Here we go, here we go

 Hands up if you're struggling with your motivation? 

\o

I twote today "Would anyone mind much if I just gave up?" and it remains a question. Of course the Plan B restrictions are both limited and needed. Of course we don't yet know much about how bad omicron is/will be/may be and it's daft to run ahead already. Of course a lot of us are still in practice going to be heading into the office some of the time, and there's lots to do to get sorted where we aren't. But bloody hell, lads, couldn't you do without this feeling?

We have been here before. I'm pretty happy with working from home, so I don't really know why it's hitting me so hard. I've a couple of things booked for next week which I'm twitchy about, but if they get cancelled I've still had a lovely month of activities, way more than during the pandemic to date, and I didn't get covid. I really, absolutely can't complain.

(I went out for a birthday dinner inna wine bar! It was lovely! They had panisse and cime di rapa and other stuff I never, ever bother to make for myself. And delicious wine and CHAT and FRIEND.)

But it's being on the downslope, isn't it? Where do we go next? (We go to get our goddamn boosters asap, and good luck with the booking window! We go to our umpteenth PCR test in a very draughty prefab in Wandsworth - in the rain!) And worst of all, the worry that the sensible answer is ultimately: we go nowhere. Again. 

Anyway. Cooking blog, yes. I made some experimental sprouts and a depressing soup and an absolutely trad shepherd's pie. 

The sprouts are acksherly well worth sharing; I got them from various twitter recs, reinforced with checking cooking times in the parents' Riverford cookbook after I went over there today.* 

 Trim your sprouts [had forgotten what a pain they are in anything more than homeopathic quantities], and dress with oil, soy and lemon. 

 

Roast at about 190degrees for about 20-30 minutes. You want them a bit blackened.

 They are very good. If you had a leftover lump of shepherd's pie that needs warming, this would be a good thing to do with the rest of your oven.

Leftovers ftw but not ft-elegant presentation

The soup was just bad though. Efficiently using up a grated carrot and potato, some spare parsley, the rich stock from that pork and beans dish... It tastes of a bad day and sadness. And there is more for tomorrow. Booooo.