of munching going on.   Lara was making the Chocolate, Crunchie Nutty Bars that I blogged about here for the party tomorrow.  I was still dithering.

In the evening when they had set and were cut in to squares, I had a whole one plus crumbs.  Worth every calorie though, as these are so good.

We then enjoyed a whisky and ginger ale, snuggled up on the sofa watching Jaws while supper cooked.

I made a pork and beans casserole using pork chops from the pigs reared on the farm at Harvey’s school.  So they were very local.  Cooked in the slow cooker.

Pork and Beans

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 pork chops with all fat removed
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 red pepper, halved and deseeded
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 150 ml lager beer
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 can of cannelini or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan, fry the chops on both sides until brown and set aside
2. Put the onion, garlic, red pepper, paprika, cumin, coriander and oregano in a food processor.  Add half the lager and blend to a puree.
3. Add the puree to the pan the chops were cooked in and heat, stirring continuously for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, pork chops and remaining lager.
5. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2 hours.
6. Add the beans and cook for a further 1 hour.

We ate this with broccoli and new potatoes.  The pork was tender and flavourful and the sauce was good.  Yummy.

I hope all my family and friends can travel here tomorrow.  We really want to see you all. But only if it’s safe.  Here’s hoping.  More dithering to come I suspect.