Your slightly wistful but also rather excited Heyday Friday newsletter
Find out the reasons for my mixture of feelings, try out a tasty meat-free recipe, discover the secret of gymnasts' success & enjoy two viewing and listening recommendations in this week's newsletter
Hello!
I do my best to ensure this isn’t more than an occasional occurrence, but for a number of reasons, there’s no blog to point you towards this week.
Partly that’s because, as was only too clear from last week’s blog and newsletter, I’ve done precious little other than be glued to the Olympics, and have spent much of the time since they finished on Sunday evening (what did you think of the closing ceremony?) catching up on everything I was too distracted to do whilst they were on, all of it either perfectly satisfying or enjoyable (or both) but none of it especially interesting or noteworthy enough to form the basis of a blog.
And partly it’s down to a combination of emotional factors so perfectly identified by India Knight in her brilliant Substack HOME (if you don’t know or follow it, do have a look, she writes wonderfully wisely, engagingly and informatively about everything from recipes and interiors, to culture and gardening) - a sort of post-Olympic slump which I liken to that feeling when you come back from a lovely holiday, or special event and feel a bit gloomy that it’s over, and the fact that as we tumble towards the second half of August, the summer we waited so long for is definitely showing signs - not least in my beloved garden - of starting to be on the wane and I’m not remotely ready to turn my mind to anything even remotely autumnal.
No blog and a slight touch of the blues notwithstanding, there’s still plenty to enjoy and - hopefully - find useful in this newsletter, so let’s crack on, shall we?
WORDS OF WISDOM
This perfectly sums up this summer-is-coming-to-an-end wistfulness, don’t you think?
One of the main reasons I signed up to Mindful Chef more than four years ago, was to prompt me to try new dishes and flavours, as well as to cook healthy food from scratch, something I’d always done when my girls were growing up but had become more lazy about (the trying new stuff, not the cooking from scratch) once I was living alone.
Choosing the dishes, and being sent all the ingredients and instructions for the meals has more than delivered - literally and from a healthy eating point of view, with the added bonus that it gives me lots of new recipe recommendations to share with you. This is another tasty success which I hope you’ll enjoy as much as I did.
SMOKED HADDOCK AND EGG HASH
This will make enough for two people and takes about 30 mins from start to finish. Preheat the oven to 240C, 220C fan, gas 9
Put two un-dyed smoked haddock fillets on a lined baking tray, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper then bake for about 20 mins or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily.
Cut 300g baby potatoes into quarters and simmer for 8-10 mins until softened then drain and lightly crush with the back of a fork.
Thinly slice 3 spring onions, chop up a handful of fresh chives and roughly chop a handful of fresh coriander.
Heat a large frying pan with 1tbsp oil on a medium high heat. Add the crushed potatoes and cook stirring occasionally until golden and crispy .
Stir in 2tsp curry powder and cook for 30 seconds, then add the zest of one lemon, 150g peas or petit pois, and 50g rainbow chard, chopped and the spring onions. Cook for 3-4 mins until the chard is wilted.
When your fish is cooked, flake it into the potatoes. Add the coriander and the juice from half the lemon and gently mix to combine.
Heat another frying pan with a bit of oil and fry two eggs (see below for a surprising way to crack them) until the white is set and the yolk is runny.
Serve the hash onto two plates, top each with a fried egg and garnish with the chives.
Here’s that unusual way to crack eggs into a frying pan which I didn’t believe works but which actually does. Basically you just drop the egg into the pan and it will crack perfectly in two so you can cleanly pick up the two halves of egg shell and there’s no eggy mess on the rim and down the outside of the pan or bits of shell in the egg. Try it!
THIS WEEK I’VE BEEN……WATCHING
Apparently this is the fourth series of this, also apparently now BAFTA Award winning, drama series on Channel Four, so a) I’m late to the party yet again and b) I have the delightful prospect of three more sets of these beautifully crafted, satisfyingly succinct (each episode is just 24 mins long and there are just three of them in each series) new films, all written and directed by talented newcomers, to look forward to.
