Sunday 29 March 2009

Let there be light.........

Completely missed Earth Hour yesterday due to being laid low with a vicious tummy bug, about which the least said the better.

Had I not been writhing on a bed of pain and agony I would certainly have joined in, despite the fact that we had already endured a lengthy power cut the previous (Friday) evening. We had just started cooking dinner when the lights went out. A quick foray into the back garden confirmed that the whole area was in darkness, and out front, the streetlights were black, and neighbours bearing candles and torches peered out into the half-light, no doubt also wondering how they were going to fill their Friday evening with no TV/Internet/WiiFit etc.

We have a gas hob, but the oven and grill are electric, so although our dinner should have been gently roasting in the oven, after half an hour of scrambling around trying to find sufficient candles to light the kitchen, all the time hoping that power would be restored, hunger asserted itself and we decided to extemporise an oven-cooked meal on the gas hob.


Small dog, who is fairly punctilious about dinner time was not amused, as we faffed about tripping over her and each other, buoyed up by a jolly nice Sauvignon Blanc, which, as the fridge was no longer working, we judged best to drink as an aperitif to preserve its chilled perfection.

Cooking by candlelight is easier said than done, especially as we don't have any 'sensible' candles. A silver candleabra may be aesthetically pleasing, but it's bloody useless in functional terms, not to mention almost setting fire to the wall cupboards. Aside from that we have zillions of tea lights, which are just the right height to set fire to your sleeve cuffs and singe the hair off your arms.

Despite this not inconsiderable adversity we soldiered on, aided and abetted by the still passably chilled Sauv. Blanc and began to get into the spirit of the blitz, wartime austerity and all that. Although I don't expect there were many bottles of NZ Marlborough (aka nectar of the gods) down the Anderson shelters.....

Fortunately for small dog, as she had also been suffering from a gippy tummy for the past few days and had temporarily misplaced her appetite, we had pre-prepared a tempting menu, consisting of a delicately cooked chicken, potato and steamed vegetables which had been stored in the fridge from the previous evening's dinner.

Unfortunately for small dog, who likes her dinners warmed, we had no way of reheating it, as the hob was fully occupied and the microwave wasn't an option. So she had to rough it with a cold dinner. In order to soften the blow, and in a spirit of joie de vivre engendered by the wine, I added a jaunty garnish of of parsley, and laid her bowl on the murky depths of the kitchen floor.

Needless to say, just as we were about to serve our own dinner, the power came back on and we stood blinking in abject disappointment at being restored to relative civilisation.

So, off with all the lights again to resume an ad hoc candlight supper.



Apropos of nothing at all when we did turn the lights back on, small dog was just finishing her dinner, having delicately removed the parsley garnish and placing it disdainfully on the kitchen floor. So much for her gourmand credentials.

6 comments:

rosanna said...

Candle light might be romantic but it is NOT sensible. Matteo and I went skiing thi winter and the hotel wher we staied had the curious habit of candle light suppers. ONE single candle each table!!! Eating needed a real effort.
Sandra, t5here is an award for you at my blog if you want to pick it up. Mini hugs

Anonymous said...

I'm lost for words - you warm her dinner!! Goodness me! Lucky dog, though shame she did not appreciate the lovely parsley garnish. P'raps if you'd gone to the effort of making her a flower out of a tomato she'd have been more cheery.
And I LOVE powercuts, best thing about Hastings/the countryside almost.

Sandra Morris said...

Rosanna, the thing I like best about candelight is that it is extremely flattering and doesn't exaggerate my wrinkles. Many thanks for the award. I'm running out of space on the mantlepiece......

Bev, OF COURSE we warm her dinner!!! 10 seconds in the microwave is a small price to pay for a happy dog.
I'll overlook the tomato flower suggestion as you and I both know that dogs don't eat tomatoes. However she is very partial to a soupcon of melon or pear and LOVES asparagus and petits pois.

Mags Cassidy said...

We love candlelight in our house - a habit picked up from our Danish friends many years ago. Hubby always says there are so many candles at our house - one power cut - we'll be millionaires!

Sandra Morris said...

I love candlight too but it's pants when you're trying to do anything which requires 'real' light....like cooking, or brain surgery.

Debbie said...

Getting used to having power cuts on a regular basis here Sandra, the joy of living in the back of beyond. We have candles everywhere, wind up torches and a generator. Although the noise drives me round the twist!
I always warm the dogs food if it has been stored in the fridge, to take the chill off. Can't have them getting cold bellies..