As luck would have it, Day 13 has been pretty good!

We woke up healthy, we organised food to be delivered to Dave’s Mum, I went to work and achieved lots of things (and had lots of meetings), we ate well, and we enjoyed each other’s company.

And as we roll over to April Fools Day tomorrow, I’m expecting that day to be just fine too.

Oh, how the world has changed. Our expectations have changed, our assumptions have changed, our thinking has changed. All just in a few short weeks.

Not that I have ever been superstitious or believed in bad luck, but it seems to me the number 13, or April Fools Day, or whichever superstition anyone happens to believe in, will probably now come into perspective. For example, the way we keep ourselves and others safe at the moment is simple, and based on science and facts more than anything else really… don’t spread the virus by seeing/meeting/touching other people. The scientists certainly don’t know it all, yet, but they know enough to tell us the facts and what to do, and we can already see the curve flattening.

I didn’t get time today to make the sourdough loaves, so they are still ‘resting’ in the fridge. Tomorrow I’ll warm them back up by putting the dough in a nice sunny spot to reactivate the sourdough and get the yeast doing its thing.

I did, however, finish the hot cross buns. While they would definitely not be considered as an extraordinary gastronomical masterpiece, they were okay, for a first attempt. I’ve made normal hot cross buns heaps of times before (I got a little obsessed last Easter), but never a sourdough version. Considering it was using my very own yeast starter, I’m not too disappointed.

This morning I ‘crossed’ the risen (but not quite enough) buns with a paste made from flour and water, then baked them at 190°C for around 30 minutes. A quick glaze made by simmering sugar and water brushed over the hot buns and …voila!

Toasted with lashings of butter is my serving suggestion!

Isn’t ‘comfort eating’ an interesting phenomenon? Many of us, me included, like to eat warming, home style, simple meals when we are feeling  a bit stressed. Meals that remind us of ‘the olden days’ perhaps? Stodgy food that fills our bellies and makes us feel more content even? Who knows the logic behind it, but tonight we definitely went for a comfort dinner.

At lunchtime I popped home from the office (haha – two whole metres to the kitchen 😉 ) and put the 1kg piece of corned beef on to boil.

Tell me my dear friends, who likes a ‘boiled’ corn beef dinner?

I simmered the corned beef on the stove for about three hours. Dave peeled a few potatoes and carrots during the afternoon, which is becoming a part of his daily routine. After work tonight I put the potatoes and other veggies on to boil and then carved the now super tender piece of beef.

In my family, there are certain accompaniments that are always served with corned beef. The braised cabbage I have mentioned a few times is always one of them as is white sauce flavoured generously with English mustard. A corned beef dinner would just not seem right to me without both of those. The other usual suspects were there tonight too – peas, carrots, broccoli and corn, plus a fluffy mash made from the boiled potatoes. Some meals need a creamy rich smooth mash; corned beef needs a light and fluffy version. (IMHO)

As usual we sat outside for dinner and enjoyed the view, the fresh air and our dinner and contemplated the reality that there is only one day of compulsory self-isolation left to go.

I hope you are all well, staying safe and looking forward, as we are, to April being about recovery for our communities and our world.

Sending you all a ‘pinch and a punch for the first day of the month’ for tomorrow, or not!

Sara x

p.s. For my Wagga friends. If you’re looking for a great corned beef then Grant from Blake Street Meats is your man!