And on the basis of the three dramas in series four, I’m looking forward to that very much indeed.
Each series focuses on a general overall theme, and this time it’s care and caring. In the first story we meet Gwynn who is a mermaid trying to come to terms with the loss of her tail and adjust to a new life on dry land, and how the people around her, particularly her boyfriend, respond to her situation and struggles. Trust me, it’s less weird than it sounds thanks to the way writer Toby Parker Rees uses Gwynn’s situation as a clever metaphor for any kind of life-changing illness or disability.
In the second film, foster father Gabe has struggles of his own, and very much of his own making, for reasons that become clear, relinquishing the foster daughter he loves when the time comes to return her to her reformed addict mother. Whilst in the final of the trio we witness the heart-breaking and agonisingly relatable journey of a elderly husband eventually and reluctantly acknowledging, after an inevitable dramatic tipping point, that he can no longer take care of his much-loved wife who is suffering from dementia.
The way not just the immediate situation plays out, but how the hinterland of each character is revealed through often sparse but powerful dialogue, is part of what makes each of these concise dramas so rewarding and enjoyable. Hats off to Channel Four for giving the talented film-makers a chance to show their skills. On the evidence of this series, never mind the other three, they certainly deserve this to be the springboard to successful future careers.
You can watch On The Edge on Channel 4
AND….LISTENING TO
I don’t often recommend just one episode of a podcast, but when it’s as much of a gem as this one, I can’t help myself. Which is not to say the other four episodes of new podcast, the enoughness, aren’t well worth a listen. I’m sure they are (from which you’ll gather I haven’t actually heard them yet). But the conversation between host and fashion journalist and former alcohol and cocaine addict, Melanie Rickey, and beauty and skincare expert Salli Hughes, who’s also a journalist as well as an author, broadcaster and founder of The Beauty Banks (more about them below) is too good not to warrant it’s own special mention.
The premise of the enoughness is to confront our over-consumption behaviours and habits and explore how we seek out and manage pleasure and satisfaction in a world where abundance is celebrated, what enough looks like, and how much we really need to thrive.
What Salli has to say about the disinformation and disingenuousness of the beauty industry and too many of the experts working in and around it, and her down-to-earth, expert, considered advice, make this a compelling enough listen. But what she also candidly discusses about her challenging childhood, her experience of poverty and why she needs to have a fridge that’s full, are what make it so emotionally impactful and memorable.
Salli explains to Melanie how that personal history is one of the driving forces behind the remarkable charity she co-created in 2018 - The Body Banks distribute hygiene essentials to over 800 charities to support people who can’t afford to be clean and campaigns to put an end to hygiene poverty - and shares her hard-learned insights into relationships and family ties.
You can listen to the Salli Hughes episode (and the others) of the enoughness wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify
WHAT’S MADE ME HAPPY THIS WEEK
In a final nod to the Olympics, or a warm-up one for the Paralympics, and if, like me, you ever wondered how gymnasts learn, practice and execute their astonishing feats of strength and agility, and what happens when things don’t go according to plan, here’s your answer.
Because you know I can’t stay away from the topic of the weather for long (I choose to believe it’s an inherent and unavoidable character trait of being British), this
FRIDAY FUNNY
also on the subject of summer made me chuckle, albeit somewhat wryly
I’m currently ramping up my practicing ahead of setting off for Edinburgh next week for my debut performance, singing alongside 50 of my fellow Rock Choir members, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I’m absurdly excited about the prospect and really looking forward to sharing the experience with you in next week’s newsletter (and hopefully, blog, if I have the time to get one written. I’ll certainly try!)
Have a great week whatever you’re doing and see you next time.
Oh and if you could drop me one of those little ‘like’ hearts, that would send me on my way to Scotland with a definite spring in my step. Thank you!
Diane x
Enjoy the singing in Edinburgh
Enjoy your time in Edinburgh Diane.